Mediation in the Asia-Pacific Region: Transforming Conflicts and Building Peace

This book examines mediation in connection with peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific region, providing practical examples which either highlight the weaknesses within certain mediation approaches or demonstrate best-practice.

The authors explore the extent to which current ideas and practices of mediation in the Asia-Pacific region are dominated by Western understandings and critically challenge the appropriateness of such thinking. Featuring a range of case studies on Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, this book has three main aims:

• To challenge dominant Western practices and ways of thinking on mediation that currently are being imposed in the Asia-Pacific region;
• To develop culturally-fluent and socially just mediation alternatives that build upon local, traditional or religious approaches;
• To situate mediation within ideas and practices on peacebuilding.

Making a unique contribution to peace and conflict studies literature by explicitly linking mediation and peacebuilding practices, this book is a vital text for students and scholars in these fields.

Dale Bagshaw is Director, Centre for Peace, Conflict and Mediation, Hawke Research Institute and Program Director, postgraduate Mediation and Conflict Resolution programs in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia. She is the inaugural and continuing President, Asia Pacific Mediation Forum and has trained mediators worldwide. Elisabeth Porter is Head of School of International Studies at the University of South Australia. Her books include: Peacebuilding: Women in International Perspective; Feminist Perspectives on Ethics; Building Good Families; Women and Moral Identity and (as co-editor) Researching Conflict in Africa; Activating Human Rights.