Katherine L. Jansen will present a short introduction to her work entitled, “The Problematics of Peace-making in late Medieval Florence,” which focuses on dispute resolution at “street level” in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The historiography of the Italian communes has a long and distinguished history of examining feud, vendetta, and violence. This paper will look at the other side of the coin: the efforts to promote peace and concord through notarial contracts. It will also consider some similarities and differences to modern conflict and dispute resolution. Michael van Walt van Praag will share some thoughts on the nature of intrastate conflicts and the facilitation of peace processes. He will discuss issues that are at the heart of such conflicts, the recurring obstacles to their sustainable resolution, and the task of third party mediators or facilitators. In the presentation Prof. Van Walt van Praag will also pay attention to the role of history in conflicts and peace processes.
