How to deal with the sacred? Religious dimensions in conflict and violence – insights from brain and practice

Session Description: Recent discoveries in cognitive science and neuroscience have the potential to reshape our understanding of mediation practices, particularly in how we handle “sacred values” and “deeply held beliefs” in (religiously framed) conflicts. These values and beliefs often strongly impact negotiations, rendering traditional methods like "carrot and stick" or interest-based approaches ineffective.

Moderator: Carla Schraml, Advisor Mediation and Negotiation Support, Berghof Foundation 

Panellists:

• Hind Kabawat, President and Founder of Tastakel, former deputy head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission's Geneva Office

• Lantana Bako Abdullahi, co-founder and National Co-Coordinator of the Nigerian Women Mediators Network and head of Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative,

• Charlotte Hamm, Psychologist and Researcher, Kings College London

• Nafees Hamid, Research & Policy Director, XCEPT project, King's College London 

• Carla Schraml, Advisor Mediation and Negotiation Support, Berghof Foundation