Contributions to forums and networks

The Center for Peace Mediation has been a member of the Mediation Support Network since 2008. The network is an international association of organisations that support mediation in peace negotiations. The aim of the network is to foster inter-institutional exchange and professionalise mediation in the peace context. The members share information on current developments in the mediation support field and develop joint initiatives to professionalise the field. They meet annually for themed conferences, which are organised by the members on a rotating basis.

Together with the Berghof Foundation, the Center for Peace Mediation organised the 8th network meeting in Berlin on "Mind the Gap: Linking High Level International Mediation Initiatives with Local Peace Building Efforts" in 2013. It focused on the interaction between international mediation initiatives and local peacebuilding structures and processes. In collaborative case analyses, the participants evaluated which strategies and cooperation models can best bridge the gap between international and local.

In June 2023, the Fürstenwalde presence centre hosted its second Science Slam. Scientists from the European University Viadrina, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, the Botanical Garden of the University of Potsdam, the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) and the IHP Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics presented their research topics in entertaining short talks.

Anna Dick explained the research project "Constitution-Mediation-Nexus", which the Center for Peace Mediation is conducting together with the Berghof Foundation.

On the occasion of the awarding of the Socrates and Science Prize of the Otto Schmidt publishing house, Lars Kirchhoff and Anna Dick dedicated a series of interviews to the topic of "Times of change and mediation". The discussions centred on the effects of various transformation processes on the field of mediation: Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, climate change and the paradigm shift in artificial intelligence. The guests were Steffen Seibert (German Ambassador to Israel), Dr Martin Wählisch (Head of the Innovation Team of the UN Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding [UN DPPA] in New York), Prof Dr Stephan Breidenbach and Lea Nesselhauf (German Zero) as well as Dr Antje Herrberg (Chief of Staff of an EU anti-terrorism mission in the Sahel).

In the recorded interview (German) from May 2023, Steffen Seibert categorises the term "Zeitenwende" and reflects on the influence of mediation methodology on his everyday life as ambassador in Tel Aviv.

In cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg), each year the Federal Agency for Civic Education (BpB) hosts the “Bensberger Gespräche” to bring current security policy issues into the public debate and to intensify the civil-military dialogue. Academics, politicians and journalists from Germany and abroad discuss these issues with soldiers and civilians.

Anne Holper took part in the Bensberg Talks 2023 as a panellist. In the panel discussion "From peace to conflict order? Prospects for a (new) European security structure", she provided an input on possible future scenarios for coexistence with Russia and insights into the challenges faced in preparing for prospective negotiations between Ukraine/the Western alliance and Russia.