Beyond Division: Constructive Engagement in a Fragmented World

Beyond Division:

Constructive Engagement in a

Fragmented World

Going Beyond Division

The ‘Beyond Division’ series seeks to promote the importance of dialogue in addressing global challenges while promoting the use of negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills. To this end, the series brings together organisations from across the world to deliver local in-person workshops on negotiation and conflict resolution skills in the period between International Day of Peace (21st September) and United Nations Day (24th October). The project culminates in a joint Global Forum on United Nations Day for all the participants of the in-person events and the wider public.

Dates

21st September - 24th October 2026

Location

Global

Format

In-Person Workshops and Online Global Forum

Beyond Division was launched in 2025 with 16 events organised by universities and non-governmental organisations across 14 countries. In 2026, the project welcomed dozens of new organisers from around the world. The series retains its decentralised model, whereby local partners organise and facilitate workshops, however a growing focus has emerged whereby facilitators share skills, experiences and examples from their own context thus strengthening the connections between the network of organisers.

Workkshops 2026

The below provides a summary of the in-person events to be held as part of the Beyond Division 2026. All events are organised by a local partner who sets their own conditions for registration. More details and events will be added once they are confirmed.

Local Partner	Facilitator	Location	Event Date
Negotiation Project Twente	Ruxandra Ursu	Twente, Netherlands	20-22 September
Geneva Centre for Security Policy	Lynn Hastings	Geneva, Switzerland	21st September
Model United Nations Club and Debating Society of Ilma International Girls School	Salma Yusuf	Colombo, Sri Lanka	21st September
Nature and Environmental Protection Organization & Green Sphere Power	Jonathan Harding Daramy	Freetown, Sierra Leone	21st September
Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security and Conflict Transformation	Andreanna Mond	Global	25th September
Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom	Zaza Elsheikh	London, United Kingdom	29th September
Clayton State University's Innovation Center	Monique Russell	Peachtree Corners, USA	29th September
University of Cape Town	Monique Carels and Julie Hassman	Cape Town, South Africa	29th September
Mediation Plus	Katie Goldfinch	Hastings, United Kingdom	4th October
PUC-Rio and Global South Unit for Mediation	Estéfany Rocha Monteiro, Marianne Antunes de Oliveira, Maíra Siman, Daisy Bispo Teles and Vitória Kavanami	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	6 & 8 October
Adekunle Ajasin University	Banke Olagbegi Oloba	Ondo State, Nigeria	7th October
Nanjing University	Li Tu	Nanjing, China	11th October
VSUZH & University of Zurich	Jack Williams	Zurich, Switzerland	13th October
International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration	María Jose Iglesias	San José, Costa Rica	15th October
Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade	Ana Grujovic	Belgrade, Serbia	15th October
Nsoatre Technical Institute	Philip Afran Gaisie	Sunyani, Ghana	17th October
Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology	Juvy Cambaya, Lyra Joy, Marguerrette Rose M. Evardone, Jovell Nicole S. Along, Nikko Shane Dar, Reynnard Sumalpong and others	Iligan, Philippines	17th October
University of Ferrara and University of Padova	Filippo Martini	Rovigo, Italy	21st October
UAB Barcelona	Arantza Danés Vilallonga	Barcelona, Spain	21st October
Zimbabwe Institute	Belinda Ncube	Zimbabwe	TBA
Centro Nacional Chega!	Frederik Nühnen	Timor-Leste	TBA
Mercury Negotiation Academy	Eleni Maria Kalafati	Greece	TBA

Global Forum

The Global Forum marks the culmination of the 'Beyond Division' project. The online interactive forum is open to participants from the individual workshops and the wider public. The forum will feature the premiere of the play Fragile Roots - written by facilitators of the global workshops - that depicts the escalation of a conflict between two neighbours as well as breakout sessions with experienced practitioners on how to move beyond division and constructively engage in a fragmented world. The forum is open to participants from all of the global workshops and the wider public. To find out more about the program and how to register click here.

Maximiliano Schilling
Project Lead

Maximiliano R. Schilling holds a Master’s in International Affairs and Diplomacy from UOC-UNITAR and a Political Science degree from the University of Buenos Aires. His academic focus includes China’s foreign policy, particularly its relations with the Global South. He has gained experience in research and data analysis across both the public and private sectors, contributing to a range of projects that emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving.

Team

Support and Partners

The Beyond Division project is supported by the Dr. Tobias W. Langenegger Memorial Society which was founded in honor of the former Co-President of the Institute for Global Negotiation Tobias W. Langenegger. Its mission is to keep alive his memory through the support of projects and events in topics that were important to him, especially in the areas of climate action as well as negotiation and conflict management. The events are organised in collaboration with facilitators from the following partner organisations.