The Mediator’s Studio – an Oslo Forum podcast about peacemakers – returns today for its second season.

Opening the season is Martin Griffiths, founder of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) and currently the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Yemen.

In the episode, he recalls his first encounter with ETA and his entry into peace talks in the Basque region, recounts his role as a mediator in Aceh, and reflects on how these rich experiences have taught him invaluable lessons that he applies now, in Yemen, amid one of the most complex conflicts of our time.

Listen to The Mediator’s Studio on The Oslo Forum website, Apple and Spotify.

Join host Adam Cooper (@adamtalkspeace) and a growing international audience for first-hand access to the stories and insights of mediators, governments and peace process actors about what it takes to end armed conflict.

In the coming weeks, The Mediator’s Studio will also feature Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt, African Union Special Envoy to Sudan, and Catherine Ashton, former European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, among many others.

HD is also pleased to announce a partnership with The New Internationalist, a leading independent media organisation dedicated to socially conscious journalism.

The New Internationalist will be publishing articles and features on episodes of The Mediator’s Studio, including a feature on season one’s interview with Special Envoy of Uganda to South Sudan Betty Bigombe.

Other highlights of season one included interviews with Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the African Union Hanna Tetteh and former UN Special Representative to Libya Ghassan Salamé.

The Oslo Forum is the leading international retreat of conflict mediation practitioners.

Co-hosted by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Oslo Forum regularly convenes conflict mediators, high-level decision-makers and key peace process actors in a series of informal and discreet events.