Katrina Abatis is a Senior Program Officer in the Mediation Support Team at the Center for Security Studies (CSS), a think tank at ETH Zürich. She is the author of the paper featured in this episode, "Inviting the Elephant into the Room: Culturally Oriented Mediation and Peace Practice," written as part of the Culture and Religion in Mediation (CARIM) program, a joint project between the CSS and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Zaza Johnson Elsheikh is a commercial, family, and workplace mediator with almost 20 years of experience mediating shareholder disputes in family businesses and inheritance disputes, as well as reconciling complex families. Zaza’s mediation work draws on her experience as a Medical Doctor (1994–2002) and a Clinical Negligence Solicitor (2002–2006) before she became a member of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) faculty. Zaza teaches conflict resolution skills to both mainstream and neurodiverse adults and children in schools and top universities in the UK. As President of Belief in Mediation and Arbitration (BIMA), Zaza leads bimonthly Scripture-based Dialogue sessions, such as “Scriptural Guidance on Responding to Toxic Conflicts.” She is also recognized as a Muslim faith leader and has a particular interest in working with vulnerable people of all ages who are susceptible to radicalization and extremism. In this episode of Conflict, Power, and Persuasion, Katrina and Zaza describe the concept of culturally oriented mediation. This approach became apparent to Katrina through Zaza’s sometimes unconventional mediation practices, which she found necessary to effectively address complex cultural disputes in her community and beyond.

Some topics discussed include: •Distinguishing between culturally sensitive and culturally oriented mediation approaches •Understanding the manifestations of "shame-triggered violence" in conflicts •Employing "active impartiality" and "hardcore persuasion" to engage conflicting parties •Exploring gender differences in promoting peace and resolving conflict •Unconventional approaches for creating proactive entry points for peace •Addressing how cultural differences can lead to mismatched expectations and conflicts •The urgent need for addressing sexual violence against refugees •The evolving role of culturally oriented mediation in an increasingly polarized world •And much more! Links:

• ⁠Culturally Oriented Mediation: Inviting the Elephant into the Room (the paper)⁠
• ⁠Culturally Oriented Mediation: Inviting the Elephant into the Room (the blog)⁠
• ⁠Belief in Mediation and Arbitration (BIMA)⁠
• ⁠Collection of Zaza’s YouTube clips discussing culture in mediation⁠
• ⁠Deeyah Khan’s documentary film: White Right- Meeting the Enemy⁠

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