Mediation and dialogue facilitation

Bringing about dialogue, facilitating negotiations and mediating are Kreddha's core activities. We summarize these activities under the term 'dialogue facilitation'.

Kreddha recognizes the increasing pressure on states for change, for greater popular participation in government and for the accommodation of the diverse interests of distinct population groups within their borders. It is dedicated to the exploration and promotion of constructive ways to bring about peaceful transformation that responds to the interests of all parties and the prevention of violent conflicts.

In the case of an armed conflict, a new situation must be created that satisfies the interests of all parties in line with new realities on the ground. Kreddha assists in initiating dialogue, facilitates that dialogue, empowers parties to negotiate satisfactory agreements and assists wherever necessary in the peace implementation phase. Our guiding principles are that the creation and implementation of the new situation must be undertaken in a culturally appropriate manner that acknowledges the legitimate interests of all parties and that provides the conditions for reconciliation and a positive long-term influence on peace in the region.

We carry out our dialogue facilitation activities behind the scenes, often in a confidential manner, and don't publish, engage with the press or otherwise make public where and how we are involved or what is happening in a particular process, unless the parties so require. Confidentiality is not only frequently a requirement by one of the parties; it also gives the organization's facilitators more freedom and access, and allows parties to be forthcoming in sharing their interests. In order to ensure Kreddha's continued independence in relation to the peace processes it is engaged to facilitate, it raises funds from independent sources.

Specific activities in which Kreddha facilitators have engaged in include:

Mediating a ceasefire agreement as well facilitating negotiations on subsequent ceasefire extensions;
designing processes by which parties can engage in negotiations on the modalities of their peace and reconciliation process, and facilitating agreement on such processes;
working with parties on including appropriate confidence building elements into their peace process, and in relation to that:
designing and working with parties on ways to ensure the implementation of various commitments made and agreements reached between them in the course of the negotiations;
chairing negotiation sessions as well as shuttling between parties when they wish to talk indirectly;
troubleshooting, ranging from diffusion of tensions caused by provocative press statements made by parties, to handling the consequences of the arrest in a third country of a party's principal negotiator;
drafting and facilitating agreement on joint statements;
engaging parties in brainstorming on how to satisfy their needs beyond their stated positions and in ways that are agreeable to the other party(s);
working with a newly formed negotiation team on team building and preparations for the negotiation process;
engaging expertise and exploring with parties how to accommodate possible solutions in a constitution as well as how to amend a constitution to accommodate possible solutions;
taking care of appropriate venues for talks and facilitating visa arrangements;
bringing negotiators and decision makers in contact with specialized expertise from the growing network of knowledgeable and experienced people we have worked with, whom we brief extensively so that their time with the parties is focused and effective;
working with experts to prepare papers for parties and facilitators, addressing issues of importance to the talks; and
sharing experiences and lessons learned from other situations with parties to the extent that these can be relevant and useful for their specific cases.

For an article on "The discreet charms of the international go-between" by The Economist, click here.