For Immediate Release,
Contact: Meg Pierannunzi, 202-429-4736

               Allison Sturma, 202-429-4725

(Washington) – The United States Institute of Peace Press announces the publication of "The Go-Between: Jan Eliasson and the Styles of Mediation," a new book exploring international mediation through the lens of Ambassador Jan Eliasson, an international mediator with a remarkable track record.

Authors Isak Svensson and Peter Wallensteen contend that international mediators’ styles vary in four dimensions—scope, method, mode, and focus—and that the mandate mediators receive strongly determines the style they adopt. The authors draw lessons for the peacemaking process from their examination of how Eliasson entered, prepared, pursued, and finally ended his mediation efforts.

"One rationale for this book is the disturbing gap between the practice and theory of mediation, said Wallensteen, "The gap between theory and practice has to be narrowed.  Mediation theory needs more input on how mediators actually mediate, and policymakers would benefit from analytical tools in deciding on optimal mediation strategies."

Svensson and Wallensteen evaluate Eliasson’s role in six cases: two missions on the Iran-Iraq conflict; two cases of humanitarian diplomacy, in Burma/Myanmar and in Sudan; and two cases of internal armed conflicts, in Nagorno-Karabakh and in Darfur. Analyzing the role of the mediator in each of these instances offers insight into the constraints mediators face and outcomes they may achieve in other scenarios. The authors conclude with ten implications for mediation research and practice. As a special feature of this volume, the authors incorporate excerpts from extensive interviews and diary entries from Jan Eliasson on his mediation experiences.

“In polarized situations of armed conflict and humanitarian crisis, there is often a need for a go-between, an international third-party mediator who can help to overcome barriers and divisions that keep conflicting parties apart. said Svensson, “This book explores how mediators mediate.”

Learn more about the book launch event on November 15, 2010  and RSVP.