This article uses a case study of the assessment of a graduate program in negotiations and conflict management as a springboard for discussing several critical, but unanswered questions in our field. It raises questions regarding the lack of clear core competencies and expectations regarding curricula at the graduate-level of peace and conflict studies programs, as well as concerns over how educators in this field can or should assess their own work and train students for practice. It also addresses, via a comparative case analysis in Tajikistan, the degree to which the competencies and pedagogical approaches in this field are culturally bound. The picture that emerges from these case studies suggests that there have been important omissions in the way that the varied educational programs and the larger peace and conflict studies field itself have developed thus far.Re´sume´-COMPÉ TENCES FONDAMENTALES : LE DÉ FI D'UN ENSEIGNE-MENT POUR DIPLÔ MÉ S DES É TUDES DE LA PAIX ET DU CONFLIT -Cet article utilise une e´tude de cas de l'e´valuation d'un programme pour diploˆme´s de ne´gociations et de gestion de conflits comme un tremplin pour discuter de plusieurs questions critiques mais reste´es sans re´ponse dans notre domaine. Il soule`ve des questions concernant aussi bien le manque de compe´tences fondamentales claires et les attentes concernant les programmes d'e´tudes au niveau diploˆme´des e´tudes de la paix et du conflit, que les pre´occupations quant a`la fac¸on dont les e´ducateurs peuvent ou devraient e´valuer leur propre travail dans ce domaine et former des e´tudiants pour la pratique. Il aborde e´galement, par l'interme´diaire d'une e´tude de cas comparative au Tadjikistan, le degre´auquel les compe´tences et les approches pe´dagogiques dans ce domaine sont culturellement lie´es. L'image qui e´merge de ces e´tudes de cas sugge`re qu'il y a eu d'importantes omissions dans la manie`re dont les programmes e´ducatifs divers et le champ plus large des e´tudes de la paix et du conflit lui-meˆme se sont de´veloppe´s jusqu'a`pre´sent.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The article uses two very different examples of third party mediation to illustrate the argument that intermediary flexibility has two aspects: freedom from constraint and capacity to undertake an influential interventive role by carrying out a variety of important functions. It concludes that both aspects are important for the success of mediation initiatives—although each confers very different advantages on particular mediator types and circumstances—and that the constituencies of other types of mediators need to be delineated and analyzed before further general propositions can be advanced.