News
Yemen: When Talks Stall, Local Actors Help Sustain Ceasefires, but Not Indefinitely
When high-level political negotiations stall, local and civil society actors still try to sustain ceasefires on the ground. Yemen shows how important it is that international support does not crowd out such processes and that these efforts cannot substitute for the political settlement the country still needs, as the recent escalation underlines.
Narratives in Peace Processes: Breaking the Binaries
Simple conflict stories have an attraction power and circulate easily. By complexifying narratives in peace processes, practitioners and policymakers can find important pathways to shaping sustainable peace.
Multilevel Peacemaking Tool: A Guidance Note
Peacemaking landscapes are increasingly crowded. This guidance note presents an analytical framework to help practitioners and policymakers – from international mediators and donors to national and local peacebuilders – navigate that complexity and build coherence between peace initiatives.
What Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Tells Us About the Perils of Violating International Law
One of the most anticipated films of the year, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, hit the big screen earlier this month. Based on ticket sales, the film was watched by approximately 15 to 18 million people around the world on its opening weekend alone. While not a policy piece, this latest retelling of Odysseus’ homecoming journey does offer a form of cultural policy reflection about the state of our world, in particular with regards to respect for international law.
Peace Mediation in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape
This year’s Master of Advanced Studies ETH Mediation in Peace Processes (MAS ETH MPP) Biennial Policy Forum on Peace Mediation explored the future of mediation in a shifting geopolitical context. It highlighted the challenges mediation is facing today – but also came with calls for ambition. Inbal Ben-Ezer and Eemeli Isoaho from the MAS ETH MPP team share key takeaways from the forum.