See:
See – ‘Game Theory #18: Trump World Order’: https://lnkd.in/ezc73eZ7
Extract from my 2022 post – ‘Engineering Convergence through Mediation – Can we put the Genie back into the bottle?’
‘As a guest attending the King’s College London School of Security Studies Annual Conference on the 8th and 9th June 2022, I asked a question related to what was then my research interest in ‘Transforming Geo-Political Conflict Through Mediation’.
My Q. ‘Is understanding what lies underneath competing narratives [‘N’] the key to Mediation of a peace process in a conflict?’
i.e. can analysis of ‘N’ reveal:
(i) the philosophy and political doctrine driving a conflict on each side; and
(ii) psychological biases which are road-blocks in geo-political mediation?
Answer: I drew the following conclusions from the comments made by the speakers in reply:
(i) Mediation is not possible where a participant [‘P’], i.e. ‘P.1’ requires the destruction of the other P – i.e. ‘P.2’, because the values and interests underlying ‘N’ collide [‘C’].
(ii) Mediation is possible where they potentially overlap and can cohere.
(iii) Where a P.1 is a nuclear power [‘PN’], the use of nuclear weapons is a very real potential outcome in C – one speaker thought this was almost an ‘inevitability’ (which is what Professor John Mearsheimer has been warning since 2014 and as recently as May 2022).
Therefore, before undertaking a step in Mediation each P needs to first see the world through the eyes of the other.
If P.1 views the world through a rose-tinted geo-political lens, it will be looking inwards and not outward, in which case the outcome is likely to be strategic miscalculation, i.e. if the result is a mischaracterization of N by P.1, because P.1 either:
(i) does not understand N; or
(ii) does not believe that N is real, actually exists in the psychology of P.2, and therefore is deeply embedded in P.2’s existential political Doctrine.
This incongruence dooms Mediation from the start, because P.1 cannot even see where the ‘rails’ of the underlying and causal political dispute actually are, let alone the direction in which the train is going.’
I never imagined that four years later the US [P.1] would launch an illegal war of aggression against Iran [P.2], which could result in the use of a nuclear weapon by Israel.
Based upon the above wisdom I received at King’s, I do not believe that this armed conflict is capable of Mediation.
On the contrary, I expect the conflict to escalate and spread.
Meanwhile, I invite Mediators on LinkedIn to think about:
(i) ‘N’;
(ii) who the architects of ‘N’ are;
(iii) the underlying ‘dynamic interests’ driving the conflict; and
(iv) who is geopolitically ‘pulling the strings’ of P.1 – because I do not think that Trump is intellectually capable of ‘8-dimensional chess’, let alone of ‘Grand Strategy.’
See also – https://lnkd.in/eser7K_7
See also – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1917646267?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title, – which is my Easter weekend reading!
I wonder if such a Political Thery could in relation ‘geopolitical convergence’, advocate universal principles of global ‘Fiduciary Governance’?, which could include preservation of Cultural Heritage and Monuments, and of course the Environment – which are linked.
Note that Cultural Heritage is entwined with UNESCO’s broader mandate concerning human rights, the rule of law, development, and peace.
Cultural identity is considered to part of human dignity. It is linked to human rights because cultural heritage is of crucial importance to individuals and communities as part of their identity.
As cultural heritage requires memory, this applies to both tangible and intangible heritage, because material and physical heritage needs to be placed in both a historical and cultural context, in order to understand its value.
The cultural heritage of a people is not limited to the tangible expressions of art, architecture, religion, poetry, or writing in general but also includes its intangible heritage, which is transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity.
More generally, cultural heritage includes the expressions of the people’s spirituality, and the body of values which give meaning to life.
See also:
Joe Kent: Iran War, Israeli Influence & Creating ISIS – YouTube
AI (01,04.2026) – ‘In March 2026, allegations emerged that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers tortured an 18-month-old Palestinian baby, Jawad Abu Nassar, to coerce a confession from his father. …
According to family members, witnesses, and regional news outlets like TRT World and Al Jazeera, the incident occurred near the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza: Separation and Detention: Jawad’s father, Osama Abu Nassar, was reportedly stopped at a checkpoint, stripped, and interrogated while his son was taken by soldiers.
Physical Abuse: Reports and a medical assessment shared by the family alleged the toddler suffered deliberate cigarette burns on his legs, pricking, and the insertion of a metal nail into his foot.
Release: The child was released after approximately 10 hours through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), while his father remained in detention.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur and organizations like CAIR have cited this and other reports as evidence of systematic abuse of Palestinian detainees.’
‘I told you once that I was searching for the nature of evil. I think I’ve come close to defining it: a lack of empathy. It’s the one characteristic that connects all the defendants. A genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow man. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.’ (Gustave Gilbert – who was, an American Army psychologist assigned to the Nuremberg trials. After closely observing and interviewing the Nazi defendants, he reflected on his search for the nature of evil).
See also:
‘Israel’s parliament passed a sweeping death penalty law
targeting Palestinians on Monday, triggering widespread international
condemnation – as lawmakers celebrated with champagne inside the Knesset.
The bill, approved by 62 of the Knesset’s 120 members with 48 opposed
and one abstention, will instruct military courts to impose capital punishment
on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts defined as
“terrorism”. It takes effect within 30 days, and crucially, does not
apply to Jewish Israelis convicted of the same crime. Far-right extremist
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had made the law a core
condition of his party’s coalition agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, appeared in the chamber wearing a lapel pin shaped like a metal
noose before the vote.’
As far as I am aware Israel has become the first
state in history to legislate for a death penalty that only applies to one
ethnic group, which in the case of the Palestinians – are living under
occupation by Israel in breach of International Law.
AI – ‘Dualism and symmetry were fundamental to the art and architecture of several major ancient civilizations to mirror cosmic order:
AI – ‘In ancient Egyptian art and architecture, dualism and symmetry were not merely aesthetic choices but essential tools used to reflect Ma’at, the divine principle of cosmic order, balance, and truth. By mirroring elements across a central axis, Egyptians believed they were manifesting the harmony of the universe and keeping the forces of chaos (Isfet) at bay.
Why Dualism and Symmetry Were Utilised
The primary motivation was religious and philosophical rather than decorative:
Ancient Egyptians achieved this rigorous balance through specific technical methods and architectural designs:
See – Filippo Biondi | BREAKING NEWS: Second SPHINX found under Giza Plateau: Filippo Biondi | BREAKING NEWS: Second SPHINX found under Giza Plateau
AI – ‘While there is no proven second Great Sphinx at Giza, the idea that one once existed or remains buried is a long-standing theory in Egyptology that has recently gained new attention.
Current evidence and theories regarding a second Sphinx include:
AI – ‘In antiquity, occult and mystical practices (often termed “Jewish magic” or “esotericism”) became integrated into Judaic rituals primarily during the Second Temple period (c. 516 BCE – 70 CE) and the subsequent Rabbinic era (2nd–6th centuries CE).
While the Hebrew Bible officially forbade “magic,” these practices developed as a “technology” for healing, protection, and divine encounter, often blending native traditions with influences from neighboring cultures.
Timeline of Integration
How Practices Became Ritualised
Key Early Forms
AI – ‘In antiquity,
warnings about the “corruption of the soul” through economic
exploitation were most prominently voiced by the Prophets of Ancient
Israel, who frequently condemned high priests and religious elites for
their roles in such systemic abuse.
While “high priest” was an official title, the most famous critiques of this specific corruption came from figures who challenged the priestly establishment:
Prophetic Critiques of Priestly Corruption
Historical Examples of Priestly Exploitation
Other Ancient Perspectives
See – ‘The End of Israel: The Ultimate Evidence’: https://lnkd.in/eb4P3dZD
Scroll forward to 11:20 – The woman on the right holding a ‘noose’ in her right hand and a symbolic ‘lethal injection’ in her left hand – ‘celebrating Israeli plans to introduce the death penalty for Palestinians’, is the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. Her named is Limor Son Har-Melech, and she is a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
The full trial on the merits of the case brought against Israel at the ICJ in the Hague is expected to reach oral hearings in early to mid-2027, i.e. in less than 12 months time.
I wonder if meanwhile, any Rabbi, Jewish Community Leader, or Westminster Politician, will unequivocally and unconditionally condemn the depraved behaviour of Limor Son Har-Melech, or whether they will seek to excuse or justify it – or just acquiesce by turning a ‘Nelsonian Blind Eye’? – Let us see how they behave.
I also wonder whether the ICC will investigate Limor Son Har-Melech for inciting:
(i) the mass murder of civilians;
(ii) War Crimes;
(iii) Crimes against Humanity; and
(iv) Genocide.
I expect that the image of this depraved woman holding up a ‘death noose’ and symbolic ‘lethal injection’, will become a defining image of the ‘Genocidal Intent’ of the people she represents.
Is this the moral cause for which mothers and fathers in America are giving up their sons and daughter to fight, and to die for?
See also:
Before going offline from LinkedIn for at least six months in order to maximize my available time for writing my next book – ‘Mediation of Cultural Heritage Disputes’, I could not resist one more post.
I ma currently reading the ‘Handbook of Global And Multicultural Negotiation’ by Christopher W.Moore and Peter J.Woodrow (2020) which contains the following advice:
‘in the context of negotiations, the least effective sources of power are position and coercion. Positional power works only if the holder also possesses a number of other sources of power, such as perceived legitimate authority. Coercive power is effective only if a party actually possesses it, is willing to use it, can overcome resistance from the counterpart that the use of force provokes, and has accurately assess the ability of the counterpart to withstand the exercise of this form of power. If these conditions are not met, the use of coercive power will not only be ineffective, that may result in unanticipated negative consequences and make a situation worse. Negotiators should use only the minimum amount of power needed to obtain a desired change. Overuse of any source of power may cause resistance on the part of a counterpart.’
As I was taught by the Head of Legal of the Rolls-Royce industrial Power group at the tender age of 28, before being dispatched to the Far East to negotiate a multi-million pound ‘major project’ contract – ‘only ever make a threat, if you have the authority to carry through and are willing to do so. Otherwise, you will lose all credibility as a negotiator.’
This is wise advice that I follow to this day.
When as a negotiator you exercise power, there is no going back, so power should only be exercised when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the consequences may prove to be catastrophic.
The company was awarded the contract.
In my view, the equivalent of winning a contract in a conflict resolution scenario, is settlement. I consider that the wisdom outlined above transfers across and applies equally to the Mediation of an International Dispute. That is why a theatrical display of coercive power which cannot logistically be carried through with success, predetermines failure. In other words, it is an elementary and catastrophic mistake.
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