Motivation

This chapter examines the challenges and opportunities of the online space for peace mediation process design. While peace mediation as a core competence may remain largely unchanged, the design of interventions, from preparation to addressing questions of inclusivity or confidentiality or facilitating the implementation of an agreement, must now account for an additional layer of complexity that technology provides.

The chapter begins with an analysis of the functions that technology may serve in mediation. Fusing Brendan McAllister's functions of mediation and Anne Kahl and Helena Puig Larrauri's exploration of technology in broader peacemaking, it outlines four specific functions for technology in mediation: improving understanding, expanding and securing the mediation table, supporting creativity, and facilitating agreement. The broader fields of peace and social studies have been historically intertwined with the development of communication technologies, a dynamic that is explored later in the chapter and into which peace mediators have been thrown by the rise of social media and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four changes are anticipated for peace mediation in adapting to technology: first, it is expected that mediation teams add profiles specialized in technology, following skills-based recruitment, and build linkages with the private sector. Second, the mediation table will continue to expand thanks to the use of video-tele-conferencing (VTC) systems in preparation for and around mediation sessions, also enhancing opportunities for training. Third, digital technologies will be key for communities of practice and coordination of efforts, an area that continues to be a key hurdle for peace workers. Lastly, mediators may look to technology to enhance the inclusivity of the process.

These changes will likely only come about once mediators understand technology not just as a tool, but as a transversal component in the societies where they operate.

Introduction

Communication is at the heart of mediation. Be it in the formulation of a common understanding of conflict issues or to aid in the unearthing of deep-rooted needs and interests, words represent one of the main tools at the disposal of mediators. Yet the field is still coming to grips with one of the main ingredients in modern communications: the digital sphere.