Simulating Negotiations in a Three-Way Civil War

ABSTRACT

This article examines a role play scenario in which students actively learn about the challenges of negotiation by taking on the roles of different factions and international mediators in a three-way civil war. Students gain a greater appreciation for the complexities of negotiations both in terms of outcomes and process, and they may begin to develop skills that can be used throughout their lives even if they do not become professional negotiators.

Keywords:

• simulation
• role play
• negotiation
• mediation
• conflict resolution

Notes

1. The textbook used for the peacebuilding part of the course is John Darby and Roger MacGinty, eds., Contemporary Peacemaking. (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, NY: 2003).

2. If time permits, this exercise could easily be extended to four or five class days. Students rarely achieve a substantive agreement with just two days to work on it.

3. For additional information on how to design role-play scenarios, see Shaw 2004.

4. The author notes that mediation and negotiation are not synonomous. The simulation has a designated mediator, thus making it a formal mediation exercise that involves negotiation with all of the parties.

5. All documents needed to conduct this simulation are found in the Appendices.

6. Although this is a small N study with only 12 students participating in the course when the pre and post-simulation survey was administered, there are still useful responses to be gleaned from the assessments.