“When we think about human dynamics in any societal context, there are often spoken or unspoken values that govern the nature of our relationships. These values are informed by  underlying assumptions about human reality. For a peace mediation process to be transformative, the assumptions that inform the process need to be inclusive and foster cohesive and just relationships,” said Naghmeh Sobhani. Ms Sobhani, an international peace building consultant, was speaking at a panel organized on 29 April by the Brussels Office of the Baha’i­ International Community (BIC) on principles and value-led approaches to peace mediation. The panel was hosted in the context of this year's Community of Practice meeting (CoP), which is held annually by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The panel built on the insights gained at last year’s panel, “Peace Mediation and Local Ownership: How can one reinforce the other?”, hosted in the context of the CoP 2020. 

Rene van Nes, Head of the Conflict Prevention and Mediation Support Division of the EEAS, asked during the opening session of the CoP 2021 how the EU can act as a value-based actor while ensuring local ownership of peace processes. This is a question the panel sought to explore.

During the conversation that unfolded at the panel, participants reflected on why the principles and values guiding mediation processes need to be inherently cohesive, inclusive and transformative, and whether such principles and values are to be considered universal. “Raising the conversation to the level of principles and values, and encouraging conflicting parties to gain a better understanding of these, can help transform relationships and allow for the identification of meaningful solutions”, said Nura Detweiler from the BIC.