The intricate relationship between diplomacy and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means is very much present in the notions of diplomacy and conflict resolution and in the transformation of conflicts into durable peace embedded in justice and human rights. The end of the cold war has created new geopolitical realities in the world system generating new types of global and internal conflicts requiring policymakers and scholars to go beyond the traditional rules of diplomacy. The devise of new techniques for resolving conflict such as conflict prevention, confidence building, peace building, and peace making are part of theses efforts. Moreover, diplomacy refers now to more than an interaction between two or more governments to incorporate unofficial exchanges of private citizens as well as unofficial diplomacy, the so-called “Track Two” diplomacy, in which private citizens develop solutions to situations marred with conflict. The aim of the Institute of Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation (IDCT) at the Lebanese American University is to employ a progressive definition of diplomacy in its efforts to create a culture of peace that would reduce violence and increase justice. Our aim becomes particularly important in unstable regions such as the Middle East where there are protracted and deep rooted cycles of conflict that have created destructive and violent patterns. More
This conference is proposed jointly by the Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) at the University of Oxford and the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace (GHFP), in partnership with the Institute of Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation (IDCT) at the Lebanese American University (LAU). It will be hosted by LAU at its Byblos campus. The main aim is to explore the socio-psychological and deeper roots of violence in present-day Lebanon, and to identify new modalities in reconciliation and dialogue, between both individuals and groups.
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