ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents a bird's-eye view of the state of mediation theory and goes on to develop a series of hypotheses about necessary and sufficient conditions that contribute to the successful mediation of civil wars. It provides an account of mediation efforts that were attempted but failed to bring about a resolution and describes the mediation process that was finally able to bring about a negotiated settlement. The book proposes a contribution to the sparse data-base of systematically studied and analyzes cases of peacefully resolved civil wars which is essential for theory construction in this vital area. It identifies the factors and circumstances that stand out as being important for the success of the conflict resolution process as well as those that led to the demise of earlier efforts.
