In this episode we speak with Grande Lum – Director of the Community Relations Service (CRS) at the United States Department of Justice. We speak about the origins and birth of CRS during the Civil Rights Movement, some of best mediator and conciliators he has worked with or observed, and how the professional and skill of mediation and negotiation has evolved over time.

The Peace Frequency presents in-depth interviews with ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create a world free of violent conflict. It is produced by the U.S. Institute of Peace Academy.


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Conflict Management Training for Peacekeepers (CMTP)

Conflict Management Training for Peacekeepers (CMTP)

Monday, March 10, 2025

USIP’s Conflict Management Training for Peacekeepers (CMTP) program trains uniform members of national militaries who serve in international and regional peacekeeping missions. The training aims to improve mission effectiveness and bolster trust in the mission by focusing on skills and knowledge that enhance professional conduct among troops. The program, which began in 2008, is implemented in partnership with the Department of State’s Global Peace Operations Initiative in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

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Border Security Training Program (BSTP)

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USIP’s Border Security Training Program (BSTP) trains police officers from Kenya’s Border Police Unit (BPU) and General Service Unit (GSU) who are serving on al-Shabaab’s major transit corridor along the Kenya-Somalia border. The program, which began in 2017, is implemented in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and equips Kenyan police with the skills to better understand the civilian environment and cultivate relationships in order to more effectively achieve their mission and counter terrorist activity.

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The U.N. and Indigenous Peacebuilding: An Untapped Partnership

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In a historic development, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution in December that included a call for Indigenous people’s inclusion in “peace agreement negotiations, transitional justice processes, conflict resolution, mediation and constructive arrangements.”

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U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan: What Does It Mean for Peace?

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