Mediation is often used as a diplomatic intervention and a counterpoint to violence in the resolution of international conflicts. However, often it is not successful. Researchers have attempted to identify the factors responsible for the difficulty in resolving conflicts. Most of the literature on negotiation and mediation identifies mediator roles and describes strategies and tactics that are useful at different points in a conflict, but it does not systematically examine power as employed by mediators nor does it recognize the importance of leverage in the mediation process. This is partly due to the fact that most mediation theory is built on the premise that mediators must be "neutral" in order to be acceptable to the parties and effective in their role. Paradoxically, mediation practice frequently contradicts this axiom. This doctoral dissertation research will examine the relationship between the types of leverage exercised by powerful mediators and the responses of disputing parties that move the conflict toward or away from resolution. Using a comparative case study method, a series of hypotheses will be generated about the conditions under which mediators with leverage and power can be effective. Three cases form the core of the research: The first is the mediation done by the Western Contact Group (U.S., Britain, Canada, France, West Germany) from 1977-81 in the dispute between South Africa and Namibia over Namibian independence. The second case is the U.S. State Department mediation in the same dispute from 1981-1989. The third is the British mediation in Zimbabwe in 1979. Data will include interviews from key negotiation participants as well as primary and secondary source documents. This study will expand mediation theory to incorporate insight into the "powerful mediator," asking how such mediators use their power and under what conditions the violation of the axiom of non- partisan intervention is appropriate and effective. This research will have implications for theory and practice in international conflicts as well as in other contexts where mediators play a role in resolving disputes. It will also add to understanding of the social psychology of international relations.
