language and discourse

Reframing Peace Mediation with Dr Owen Frazer [Ep. 36]

Reframing Peace Mediation with Dr Owen Frazer: A Deep Dive into Conflict Transformation
In this episode of the Conflict Tipping podcast, host Laura May engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr Owen Frazer, a seasoned conflict resolution expert and Senior Advisor for Conflict Transformation at Helvetas. Dr Frazer, with over two decades of experience and a new book titled Reframing Peace Mediation, shares invaluable insights into the art and science of mediation in conflict settings.
Key Highlights:
Dr Frazer's Journey and Motivation: From Belfast to becoming a leading voice in peace mediation, explore Owen's motivations and how his experiences shaped his approach to conflict resolution.
The Gaps in Mediation Literature: A critical look at the disconnect between academic research on mediation and practical, on-the-ground conflict resolution. Discover why Dr Frazer embarked on his PhD to bridge these gaps.
The El Salvador Peace Process: An in-depth exploration of Dr Frazer’s research on the 1989-1992 peace negotiations in El Salvador, focusing on the complexities of facilitative mediation and the power dynamics at play.
Framing in Mediation: Uncover Dr Frazer's innovative framework that explains how mediators can effectively influence outcomes through strategic framing actions—naming, claiming, and gaming.
The Role of Pragmatism in Peacebuilding: A discussion on how pragmatic decision-making impacts the longevity and acceptance of peace agreements, particularly in the context of political mediation.
Dr Frazer's Current Work: Insights into Owen’s current role at Helvetas, where he advises on conflict transformation across various contexts, from grassroots peacebuilding to navigating complex political landscapes.
This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the evolving practice of peace mediation and the intricate dance of framing that underpins successful conflict resolution.
Links:
Reframing Peace Mediation by Dr Owen Frazer: Routledge
Helvetas: Helvetas Official Site
Dr Owen Frazer's LinkedIn: LinkedIn Profile
Timestamps:
Introduction and Welcome - [00:00:00]
Owen's Journey into Peace Mediation - [00:01:00]
Gaps in Mediation Literature - [00:02:00]
The El Salvador Peace Process - [00:06:00]
Framing in Mediation - [00:10:30]
Pragmatism in Peacebuilding - [00:30:00]
Dr Frazer’s Current Work at Helvetas - [00:35:33]
How to Get Involved in Conflict Transformation - [00:40:42]
Conclusion and Contact Information - [00:44:00]

Reincorporating combatants in Colombia with Dr. Solveig Richter and Laura Camila Barrios Sabogal [Ep. 19]

In this episode, Host, Laura May, talks with guests, Dr. Solveig Richter and Laura Camila Barrios Sabogal about Colombia as a case study for how conflict behaves and how conflict transforms itself.  Topics discussed include:
The role of language in the Peace Accords
Security concerns
Listening to local partners
Psychological support
Involving communities in the research and the final products
Connect with the Guests:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-barrios-sabogal-6a9440b6
https://mobile.twitter.com/LauraC_Barrios
https://www.linkedin.com/in/solveig-richter-b451b1193
https://mobile.twitter.com/SolveigRichter
 
About the Guests:
Laura Camila Barrios Sabogal's bio:
Doctoral Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) and Goethe Universität Frankfurt. Former Director of the Master’s Program in Conflict, Memory and Peace at Universidad del Rosario and former member of the Center for Conflict and Peace Studies of the same University. Master of Public Policy with a specialization in Conflict Studies and Management, Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany. Bachelor Professional in government and international relations, Universidad Externado de Colombia. Her research interests cover gender, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), democratization and peacebuilding in post-conflict countries.
Solveig Richter's bio: https://www.uni-erfurt.de/en/brandtschool/the-school/people/visiting-lecturers/prof-dr-solveig-richter
 
Solveig Richter's bio and institutional profile:https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/profile/mitarbeiter/prof-dr-solveig-richter
 
About host, Laura May, PhD:
Laura is a former Executive Director of the International Mediation Institute and a negotiation and mediation lecturer.  Her doctoral research asked “in what ways does blame make villains in politics” and covered the gamut from literature studies and linguistics to psychology and neuroscience, victimology to political science.  Her expertise includes emotions, polarization, blame, and international politics.  Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn or ResearchGate—or even both!

Integrating collective trauma with Adrian Wagner [Ep. 14]

In this episode, Laura speaks with PhD candidate Adrian Wagner, whose research focuses on the integration of collective or community trauma.  He is undertaking his PhD at the Universität Witten/Herdecke, is a research fellow at the European School of Governance, and works as a coach and facilitator for transformational leadership.
 
This episode is for you if you want to hear about:
 
The long footprint of collective traumas (e.g. wars, covid)
How we use narratives to make sense of the world (and when that goes wrong)
Grieving and processing shared traumas
Links between trauma histories in Germany and reactions to the invasion of Ukraine
The need to gain emotional insight to tackle the world's big problems
 
Links to learn more:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-wagner-blackforrestconsulting/
Pocket Project on Collective Trauma Integration: https://pocketproject.org/about/what-is-collective-trauma-integration/
Research report: https://pocketproject.org/collective-trauma-democracy/
Publication: https://publications.iass-potsdam.de/pubman/faces/ViewItemOverviewPage.jsp?itemId=item_6002593_3
About the report (in German): https://www.mehr-demokratie.de/projekte/deepening-democracy/forschungsbericht?sword_list%5B0%5D=Trauma&sword_list%5B1%5D=and&sword_list%5B2%5D=democracy&no_cache=1

Discourse and division with Dr. Tamsin Parnell [Ep. 10]

In this episode Laura interviews Tamsin Parnell, a linguistics researcher whose doctoral work focuses on identities, discourses, and division around Brexit. She is a research associate at the University of Warwick, visiting lecturer at Birmingham City University, and is interested in media and political discourses.  In this episode, Tamsin (and her cat Willow!) join Laura to talk about Brexit, covid-19, immigration, and how to reduce inflammatory speech and division.
Tamsin's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamsinparnell/
Tamsin's twitter: @tamsinparnell
 
 

Collective narcissism and conspiracy beliefs with Dr. Aleksandra Cichocka [Ep. 08]

In this episode Laura interviews Professor Aleksandra Cichocka, Professor of Political Psychology at the University of Kent School of Psychology. Prof. Cichocka received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Warsaw in 2013. During her doctoral studies she was a Fulbright Fellow at New York University. After completing her PhD, she joined Kent, where she leads the Political Psychology Lab.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alekscichocka, https://twitter.com/PolPsychKent
 
Publications: https://www.kent.ac.uk/psychology/people/219/cichocka-aleksandra 

Conflict narratives and emotions with Dr. Samantha Hardy [Ep.05]

In this episode Laura interviews Dr. Samantha Hardy Lawson, Principal at Conflict Coaching International and Adjunct Associate Professor at James Cook University.
Dr. Lawson is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the James Cook University (JCU), Conflict Management Resolution (CMR) Program. Sam is accredited under the National Mediator Accreditation System and certified as a transformative mediator by the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation in the United States. She is an experienced conflict coach and the founder of the REAL Conflict Coaching System.
A leader in the field of conflict management and resolution, Sam is a principal at Conflict Coaching International and runs a consultancy practice in creative conflict engagement and education. She has published widely in conflict resolution, including her books Dispute Resolution in Australia, 3rd ed. (2014), co-authored with David Spencer, and Mediation for Lawyers (2010), co-authored with Olivia Rundle.