- Peacemaker’s Toolkit
In coordination with the United Nations Mediation Support Unit and in collaboration with a number of other mediation institutes and experts, USIP is developing a series of "best practices" handbooks on key aspects of mediation and peacemaking. The series is being designed for experienced mediation practitioners and negotiators, but will be a valuable resource for students and policymakers. Future handbooks include: Assessing and Enhancing Ripeness, Negotiating with Terrorists, Dealing with the Impact of an International Tribunal on a Peace Process; Managing Public Information in a Mediation Process, Debriefing a Mediation Effort, Coordinating Track I and II Efforts, and Addressing Internally Displaced Persons in a Peace Process.
 Managing a Mediation Process is the first handbook of the Peacemaker’s Toolkit series. This handbook provides a methodology for mediating interstate and intrastate conflicts. Each of the six chapters covers a different step in the process, identifying what needs to be done at that step and how best to accomplish it. By consolidating the practical wisdom of managing a mediation process into an easily digestible format, Managing a Mediation Process is designed to help mediators identify areas where they may need more research or preparation, as well as develop options and strategies relevant to the particular case on which they are working. |  Download the PDF (856 KB)
- Mediation and Managing Peace Processes
The Institute has developed a series of books on international mediation and peacemaking, combining the best academic thinking on the topic with hard-won lessons drawn from the direct experience of practitioners:
- Taming Intractable Conflicts: Mediation in the Hardest Cases
Written from the mediator's point of view, Taming Intractable Conflicts lays out the steps involved in tackling the most stubborn conflicts. It first puts mediation in a larger context, exploring why mediators choose or decline to become involved, what happens when they get involved for the wrong reasons, and the impact of the mediator's institutional and political environment. It then discusses best mediation tradecraft at different stages: at the beginning of the engagement, when the going gets very rough, during the settlement negotiations, and in the post-settlement implementation stage. "An excellent—indeed pathbreaking—contribution to the understanding of conflict resolution and mediation" (Jan Eliasson, Foreign Minister of Sweden and former Swedish Ambassador to the U.S.).
- Grasping the Nettle: Analyzing Cases of Intractable Conflict
The first part of this volume identifies and analyzes the defining characteristics and underlying dynamics of intractable conflicts. The second part turns the spotlight on eight current cases, in each instance chronicling the conflict's evolution, evaluating the internal and external factors that have conspired to prevent a settlement, and assessing whether past peacemaking initiatives have in fact only aggravated the conflict. The conclusion notes that even intractable conflicts eventually end, and highlights the strategic approaches and tactical steps that have yielded success in the past.
- Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World
An illustrious cast of practitioners including James Baker, Richard Holbrooke, Max van der Stoel, Alvaro de Soto, Aldo Ajello, and others describe their personal mediation experiences in this practical volume. Each of the two-dozen cases examined attests to the crucial importance of coordinating and building upon the efforts of the many players involved in mediation. "An invaluable resource for anyone seeking to grasp what makes for successful mediation and conflict management in an increasingly unmanageable world" (Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General).
- Effects of Violence on Peace Processes
This important book analyzes the impact of different kinds of violence on peace processes in five featured cases: Northern Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Israel-Palestine, and the Basque country.
- Peace Agreements Digital Collection
The Peace Agreements Digital Collection, part of the Margarita S. Studemeister Digital Library in International Conflict Management, strives to contain the full text of agreements signed by the major contending parties ending inter- and intra-state conflicts worldwide since 1989. It is a collection constantly under development by the Jeannette Rankin Library Program as a means to strengthen worldwide access to information on peaceful means to end international conflict.
- Additional Resources
The Institute has been instrumental in helping seed the peacebuilding field, both intellectually and institutionally. Over the course of its relatively short history, USIP has produced over 400 field-defining publications on conflict management. Click here for access to our full inventory of publications. USIP also has an extensive library. Click here to search our print and digital collections of books, periodicals, audio-visual materials, digital files (documents, audio, and video presentations), and more.
- Training & Education Resources
The tools described above are valuable assets, but the most important peacebuilding assets are the individuals who engage in it. International peacebuilding (aka, international conflict management) is a relatively new area of systematic study and USIP is making a significant investment in developing relevant materials and courses. Click here to learn more about our Education and Training Center and to access useful materials for the classroom.
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