The Mediator’s Studio: Mediation in the Middle East: reckoning with reality – new episodes now available

What does it take — mentally, emotionally, politically — to resolve conflicts that seem impossible?

Two bonus episodes of The Mediator’s Studio bring listeners into the minds — and hearts — of those working to mediate some of the world’s most entrenched crises. Recorded at the Muscat Mediation Retreat in November 2025, these two bonus episodes offer a rare glimpse into the human side of high-stakes diplomacy.

The episodes feature:

• Dr Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari, advisor to the Prime Minister of Qatar, who brings parties back to the table even when violence has claimed their loved ones and sees economic promises as a path to lasting peace
• Staffan de Mistura, veteran UN diplomat and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Western Sahara, showing how timing, patience, and human connection shape mediation — and why it matters in life as well as diplomacy

Across both episodes, listeners gain insight into the emotional, strategic, and personal dimensions of peacemaking, hearing directly from diplomats who have navigated some of the most challenging conflicts of our time.

Listen and subscribe

Subscribe to The Mediator’s Studio on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite streaming platform to listen to the latest episodes and catch up on the captivating stories from our previous seven seasons.

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The Mediator’s Studio is co-produced by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).