GSUM’s collaborator José Pascal da Rocha publishes the book “Manual do Mediador Internacional”

Dr. José Pascal da Rocha, professor at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, has just published his book “Manual do Mediador Internacional”, in Portuguese. Pascal da Rocha is a collaborator at the Global South Unit for Mediation (GSUM), having been a Fellow at the Unit. He has 20 years of international experience in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding and 10 years of corporate experience. His research covers mediation, armed conflict and peacebuilding.

The book focuses on political mediation as a means of conflict management, whereby a violent conflict is ended and a mandated third-party assists conflict parties in finding new or different structures and mechanisms to resolve their underlying grievances. Based on five distinct phases, the handbook illustrates the general mechanisms of the mediation process, from its outset to the achievement of a mediated outcome. Finally, a complex case study of Sudan mediations is used to make sense of the model presented in the book.

The handbook was translated into Portuguese by GSUM assistant researcher Victória Santos. According to a review by GSUM researcher and IRI/PUC-Rio’s professor Maíra Siman: “This handbook comes at the right time. In a context that demands more systematic practical reflections on ways to resolve international conflicts, it is urgent for us to learn more about the principles, tools, skills and negotiation strategies that mediators must know and possess in order to act effectively. Its Portuguese edition addresses the immediate interests and needs of various groups — researchers, decision makers, and a wide variety of civil society actors.”

The book can already be purchased online!