International Mediation, Identity Construction, and Normative Change

Abstract In this article, I argue the following: mediation can operate as an arena in which identities are reconstructed while the very occurrence of mediation can trigger and fuel processes of identity reconstruction. More precisely, the norms promoted through mediation can serve to reconstruct the identities of the conflict parties. I will make this claim by examining two contemporary instances of mediation in Syria and Yemen, cases which diverge in the third-party peacemaking approach taken. I investigate these cases by gathering and thematically analyzing an original qualitative dataset comprising 74 semi-structured interviews, 50 press conferences, and 110 official documents. My analysis challenges existing literature concerning the intertwinement of norms, identity, and mediation; contributes to our understanding of how identities in Syria and Yemen were transformed following the revolutions of 2011; and interrogates traditional understandings of the purpose and effects of mediation.