This guidance note emphasizes the vital role of women, young people, and other historically excluded groups in insider mediation (IM) across diverse contexts. Despite their active engagement, these actors often face intersecting structural, sociocultural, and institutional barriers, including violence, stigmatization, limited access to decision-making spaces, and the lack of long-term support tailored to their realities. Prevailing assumptions about legitimate mediators—shaped by patriarchal, ageist, and elitist norms—systematically exclude these groups, restricting their ability to contribute fully to conflict resolution.
Global conflict has increased since 2008, driven by interconnected crises, political polarization, intolerance, and the rapid spread of misinformation through social media. This deteriorating context has made peace processes more difficult and contributed to the failure of more than half of peace agreements within the first five years of implementation. In response, insider mediation has emerged as a critical tool for conflict prevention and sustaining peace, complementing formal mediation processes. IM relies on locally credible figures who leverage deep community ties to anticipate conflict triggers, address underlying causes, foster social trust, and empower communities to maintain peace. This approach is cost-effective and strengthens local resilience while supporting national peace frameworks.
The participation of marginalized groups in IM is essential, as traditional norms have often favored older men, overlooking the diverse perspectives and resources brought by women, youth, and other non-traditional actors. Recognizing and supporting these mediators ensures more holistic conflict resolution, addresses community needs effectively, and promotes sustainable peace. This guidance note provides practical recommendations for national and international actors to enhance the participation and leadership of marginalized groups, drawing on research, policy, and practice. It particularly emphasizes advancing the Women, Peace, and Security and Youth, Peace, and Security agendas through meaningful engagement of women and young people.
The note builds on previous UNDP and EU guidance on insider mediation while addressing recent global changes, including the rise of social media as both a tool for mobilization and a vector for misinformation. A desk review and consultations with experts were conducted to map global IM initiatives and capture trends in practice, providing updated case studies and insights into inclusive mediation strategies.
Insider mediators come from all walks of life and operate across local, sub-national, national, and increasingly virtual communities. Their credibility stems from trust, relationships, and knowledge of local contexts. Trust is situational and dynamic, influenced by changing circumstances, roles, and community perceptions. Mediators often navigate overlapping identities, which can enhance or challenge their legitimacy in different contexts. Social media has added new dimensions to IM, requiring mediators to address conflicts and build trust in digital spaces as well as physical communities.
The guidance note highlights successful examples of inclusive IM practices. In Liberia, traditional Palava Huts provided community mediation but were less accessible to women. The establishment of Peace Huts created safe spaces for women to mediate disputes, build confidence, and gain community recognition. Over time, these spaces incorporated young men and extended their influence without merging with existing male-dominated structures, demonstrating the importance of parallel mechanisms to address specific community needs.
In Colombia, the social movement Paz a la Calle illustrates how youth leveraged social media to support the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. By combining online advocacy with offline mobilization, the movement countered disinformation, promoted public understanding, and created networks of solidarity to protect the fragile peace.
In the Philippines, Bangsamoro women used the Women’s Insider Mediators Rapid Action and Mobilization Platform (WIM-RAMP) to expand their role in peacebuilding. Initially limited to humanitarian support, women leveraged these entry points to demonstrate competence, gradually earning respect and extending their influence into conflict mediation. WIM-RAMP members focused on humanitarian response, reducing violence against women and children, mediating local conflicts, and promoting nonviolent engagement, highlighting the strategic importance of non-traditional pathways in inclusive mediation.
Overall, this guidance note underscores the effectiveness of inclusive insider mediation, providing practical steps and illustrative cases for supporting marginalized groups. It emphasizes the need to adapt mediation practices to evolving local and digital contexts, ensuring women, youth, and other excluded actors are recognized as key drivers of sustainable peace.
