Lawyering Peace
Peace negotiations and post-conflict justice pursuits: Behind the Scenes 📹 Hosted by experienced peace negotiator and Founder of the Public International Law & Policy Group, Dr. Paul R. Williams.
Episodes
21 hours ago
21 hours ago
In this unique episode, we speak with Ambassador Zorica Maric Djordjevic, to explore the subtleties of diplomacy and Montenegro's extraordinary journey in international relations. The discussion unveils Montenegro as an understated success story in U.S. foreign policy, spotlighting Ambassador Djordjevic’s instrumental role in enhancing ties with the U.S., the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization from 1989 to 2020.
Ambassador Djordjevic brings her unique perspectives from her time guiding Montenegro out of conflict and into statehood, emphasizing the importance of applying a gendered lens to negotiations.Â
Monday Apr 15, 2024
Betsy Popken: 2015 - 2017 Geneva Peace Talks for Syria
Monday Apr 15, 2024
Monday Apr 15, 2024
In this episode of "Lawyering Peace," we delve into the intricate dynamics of peace negotiation delegations, with a special focus on the critical roles played by women leaders in the Syrian opposition delegation. Our guest, Betsy Popken, brings insights from her tenure as the chief legal advisor during the Geneva peace talks (2015 - 2017). Peek into the rigorous training and strategic planning that goes into preparing a delegation for high-stakes negotiations, and learn how roles and responsibilities are assigned to harness the strengths of diverse team members, particularly the leading women. This discussion offers a unique glimpse into the challenging yet fascinating process of negotiating peace, and the vital aspects of training and leading a negotiation team effectively.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Donald Planty: 1996 Guatemala Peace Process
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
In this episode of the Lawyering Peace podcast, we delve into Guatemala's journey toward peace through the lens of the 1996 Peace Accords process, which concluded 36 years of internal conflict. Ambassador Donald Planty, the United States Ambassador to Guatemala during the peace process, shares his firsthand experiences from engaging in the process, emphasizing the crucial role of international cooperation, especially the strategic support of the "Friends of the Peace Process" in this context. This episode also unpacks the essential skills for successful diplomacy, such as relationship building, effective listening, and understanding diverse perspectives. Ambassador Planty illustrates how capitalizing on these skills and relying on informal confidence building measures with the parties, propelled the negotiations forward. Tune in to learn about the dynamic challenges facing an ambassador engaged in high-stakes negotiations and the practical negotiation skills that can lead to successful outcomes.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Robert Perito: 1991 Angola Peace Process
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Robert Perito is an expert in security sector reform and governance and has been involved in post-conflict processes in regions and states across the globe, including Angola, Haiti, Liberia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. This episode explores Bob’s career as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State, during which time Bob chaired the US delegation to the Angolan peace talks that ended in the signing of the Bicesse Accords. This episode provides deep insights into the role played by third parity delegations in peace talks and the challenges that come with seeking peaceful solutions to entrenched conflicts.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Mathew Simpson: 2011 Doha Peace Negotiations
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Matt Simpson has been engaged in several peace and post-conflict processes around the world, and is now Co-Chair of the Private Equity Practice at Mintz. This episode delves into Matt’s role as the Principal Legal Advisor to the Darfur Delegation in the Doha Round of Peace Negotiations, which aimed to resolve the Darfur conflict. In this position, Matt led a team of over two dozen international legal and policy advisors, and was charged with advising on the full range of issues that presented themselves during the negotiations, including power sharing, security arrangements, demilitarization, wealth allocation from natural resources, and the return of displaced persons. In this interview, Matt discusses the challenges and intricacies of his role, providing insights into the reality of peace negotiations as well as lessons learned for other contexts.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Dr. Patrick Maluki: Leading Kenyan Academic on Conflict Mitigation and Mediation
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Dr. Patrick Maluki is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi and Kenya’s top expert in peace and diplomacy. Dr. Maluki has extensive experience in the peace and conflict mediation arena. He holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kenya and is an expert trainer and researcher in international negotiation, mediation, human rights, governance, and peace building issues. This episode focuses on Dr. Maluki’s in-depth knowledge of the causes of conflict, conflict prevention, and conflict mitigation.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Yoonie Kim: Yemen 2011 - 2015
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Yoonie Kim is a former PILPG-er, and is currently a Senior Political Affairs Officer and the Gulf Team Leader at the United Nations. This episode explores Yoonie’s time serving as Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to the UN Special Envoy Jamal Benomar on the Yemen peace process, examining the ways in which mediation teams operate when supporting challenging and complex negotiations, and the importance of collaboration between the various actors involved in peace negotiations when pursuing durable peace.
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Vartan Oskanian: 2001 Key West Negotiations
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Vartan Oskanian, is the former Minister of Foreign Affairs for Armenia, and a former member of the Armenian Parliament. This episode delves into Vartan’s role as Armenia’s chief negotiator for the Nagorno Karabakh Key West negotiations in 2001, which sought to resolve the protracted Nagorno Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The episode in part explores the realities of negotiations that do not result in a durable peace agreement, and the lessons learned for future negotiators.
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Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Dr. Alush Gashi: Kosova's Rise to Independence
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Dr. Alush Gashi has extensive diplomatic and political experience in the peace negotiations and self determination space and is a widely respected human rights activist. This episode focuses on the integral contribution Alush has made to the realization of Kosovar self determination, exploring his time as Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic League of Kosova and Senior Advisor to President Ibrahim Rugova during the Rambouillet Negotiations of 1999; his key role in the negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade o 2004; and his position as majority leader in the Kosova Parliament during the Ahtisaari Negotiations of 2007. Alush draws upon his more recent efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sudan and Sri Lanka, providing valuable insight into his experience encouraging parties to pursue a peaceful resolution of conflict.
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Igor Luksic: 2006 Union Treaty Negotiations
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
Tuesday Mar 12, 2024
President Igor Luksic is the former Prime Minister of Montenegro, having held myriad other positions in Montenegro’s government, including that of Finance Minister and Foreign Minister. In this episode, the conversation explores Igor’s role as a key member of the Constitutional Commission which negotiated the Union Treaty of Serbia and Montenegro on Montenegro’s behalf. The Union Treaty provided for the secession of Montenegro from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Lawyering Peace Interview Series
Join Dr. Paul R. Williams, as he delves into the realm of peace negotiations, diplomacy, and international criminal justice with guests including seasoned peace negotiators and mediators, legal and strategic advisors, former ambassadors, prosecutors, and veterans of international criminal tribunals. Through the conversations, Dr. Williams and his guests shed light on the hurdles and triumphs of peace talks, the intricacies of negotiation strategies, the rigorous pursuit of justice in the aftermath of atrocities, and, in some instances, the lessons learned from failure. This series is a platform for the insights and wisdom of the friends and colleagues that Dr. Williams has had the honor of working with for over 30 years in the field, and offers an insider’s perspective on the complex dynamics of seeking justice and durable peace on the international stage.