On 20th November, the Global Europe and Conflict Analysis Research Centre held a workshop on ‘Mapping Perspectives on the EU as a Mediator.’ The workshop was held as part of the the Schools Beacon Project activities.
The the objective of the workshop was to take stock of EU mediation knowledge from the perspective of different actors including academics, civil society and policy practitioners. It also aimed to critically interrogate EU understandings and roles of mediation, and locate opportunities and constraints to these roles. By bringing together various perspectives these discussions generated critical insights into and develop ideas on what the EU’s added value is in international peacebuilding. The core discussions at the workshop focused on ‘Mapping knowledge of EU mediation’, ‘Addressing the instruments that support mediation as a tool of EU foreign policy’, ‘Exploring perspectives from civil society and various stakeholders involved in EU mediation effort’ and ‘What way forward? What are appropriate methodologies of studying the EU as a mediator?’