The International Mediator: A Handbook

International mediation is both an art and science. In order to shed some light and to learn from instances of political mediation, this study will focus on political mediation as a means of conflict regulation, whereby a violent conflict is terminated and the mandated third party assists the parties in finding new or different structures and mechanisms to address their underlying grievances. Based on 5 distinct phases, the handbook will attempt to illustrate and demonstrate the general mechanisms of the mediation process, from starting the mediation process to reaching a mediated outcome. Finally, a complex case study of the Sudan Mediations will be used to make sense of the presented mediation model. The handbook will then conclude with some key lessons learned from the case study and general overall final thoughts. As such, it is dedicated to inform the curious one, to serve as a thinking companion for the more learned practitioner, and to provoke further conceptual designing and innovation with the policy maker in order to continue working toward the establishment of a basic epistemology of mediation.