Ending conflict — the art of negotiation
From Rear Vision — How History Shaped Today by ABC
April 15, 2026 · 31 min
About this episode
The episode explores the complexities of negotiating peace with enemies, drawing lessons from historical conflicts and featuring expert guests.
It’s a truism of peace talks that we’re not negotiating with our friends but rather with our enemies. And when our enemies have been designated as terrorists and murderers, it’s not an easy task. How have violent conflicts ended in the past and are there lessons we can learn from previous peace negotiations? Guests Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Advisor at the International Peace Institute. Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and head of peace operations in Burundi, the Central African Republic and Chad. Randall Lesaffer, Professor of Legal History at KU University in Leuven, Belgium and author of Peace Treaties and International Law in European History: From the Late Middle Ages to World War One. Philipp Kastner, Senior Lecturer in International law at the University of Western Australia and author of Legal Normativity in the Resolution of Internal Armed Conflict. Luxshi Vimalarajah, senior mediator advisor at the Berghof Foundation. Previously involved in peace negotiations in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Turkey, Yemen, North Macedonia and Colombia.
People in this episode
Guests: Youssef Mahmoud, Randall Lesaffer, Philipp Kastner, Luxshi Vimalarajah
Topics covered
- negotiation
- peace talks
- conflict resolution
- international law
- historical lessons
Keywords
- peace negotiations
- conflict
- terrorism
- history
- international relations
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: International Peace Institute, KU University, University of Western Australia, Berghof Foundation
Books & works: Peace Treaties and International Law in European History: From the Late Middle Ages to World War One
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