mediation

Formally trained as a mediator, John Paul has participated in and facilitated a wide range of mediation processes. Over time, he found the dominant terminology and associated imagery did not match his experience or many of the practices innovated in settings of violent, protracted conflict. Professional mediation tends to build around formalized processes of impartial and neutral facilitation. Long-term constructive social change in settings of violent conflict requires committed relationships and the nurturing of a social mediative capacity. Often captured in the term ‘accompaniment,’ this approach requires creativity in the evolution of a wider range of roles. The content in this section spans the evolution of John Paul's practice and understanding of mediation, particularly between the late 1980s to the early 2000s, shaped by his early experiences in international high-level mediation and transformative learnings from local mediative processes in Central America.

Cultivating Peace: A Practitioner’s View of Deadly Conflict and Negotiation

A chapter weaving reflections emergent from practitioner experience that offer an alternative view to the metaphor of ripeness and provide a re-orientation to the practice of developing negotiated peaces.

Journey from Resolution to Transformative Peacebuilding

A chapter reflecting on three specific experiences that marked important evolutions in John Paul's thinking and practice.

The Paradox of Popular Justice: A Practitioner’s View

A reflection highlighting the authors' tensions around the concepts of popular, justice, community, and empowerment and an inside view and assessment of the success and potential of the movement toward popular justice.

Conflict Resolution in Cross Cultural Context

A chapter reflecting on the promises and pitfalls of conflict resolution in a cross-cultural setting.

Of Nets, Nails, and Problems: The Folk Language of Conflict Resolution in a Central American Setting

A book chapter adaptation of John Paul's doctoral dissertation on indigenous understandings of conflict processes rooted in language and culture.

Of Nets, Nails, and Problemas: A Folk Vision of Conflict in Central America

John Paul's Ph.D. thesis for the Department of Sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The Foundation of Institutionalization: Reflective Practice

A speaking notes for a conference presentation delivered in Nepal on mediation, institutionalization, and reflective practice, drawing on experiences accompanying local community mediation networks.

Caminos y conversaciones de cuatro décadas

Conferencia de John Paul Lederach, con comentarios y reflexiones de Gastón Aín y Francisco Diez, en el marco del III Congreso Americano de Mediación, organizado por Fundación Mediar.

John Paul Lederach Speaks at the Next Gen Peace Conference

A keynote speech at the 2016 Alliance for Peacebuilding Conference reflecting on accompaniment of peacebuilding and conflict transformation in Nepal across a decade.