15 Principles for Peacemakers

Conflict prevention is not just a one-time act, but a broad orientation, a pervasive way of thinking and relating to other leaders. In 1998, former president Jimmy Carter set down the key principles — gleaned from his long experience in the “search for peace” — that can help advance peace negotiations

By Sheila Enright August 11, 2023

Carnegie Reporter Fall 2023 Emerging Global Order

(l–r) In September 1978, Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin join hands after the Camp David Accords in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. The accords led to a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel the following year. (Credit: David Hume Kennerly via Getty Images)

Carnegie Corporation of New York established the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict in May 1994 to address the looming threats to world peace and to advance new ideas for the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict. The commission’s findings on interstate and intrastate conflicts are largely responsible for the UN’s adoption of a worldwide culture of prevention meant to shape decent human relations at every level. Its final report, Preventing Deadly Conflict, was published in 1997.

In a related project, the commission invited five world leaders, including former president Jimmy Carter, to offer their perspectives on leadership and the prevention of deadly conflict, published in the subsequent volume, Essays on Leadership, in 1998. Carter’s essay, “Searching for Peace,” featured a list of 15 Principles for Peacemakers, which had been developed over the previous decade or so at the Carter Center, which the Corporation helped establish in 1982.

Carter’s vision of peacemaking is seasoned, clear-eyed, and realistic — but always hopeful. It is also pragmatic. In “Searching for Peace,” he writes:

"With a deep and consistent commitment to peace, a powerful and admired America could have a tremendously beneficial influence on troubled regions of the world and could help both to resolve and to prevent needless wars. Many political (but not necessarily military) leaders disagree with these ideas and consider them weak, naive, and overly idealistic. But in our work for the Carter Center, we witness firsthand the eagerness of people in war-torn or suffering nations for the peaceful interposition of American power. Such involvement would often be unsuccessful and frustrating, at times even politically unpopular. But peace efforts are closely related to all our ideals and moral values: human rights, freedom, democracy, and the alleviation of human suffering. Even when such efforts end in failure, they can greatly improve the reputation and influence of our country in areas of the world that do not share our own high opinion of America."

15 Principles for Peacemakers

STRIVE to have the international community and all sides in any conflict agree to the basic premise that military force should be used only as a last resort.
DO NOT INTERFERE with other ongoing negotiation efforts but offer intercession as an independent mediator when an unofficial presence is the only viable option.
STUDY the history and causes of the dispute thoroughly. Take advantage of any earlier personal involvement with key leaders and citizens of a troubled nation as a basis for building confidence and trust.
SEEK HELP from other mediators, especially those who know the region and are known and respected there. (In Africa, for instance, we join forces with distinguished leaders from that continent.)
BE PREPARED to go back and forth between adversaries who cannot or will not confront each other.
EXPLORE all possible beneficial influences on those who have created the problem. Use the news media to bring pressure on recalcitrant parties.
BE WILLING TO DEAL WITH THE KEY PEOPLE in any dispute, even if they have been isolated or condemned by other parties or organizations.
With sensitive international issues, OBTAIN approval from the White House before sending any Americans to take part in negotiations.
INSIST that human rights be protected, that international law be honored, and that the parties be prepared to uphold mutual commitments.
BE WILLING TO LISTEN to detailed explanations and demands from both sides, even when they seem unreasonable or unrealistic.
ENSURE that each concession is equaled or exceeded by benefits. Both sides must be able to feel that they have gained a victory.
TELL THE TRUTH, even when it may not contribute to a quick agreement. Only by total honesty can a mediator earn the trust and confidence of both sides.
BE PREPARED for criticism, no matter what the final result may be.
BE WILLING TO RISK the embarrassment of failure.
NEVER DESPAIR, even when the situation seems hopeless.

Sheila Enright is communications coordinator for Carnegie Corporation of New York, assisting with research, writing, editing, project and production coordination, and content creation.