Final Report Summary - PEACE NEGOTIATIONS (International Alliances for Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution: Peace Negotiations and Implemented Resilience Strategies) "Peace Negotiations” is a multidisciplinary research project developed on the two sides of the Atlantic, United States (USA) and European Union (EU). We have investigated preventive diplomacy attitudes and negotiating styles, exploring interdisciplinary problem-solving modalities in the light of sustainable international partnership. The main objective was to try to better understand how highly trained negotiators and diplomats could reason, feel, and behave in complex real-world negotiation processes under conditions of uncertainty and ambiguity, and if personal traits matter and may influence. The aim was to expand knowledge and reach public awareness on the interdisciplinary of interpersonal, intercultural, and diplomatic perspectives (the title of the next coming edited book by the researcher in charge of the project). We afforded the study and research process from a different perspective of a dominant explanation into the field of international negotiations. We have been focusing our attention on the decision-making processes modalities without devaluing the traits and skills of the negotiator as a determining factor in the outcome. Our research process investigated experience-based processes (situations, interpersonal dynamics, personal characteristics traits) of a rather wide sample of negotiators/diplomats within the USA administration and the EU administration. Moreover, unlike most studies and researches on international negotiation, this project has emphasized processes, not simply outcomes or even tools but the way in which tools could be used by actors to achieve better outcomes especially under stressful events. The project brings also forward the message that global challenges must be met in cooperation and not in unconstructive competition or even open conflict, with an emphasis on peace seeking and a balanced approach to the different and at times conflicting interests among international actors. A perspective is proposed, which highlights more social-cognitive and functional aspects in international negotiation. A full sample of interviewees have recognized, and assessed during their experience, that political structures and actions are also shaped and "managed" by people’s personalities and they have seen this in action. Our scientific and political interest is focused on how negotiators’ personal traits may frame their situations and influence consequential decisions (within a given mandate). It is very important as final result to set basis for reaching, from a multidisciplinary perspective, a more integrated and interdependent state in international negotiation by integrating psychological and social processes into more comprehensive theories of international relations and strategic negotiating interaction, in this way contributing to advancing the state-of-the art within the project field. An edited book is published by the researcher following the above mentioned multidisciplinary path applying studies and research achievements to the field of International negotiations.
