From Normative to Social Approaches to Inclusion: Supporting Multi-scalar Peace Process Design

This chapter sets out a sociology of inclusion strategies- liberal, pragmatic and social- deployed by different mediators to manage conflict. The analysis suggests that in addition to the traditional categories of liberal and pragmatic strategies, the peace mediation profession has developed a third, context-driven ‘social’ approach to inclusion based on the concept of inclusive peace process design. Encapsulated in the UN Guidance for Effective Mediation as a fundamental principle of peace mediation, inclusivity mandates engagement with a broad range of local actors and local socio-economic issues to increase the social legitimacy of the peace process without normative restrictions on inclusion of actors or the negotiating agenda. As such it helps to avoid the traditional distinction between ‘political’ and ‘criminal’ acts and methods which places restraints on inclusion in peace mediation.