Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution Mentoring

The Center serves as a capacity and skill development resource to those working on or in conflict. This encompasses dialogue skills, mediation skills and practical peace programming.

The Center for Peace and Conflict Studies serves as a capacity and skill development resource to those working on or in conflict. This encompasses dialogue skills, mediation skills, cross-cultural conflict management skills, and practical peace programming. The Centre has a history of providing support to diplomats, to official government bodies focused on peace and conflict issues, to international and national non-governmental organizations, and to academics and students. This has included support for GIZ’s (Germany) program development in Libya and Yemen, through Integrated Peace and Conflict Assessments of their projects, and support for the FDFA’s Human Security Division (Switzerland) through development and testing of a Toolkit in Effective Peace Programming, and follow-on support for the conflict sensitivity of their water aid into Lebanon. In addition, the Centre provides ongoing advisory support to Syrian civil society organizations as they plan for peace and political transition in the country, including short-term intern placements for Seton Hall students. Finally, the Centre has provided regular training programs on cross-cultural communication and conflict management, international mediation and negotiation, for academics and students in both the U.S. and China.

Current Project:

Conflict Advisor & Political Team Leader in Tripoli, Political Dialogue Project (Transec Libya) 01/07/2020 – 30/09/2020

Seton Hall University together with the University of Tennessee and the former Libyan Minister of Health started a health dialogue focused on pediatric cardiac surgery. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, SHU and partners have reoriented the health diplomacy work on effective management of COVID-19. This will be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, with funding provided through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) via their contracting partner TRANSTEC. This initial three-month start-up period will be used to develop a longer-term institutional partnership for health dialogue. The project with Libyan United Nations Country Team will further support their Political Dialogue/National Reconciliation Project in Libya, through establishment of a Track II dialogue on health issues (health diplomacy). This partnership is built on UNDP presentation on Statebuilding and Peacebuilding, as well as advisory research provided by Seton Hall to UNDP in 2019. Read more.

Past Project:
Toolkit on Effective Peace Programming (Swiss FDFA HDS)
The center developed a training toolkit on Effective Peace Programming (EPP) in 2019, which comprise of following four components:
(1) Conflict analysis;
(2) Strategy mapping;
(3) Intervention planning; and
(4) ‘Storytelling’ that can be monitored over time.
The existing project with HDS will be the litmus test to gauge its applicability and relevance on ground in the context of Lebanon. The outcome will support HSD intervention through detailed conflict analysis, strategic mapping of HSD projects and an intervention plan for a “peace writ large” impact. The pilot work will be followed by internal evaluation to revise the tool by incorporating new learnings. Meanwhile constant mentoring, coaching and monitoring of HSD program manager in up to four other country teams will ensure tool’s relevance and impact in Lebanon.