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Dive into the world of armed conflict mediation with Pierre Hazan & Christina Lamb on Friday March 15th at 7pm

After many years in the little-known world of back-channel mediation, helping sworn adversaries to prevent, manage or resolve conflict, Pierre Hazan felt compelled to re-examine the acute practical and ethical dilemmas that affected his work in Bosnia, Ukraine, the Sahel and the Central African Republic. What is the mediator's responsibility when two belligerents conclude a peace agreement to the detriment of a third?

Should mediators never be party to 'ethnic cleansing', even if it saves lives? Is a fragile peace worth sacrificing justice for—or will that sacrifice fuel another cycle of violence?

In an increasingly dystopian world, Negotiating with the Devil offers both practical guidelines and a moral compass for mediators whose field of action has transformed dramatically. We have gone from soft to hard power; from 'peace dividends' to war in Europe; from the end of one Cold War to a new East–West confrontation in Ukraine; from Pax Americana to a multipolar world; from the dream of an all-powerful UN to the organisation's marginalisation.
Against this tapestry, Hazan sheds light on the complex work of those steering peace negotiations, blending vivid first-hand observation with sharp insights into the psychology of compromise as a first step towards peace.

Pierre will be joined by chief foreign correspondant for the Sunday Times Christina Lamb. Christina Lamb has worked in war and combat zones for over thirty years. In Our Bodies, Their Battlefield she gives voice to the women of conflicts, exposing how in today's warfare, rape is used by armies, terrorists and militias as a weapon to humiliate, oppress and carry out ethnic cleansing.

The two of them will explore the struggle for peace in times of war, when violence is appropirate and specifically tackle the conflicts defining this current decade.

Join us on Friday March 15th at 7pm for this exciting event in the gallery space of the bookshop!