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Restorative Justice Peacemaking Circles: What Relevance to Intractable Conflicts?

Adepeju O. Solarin (USA/Nigeria)

Ph.D. Project

For close to 40 years, the countries of Iran and America have been embroiled in an intractable conflict that has shaped their foreign policy towards each other. The origins of the conflict, significant they may be, no longer seem critical in understanding how reconciliation and peace can be negotiated between these two countries. This research proposal attempts to explore the viability of restorative justice peacemaking circles in the peacebuilding toolkit of mediation (diplomacy). The question may be posed: what other alternatives to mediation can be explored given the challenge of an intractable conflict such as the one between Iran and America? This question may be answered through a thorough literature review, de-classified documents on the two countries, and several circle observations of opinionmakers on both sides.

This topic is of particular importance especially in its pre-war stage. A cursory review of mediated (diplomatic) efforts by both countries do reveal some good faith gestures at different intervals that were misunderstood or ignored by the other. Such unsuccessful efforts continue to persuade decisionmakers (on both sides) of the futility of any form of mediation. The guiding pricinples of equality, responsibility, and accountability, inherent in peacemaking circles, are worth examining especailly when powerful entities are involved. It should be noted that this research does not attempt to solve a 40-year conflict, but questions if there may lie, within peacemaking circles, a different way to approach this conflict, thus building a foundation upon which peace and social order may be negotiated.

Research Interests and Goals

As it relates to IMPRS REMEP include:
Restorative Justice, Crisis management as it relates to conflict, US-Iran conflict, and Human Rights

In general include:
Niger/Delta crisis, Negotiations, Decisionmaking, Peacebuilding, and Ritual

Memberships

  • Member, European Forum for Restorative Justice, Belgium, April 2010-2011
  • MN Board Member, Citizens for Global Solutions, February 2009-November 2010
  • Advisory Board Member, Pakistan Society of Criminology, October 2008-May 2011
  • Member, Victim Offender Mediation Association, July 2008-May 2010

Lectures

  • June 17, 2010

    Iran and the West: Restorative Practices as Supplement to Diplomatic Efforts

    European Forum for Restorative Justice Conference, June 17-19 2010

    Location: Bilbao, Spain

  • January 16, 2009

    The Impact of Obama’s Presidency on Africa

    Connecting With Africa Forum

    Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

  • August 22, 2008

    Speaking Truths: Restorative Justice, Nation Building, and International Relations

    Connecting With Africa Conference

    Location: St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Curriculum vitae

Since September 2011 PhD Candidate of the International Max Planck Research School on Retaliation, Mediation and Punishment (IMPRS REMEP) at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg i.Br., Germany
April 2010 – September 2010 Peace Fellow, Advocacy Project (Washington, D.C., USA); Association for the Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners (Vancouver, Canada); Upper Midwest Fellowship, Human Rights Center (Minnesota, USA)
August 2009 –
April 2011 		Human Rights Coordinator, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
September 2006 – May 2010 Graduate Student, Restorative Justice and International relations, Minor – Human Rights, Masters of Liberal Studies, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
March 2006 –
May 2011 		Associate Editor, Institute on Crime and Public Policy, University of Minnesota Law School – Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
September 1999 – May 2004 Undergraduate Student, Economics, Marketing, and Advertising, Minor – New Media Studies, Bachelor of Individualized Studies, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA