Mediation Support: Rationale and Characteristics

Simon J. A. Mason, holds a doctorate in environmental science from ETH Zurich. He has completed a mediation training, accredited by the Swiss Mediation Association SDM. Since 2005, he has been working as a Senior Researcher in the Mediation Support Project (MSP) at the Center for Security Studies. His main research interests lie in the use of mediation in peace process; the nexus between environment, natural resources and conflict; and the use of mediation in conflicts where religious and cultural issues play a key role. He has written about insider mediators, Swiss mediation experiences in Sudan, confidence-building measures on the Korean Peninsula, and water sharing in the Nile Basin. Between 2002 and 2004, he co-organized a series of dialogue workshops between Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Sudanese on cooperation in the Eastern Nile Basin. He has contributed to training workshops on conflict, negotiation, and mediation at Addis Ababa University, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta. Within MSP, he was involved in coordinating a conflict resolution training workshop for one of the Darfur movements. He also co-organizes the peace mediation course of the Swiss FDFA.