FAIR: Ethics in Peace Negotiations

Starting from a controversy over Pope Francis’ recent statement that Ukraine should enter into peace negotiations with Russia, this interview with former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos queries into ethical dimensions of the Colombian peace negotiations with the FARC. Topics covered include the treatment of ‘the enemy’ as allies in the pursuit of peace, and...

What is the outcome of peace talks in which government authorities have been excluded or sidelined? In this episode  Henrik Syse  and  Kristoffer Liden  from the  Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)  are joined by  Kristian Berg Harpviken  (PRIO) to discuss the US Talks with the Afghan Taliban. Harpviken draws on his scholarship to uncover how the sidelining of the Afghan government paved the way...

How is trust between states built after having been threatened or broken by threats and sanctions? In this episode Henrik Syse and Kristoffer Liden from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) are joined by Dr. Gregory M Reichberg (PRIO) to discuss the importance of trust and respect in negotiations leading up to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 (the five p...

How is memory brought to or barred from the negotiating table? In this episode Henrik Syse and Kristoffer Liden from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) are joined by Dr. Nadim Khoury from the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN). Drawing on his childhood as a Palestinian growing up during the first intifada and his scholarship on how collective memory plays a role in peace nego...

In this episode Henrik Syse and Kristoffer Liden from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) are joined by Dr. Cedric de Coning (NUPI) to discuss what it means when a negotiation diverges from what is generally considered fair and good but results in a ceasefire – when coercion and exclusive deals are used to end widespread violence and suffering. Dr. de Coning discusses the process leading up t...

How comprehensive should gender equality promoting measures be in a peace agreement in the face of public opposition? Henrik Syse , Kristoffer Liden , from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) , and Dr. Isabel Bramsen (Lund University) unpack the interrelated controversies of gender inclusivity and public participation in the Colombian peace process. Dr. Bramsen examines the debates surroundin...

In this episode Henrik Syse and Kristoffer Líden from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) speak with Dr. Zenonas Tziarras (University of Cyprus, formerly PRIO Cyprus Centre) about issues of ownership, legitimacy, and foreign involvement in the Syrian peace process known as the Astana process. Dr. Tziarras discusses how guarantor powers have shaped the representation of the talks, exploring th...

What role can civil society play in peace negotiations? What happens when inclusivity is weighed against stopping violence, or when included groups are met with an imperfect deal in the end? In this episode Henrik Syse speaks with Dr. Wenche Hauge from Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) , who explains the controversies surrounding civil society’s inclusion in the Guatemalan peace process from 19...

How were the Palestinians excluded from peace negotiations during the 1940s, the 1970s, and the 2000s? Henrik Syse , Kristoffer Liden, and historian Dr. Jorgen Jensehaugen from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) outline the role of mediator gatekeeping in the exclusion of Palestinians as a people, a political unit, and a spoiler group. Dr. Jensehaugen explores what it means to be a weak medi...

How did Malian women advocate for their inclusion in the Algiers negotiations in 2014–2015? In this episode Henrik Syse and Kristoffer Liden from Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) are joined by Dr. Jenny Lorentzen (PRIO & Lund University). From her rich fieldwork in Mali, including conversations with female civil society members who demanded a seat at the table in the initial ceasefire nego...