Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World

Crocket, Chester A. Fen Osier Hampson, Pamela AaIl. (eds.) Herding Cats: Multiparty Mediation in a Complex World. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1999. 735 pp.

This heavy tome deals with the timely subject of international conflict resolution through mediation at the end of the 20th century. It combines academic theory with examples of successful and failed attempts to manage conflicts in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Following an introduction in which the editors explain mediation principles, particularly when multiple parties are involved in conflict, the editors supply concrete examples of conflicts that have been resolved, or remain open sores, in the last three decades. In each case the authors are the mediators who attempted to bring warring parties together to identify their interests and find a peaceful satisfactory outcome. The ideal mediation sends all parties away from the table satisfied that they have achieved what they desired. Otherwise it is likely that the conflict will resume at a future date.

The editors, Chester A. Crocker, professor of strategic studies at Georgetown University; Fen Osier Hampson, professor of international affairs at Carleton University, and Pamela AaIl, director of the Education Program at the US Institute of Peace. Cracker's academic life was preceded by experience as Assistant secretary of State for Africa in the Reagan administration in 1981-89, when he mediated a settlement in Angola-Namibia between the US, Cuba, and South Africa and local political groups.

In four introductory chapters and a conclusion the editors present their methodology for third party mediation of violent conflicts, which they term "multiparty mediation". They describe organizing parties in conflict as "organizing cats," thus the book's title, which has also been used to define leadership of an academic faculty. They trace the history of mediation to Thucydides' study of the Peloponnesian War and Roman use of mediation to avert violent conflict, (p. 5) They define mediation is negotiations "undertaken by an outside party to bring or maintain peace." (p. 7) They identify two paradigms of mediation: a) Structuralist, which occurs when parties in conflict deem "the costs and prospects of continuing war to be more burdensome than the costs and prospects of settlement;" and b) a Social-Psychological approach that allows the parties to "explore options and develop solutions" in problem-solving workshops, commonly led by "middle-range elites such as academics, advisers, exofficials, or retired politicians who . . . have access to those in power." (pp. 21-23) Some mediators believe that conflicts have cycles and that finding the point in the cycle when there is a high level of violence improves chances for resolution, but in fact mediators gain access to conflict mediation for a number of reasons. (p. 27)

What makes a mediator successful? Successful mediators take control of the process. This means meeting stakeholders to assess their interests (what they want as an outcome); identifying other parties who need to be involved; setting an agenda; suggesting options; testing trade-offs; writing the final agreement and getting it ratified; and monitoring its implementation. In this area, demonstrating leadership qualities is essential. But the editors argue that there is no single personality type that is effective in all situations.(p. 32) Jimmy Cater and Richard Holbrooke have good days and bad. Mediation has become increasingly popular, and those who are willing to take on the task has increased. The field is becoming more professional. A mediator's role is that of a catalyst, holding the process together, taking risks, inventing, stage-directing, and visualizing success when things are bleak. Thus it is like "herding cats," an "art rather than a science." (pp. 52-53)

The editors identify variables in the 17 case studies as: types conflict; phases in conflicts; readiness of combatants to accept a political settlement and cooperate; a mediator's relationship with the parties; political, military, economic, and moral resources that a mediator can deploy; the mediator's relationship to his/her home base; and, in complex, multilayered mediations, "the relationship with the other third-party intervenors, and whether the mediation is seen as an isolated event or as part of a larger policy." Certain factors are constant in all mediations. A mediator will always have to "create both the plan and the momentum" to carry it forward; "juggle a number of relationships" with parties to the conflict, with others who have a relationship to the conflict, with his/her host institution, and with other third parties. As an agent of change the mediator will be seen by the parties as "a threat and a promise" to all involved, (pp. 60-61)

In 21 case -study chapters mediators explain their methods of finding consensus in disputes in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle-East, and Latin America. African cases include Zaire, Burundi, Mozambique, and three articles on Namibia-Angola. The Asian cases are the South China Sea, Tajikistan, and Cambodia. In Europe the cases involved two articles each on Northern Ireland and Yugoslavia. Middle East mediations achieved Madrid and Oslo Accords. Latin American accords occurred in El Salvador, Haiti, and Peru-Ecuador. Thus the book's coverage is global and its case-studies are well-known to anyone interested in world affairs.