"Globalised conflicts require mediation to evolve"

Photo © Berghof Foundation

Christina spoke with us about her experience in high-level negotiations, her goals for Berghof’s Europe work, and what trampoline jumping teaches us about mediation.

Berghof Foundation: What initially interested you in the Berghof Foundation?

Christina Horváth-Stenner: Looking at conflicts worldwide and in Europe, it is evident that mediation has changed. A few decades ago, mediation was often about having a “wise older person” serve as mediator, for the parties to meet in one room, and for the negotiation to culminate in a single signature. These times are long gone.

Nowadays, globalised conflicts like those stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or in the Middle East encompass security, political, and economic questions that involve many more actors than the immediate conflict parties and require a decentralised approach that engages on many levels. Consequently, negotiation processes and the mediation organisations supporting them have had to evolve.

Governmental mediators now need to take the interests of many more parties into account, including their own interests. This was not always the case, as mediators were seen as neutral actors. Prominent examples of these 'new' mediators are Qatar and Türkiye. In this constellation, I think non-governmental organisations like Berghof are uniquely positioned to be an asset. We and other NGOs can have more discreet access to the conflict parties and many more actors affected by the conflicts, as well as more flexibility to manoeuvre and engage. Compared to government actors, we have more room to decide where to travel, whom to talk to, and what to talk about. That is why the work of third parties like Berghof is so vital for transforming violent conflicts into lasting peaceful solutions.

BF: What aspects of your previous experience will help you in this new role?

CHS: Having worked for an intergovernmental organisation for the last nine years, it gave me great insight into how states exert their interest, negotiate amongst themselves, and look for allies. It provided me with valuable insights into what is required to achieve progress towards a peace agreement. For example, there is often a question: Does peace come from Track 3 – grassroots movements, Track 2 – civil society, business and other societal leaders or Track 1– official diplomacy? Ultimately, I think it needs all of them, but it often begins with signatures on track 1 that start the implementation of a peace agreement. This is, of course, not new, but I am particularly grateful for my experience on Track 1, which included working with high-level envoys and negotiators. It provided me with great insight into how these processes must be designed, the strengths and limitations of these formats, and where and when these other tracks need to come into play. This experience is now enriching my work at Berghof. It is great to lead a team with both a strategic and operational portfolio, and be able to accompany projects that ultimately operate at the intersection of these different tracks.

There won’t be any change in society if there isn’t a sign-off from the official decision-makers, e.g. heads of state, and buy-in from the population.

BF: What will be your focus as the new Head of Unit for Europe?

CHS: A lot has happened in Europe recently, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to political unrest in countries like Georgia and Serbia, and this requires us to build or re-establish trust with sometimes new local partners and stakeholders at all levels. We want to strengthen our partners' confidence in us as a multipartial partner supporting parties in conflict to reach lasting peace. That requires slowing down, taking small steps, and really understanding the dynamics and people’s interests in the conflict contexts we work in. However, coming from a Track 1 context, I believe the most significant contribution we can make is to work on combining multiple tracks. There won’t be any change in society if there isn’t a sign-off from the official decision-makers, e.g. heads of state, and buy-in from the population. I intend to strengthen this vertical integration and multi-track approach in my work.

BF: If there was one thing you wanted people to know about the Berghof Foundation, what would it be?

CHS: I would want people to know that Berghof is a mediation and peacebuilding organisation that brings the best of both worlds together in several key ways: We combine research and practice in-house, greatly supporting our mediation and peacebuilding work. We focus on inclusive, multi-track approaches that combine insights on the ground with working with high-level actors. Lastly, we focus as much on domestic issues as international ones.

Berghof, combining all these elements under one roof, makes my job much easier. If I want to reach out to someone who is working on community-level participation in Somalia, researching radicalisation and its prevention in Germany, or advising on the highest political level I can, because we all have the same email address!

BF: When you’re not working, what do you like to do in your spare time?

CHS: I love to read; I find it meditative to go line by line, but I must feel the book, so I don't do as much reading digitally. I love to walk or hike through nature, and recently I have rediscovered how much I am into trampoline jumping. I did it more than thirty years ago and just recently revisited it in Berlin. Trampoline jumping is excellent because it requires a lot of mental and physical strength, and when you’re doing a trick, there is always one moment where you have no control. And maybe that is something helpful for my job – there are always points where you cannot control things. In mediation or peacebuilding, you can prepare and get a feeling for the situation, listen, and experience is a huge asset, but it is ultimately not in your hands what happens; it is with the conflict parties, and you need to let go and see what happens.

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