The Mediator's Studio
What happens behind closed doors when peace agreements are negotiated? The Mediator’s Studio gives you a glimpse into the normally hidden world of peace diplomacy. Host Adam Cooper brings you first-hand stories from mediators, armed groups and governments on what it takes to end wars. The Mediator’s Studio is a podcast from the Oslo Forum, the world’s leading mediation retreat. It’s brought to you by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 45
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2024
Jonathan Powell on angel papers and influencing the great Satan
British negotiator turned mediator Jonathan Powell reveals the ebb and flow of the world’s major peace processes. He takes us through secret negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement in Nort…
Joanne Liu on no time to cry
Former International President of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and current Chair of HD’s Board, Joanne Liu provides her humanitarian insights to better inform the practice of mediation. Inspired by…
Molly Phee on conflict negotiations the American way
Senior US diplomat Molly Phee reflects on her mediation and negotiation experience in the last three decades. She recalls leveraging her influence to drive parties to a peace agreement in South Sudan…
Retno Marsudi on the art of inter-state mediation
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister takes stock of her country’s peacemaking initiatives over the past decade. In this episode, recorded at the Oslo Forum in June 2024, she explains how Indonesia is trying …
Nicholas Haysom on mediators as managers
In his first-ever podcast, veteran mediator and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan Nicholas Haysom retraces three decades of peacemaking in Sudan, South Sudan, and Afghanistan. He recalls how his …
Sneak Peek: The Mediator’s Studio – Season 6
Recorded in June 2024 at the Oslo Forum, season 6 takes you behind the scenes of negotiations to end some of the most violent conflicts of our time. Over five episodes, prominent voices share their i…
Alvaro de Soto on opportunities seized in El Salvador and missed in the Middle East
As a Peruvian diplomat with a 25-year career at the United Nations, Alvaro de Soto has dedicated fifty years of his life to diplomacy and conflict resolution across the globe. From negotiations with …
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on women fighting for peace
South Africa’s first female deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, reflects on her journey as a member of the high-level African Union panel that facilitated the Pretoria agreement between the Eth…
Abbas Ibrahim on secrecy and sincerity
Veteran Lebanese intelligence chief Abbas Ibrahim takes us behind the scenes of some of his most sensitive negotiations. He recalls a secret mission to a Palestinian refugee camp in the hope of diffu…
Nisreen Elsaim on not waiting for the world to burn
Climate mediator Nisreen Elsaim joins Adam Cooper to explore the intersection of activism and peacemaking. She recounts her role in the student uprisings that preceded the 2019 revolution in Sudan an…
Karim A. A. Khan KC on the slender sapling of international justice
Karim A. A. Khan KC, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), reflects on his path leading to joining the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1997 and, mo…
Monica Juma on values in diplomacy
Monica Juma, National Security Advisor to the President of Kenya, reflects on her extensive career in government and shares the lessons she has learned about peacemaking. She explains the challenges …
Mutlaq Al-Qahtani on Qatar’s approach to mediation
Senior Qatari diplomat Mutlaq Al-Qahtani recalls his role in the 2020 Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban, leading to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. He reflects on his visit to Kabul i…
The Mediator’s Studio – Episode 0, Season 5
Welcome to Season 5 of The Mediator's Studio podcast.
This special season marks the 20th anniversary of the Oslo Forum in 2023 – and its importance as the place where peacemakers meet.
Over seven episo…
Ghaith Abdul Ahad on reporting from the front lines
Journalist Ghaith Abdul Ahad reflects on 20 years of reporting from conflict areas including Yemen and Afghanistan. Recalling the 2003 US invasion of Iraq that made him leave his former career as an …
Annette Weber on the importance of working with insiders
EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, provides us with a front-row perspective on her decades-long work in the region, beginning with her time as a young researcher writing…
Joaquim Chissano on mediation and meditation in Mozambique
Former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano charts his journey from freedom fighter to head of state. He discusses his role in securing Mozambique’s independence from colonial rule and reveals wh…
Khawla Mattar on a lifeline for Syria’s besieged towns
Former UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Khawla Mattar, charts her path from covering the Lebanese civil war as a young journalist to her long career in the multilateral system. Starting out as the …
Martin Kimani on Kenya’s “African agenda” in the Security Council
Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Martin Kimani, reflects on his nation’s role as a “clear voice for Africa” on the Security Council, and stresses the importance of calling o…
Fatima Gailani on Afghanistan’s missed opportunities
Peace negotiator and former President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, Fatima Gailani, shares behind-the-scenes moments from her long career in Afghan politics – from the 1980s, when she became a …