Peace, Conflict, and the Power of Inclusion: Insights from Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer

What happens if you put two mediation fangirls who also happen to be intersectional feminists together into the same conversation? This episode! Host Laura May and guest Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer dive into critical discussions on peacebuilding and conflict mediation. Highlights include:

• Julia's journey from Manila to Vancouver, and her path to becoming a researcher in peace and conflict studies.
• Exploration of critical, feminist, and decolonial approaches to peace research and the significance of unofficial peace dialogues.
• Insights from Julia's work on NGOs mediating peace in Myanmar, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and local cultures in peace processes.
• Discussion on the impact of climate change on conflict, with a focus on Indigenous communities in Turtle Island (North America).
• Preview of Julia's forthcoming projects, including a book on mediation process design and an edited volume examining apocalyptic narratives in peacebuilding.

This episode provides a look into the challenges and opportunities within international peace mediation, emphasizing the importance of empathy, inclusivity, and critical self-reflection in addressing modern conflicts.

Links

• Julia's academic website - https://juliapalmianofederer.com/
• The Power to Protect (Report) - https://ottawadialogue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PowertoProtect-Report_IDRC_JDr.-Julia-Palmiano-Federer-Ms.-Lorelei-Higgins-Parker_compressed.pdf
• NGOs Mediating Peace (Book) - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-42174-7
• University profile - https://css.ethz.ch/en/center/people/dr-julia-palmiano-federer.html
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliapalmianofederer/

Co-authors mentioned: Samantha Marie Gamez, and Lorelei Higgins Parker.

Julia Palmiano Federer

Dr. Palmiano Federer is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich. She is also currently a Senior Fellow at the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. Her research interests include critical, feminist and decolonial approaches to inclusive peace processes, unofficial peace dialogues and the nexus between climate change and conflict. She is the author of NGOs Mediating Peace: Promoting Inclusion in Myanmar’s Nationwide Ceasefire Negotiations, published in Open Access format by Palgrave Macmillan. She is a Laureate of the 2022 Women, Peace and Security Research Awards for her work on women, peace, security, and climate change. She was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver).

Bookmarks

00:00 Meet Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer: A Trailblazer in Peace Research 01:25 The Journey to Peace Building: Manila, Geneva, and beyond 09:06 Unpacking the Ethical Ick 16:21 NGOs in the Peace Process: Mavericks or Cowboys? 23:13 Decolonizing Peace: A Critical Look at Norm Spreading 27:46 The Future of Peace Mediation: More Caveats, More Care 28:28 Unveiling 'The Power to Protect' 29:02 Bridging Worldviews: Indigenous and Western Perspectives on Conflict 31:11 The Journey of Research: Unlearning and Relearning 33:47 Exploring Indigenous Women's Agency in Climate Change 37:02 Positionality and Identity: Navigating Research as an Outsider 44:50 Mediation Process Design and Apocalyptic Imaginaries 48:37 Witches and Peacebuilding: Reclaiming Feminist Imagery 52:57 Find out more about Julia's Work