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Centre for Mediation in Africa

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Centre for Mediation in Africa

The CMA is radically rethinking mediation in Africa and creates safe spaces for dialogue

The goal of the CMA is to help make mediation efforts throughout Africa more effective. We do so by offering academic and practical courses in mediation, researching new and current best practices, and offering support to organisations and governments involved in mediation processes. We do this by:
• Publishing research on mediation best practices
• Teaching postgraduate courses on mediation
• Hos

ting public and off-the-record seminars on mediation efforts in Africa
• Partnering with other universities to expand our research and teaching reach
• Assisting regional and sub-regional bodies and governments involved in mediation
• Expanding research into non-state actors in mediation processes
• Contributing to research on SDG16
• Training senior government officials in mediation skills

24/08/2026

Last week, the CMA was excited to partner with Avi Sooful from UP’s Visual Arts department and UPEnterprise on a seminal course on the restitution of cultural property. This course brought together leading professionals in the field of cultural heritage preservation to engage with UN and AU frameworks around how we take care of our heritage during times of crises.

A central aspect of the module was the tenet in times of crises, it is by drawing on our heritage (including our indigenous knowledge systems) that we can find sustainable solutions to crises (whether climate degradation, poverty, conflict etc.). Preserving, rediscovering and restituting our heritage is key to ensuring a thriving Africa.

A question we grappled with is how to engage peacefully with our counterparts in other parts of the world to ensure the rightful restitution of the hundreds of thousands of Africa artefacts in museums in the global north. Returning these artefacts to Africa often has deeply spiritual, healing, and ritualistic significance for communities across the continent. It also speaks to us healing and reconciling from our colonial legacy.

17/08/2026

🔔 This Mediation Monday, we explore the important role that trust plays in the mediation process. While conflict often damages trust between parties, mediation provides a structured and impartial process that can help rebuild enough confidence for meaningful dialogue and sustainable agreements.

Do you think mediation can succeed when trust has completely broken down? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Be sure to look out for our monthly Mediation Monday posts.

09/08/2026

At the Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA), we remember and honour the powerful legacy of women’s collective action in South Africa. From the historic Women’s March of 1956 to the women who continue to take to the streets today to call for equality, dignity, justice and an end to violence, women have consistently demonstrated that their voices can move societies forward. Their courage reminds us that peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but also the presence of justice, equality and meaningful participation.

This Women’s Day, we honour the women who continue to bridge divides, foster understanding and inspire positive change, often behind the scenes, but always at the heart of peacebuilding.

Today, we celebrate women mediators, peacebuilders and changemakers who continue this legacy by creating spaces for dialogue, transforming conflict and building more inclusive and peaceful communities.

Happy Women’s Day to all women, mediators, peacebuilders and changemakers. Your work matters. Your leadership matters. Your voice matters.

07/08/2026

The CMA joins South Africans in mourning the passing of a stellar journalist, Estelle Ellis, who tirelessly reported on events in the Eastern Cape.

As the Daily Maverick writes, “She told the stories of the Eastern Cape that almost nobody else is telling: the hospitals, the courts, the water crisis, the people the state forgot.” https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-06-estelle-ellis-the-eastern-capes-fiercest-voice-for-the-voiceless-has-died/?dm_source=blocks-grid-wide&dm_medium=card-link&dm_campaign=inform&dm_position=1&utm_campaign=Post-2586&utm_medium=email&utm_source=first-thing

Through our work in the Eastern Cape, the CMA hopes to continue her legacy of being a voice for the voiceless.

03/08/2026

🗓️ 31 July 2026: The Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA) and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) held a Dialogue on
how to better coordinate between key stakeholders in addressing critical issues in the OR Tambo District of the Eastern Cape, including in relation to GBV. Stakeholders included Traditional Leaders, multiple government departments, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Academia, and Civil Society.

Discussions highlighted the importance of integrating traditional and formal governance systems, improving coordination across sectors, and fostering trust to tackle issues such as gender-based violence, social exclusion, and community safety. Sustainable development requires inclusive dialogue, shared responsibility, and long-term cooperation.

Bringing diverse stakeholders together is a vital step toward building resilient, peaceful communities where no one is left behind.

Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
CONTRALESA
Departments: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

29/07/2026

On 27 July 2026, the Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA), in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) - Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, officially kicked off the mediation training at Tabase Community Hall in the Mthatha area of the Eastern Cape.

The 4-day training forms part of the CMA's ongoing engagement with communities in the Mthatha area, which experience some of the highest levels of violence and poverty in the country. It aims to engage in co-learning with traditional and community leaders to strengthen local mediation capacity and develop practical tools to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict.

Through interactive sessions, practical exercises, and facilitated discussions, community members are building their negotiation, communication, and conflict resolution skills while gaining valuable insight into mediation processes and peacebuilding practices.

CONTRALESA Departments: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

23/07/2026

Lesley Connolly and CMA’s Samuel Igba’s latest article titled ‘Digital technology as a tool for peace interventions’ examines how digital technologies are reshaping contemporary conflict and explores both the opportunities and challenges they present for peace interventions in increasingly complex and digitally mediated conflict environments.

This article argues that the key challenge for peace and security actors is not whether to engage with digital technologies, but how to do so responsibly. It advocates for the development of purpose-built digital tools tailored to peace interventions, rather than adapting peacebuilding practices to existing technologies, to strengthen accountability and improve the effectiveness of peace efforts.

Read more here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10220461.2026.2689014

22/07/2026

The Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA), in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), will host a mediation training and a multi-stakeholder dialogue in the OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape, South Africa, from 27–31 July 2026.

These engagements aim to strengthen a sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative peacebuilding architecture in the district. The mediation training will equip local leaders and stakeholders with practical skills to manage and resolve complex disputes within their communities. The multi-stakeholder dialogue will bring together diverse actors to develop a shared District Social Compact in alignment with the ongoing National Dialogue process – to support coordinated development and governance, improved service delivery and enhanced community safety.

Stakeholders are invited to participate in the dialogue scheduled for 31 July 2026 at the Mayfair Hotel in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

To RSVP, please follow this link: RSVP - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfp9cick6Gs27L9HfcQTQK4kP7uEft-F97uBXtuxjbQOTappw/viewform

Departments: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department of Sport, Arts and Culture CONTRALESA

18/07/2026

This Mandela Day, we celebrate the enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela - not only as a statesman and freedom fighter, but also as one of Africa's most influential mediators. Mandela understood that lasting peace is built through dialogue, trust, and the courage to engage across deep divides. His approach to mediation demonstrated that reconciliation is not about forgetting the past, but about creating the conditions for a shared future founded on dignity, justice, and mutual respect.

As the Centre for Mediation in Africa, we continue to draw inspiration from Mandela's commitment to peaceful conflict resolution, inclusive dialogue, and African-led solutions to complex challenges. His legacy reminds us that mediation is more than a tool for resolving disputes - it is a pathway to transforming relationships, strengthening institutions, and building sustainable peace.

13/07/2026

🔔 MEDIATION MONDAY
This Mediation Monday, we highlight some of the core skills that enable mediators to support peaceful conflict transformation and meaningful engagement.

What skills do you think a mediator needs to navigate complexity, build trust, remain impartial, and create space for constructive dialogue? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Be sure to look out for our monthly Mediation Monday posts.

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