Talks without Borders

online conference

Friday 21 March 2025
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Link to online conference – Zoom meeting (will be active at 4 pm):

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83706226378?pwd=6gmlbPmdWmbiESaQWI2MOVHQ4zRP0O.1

Meeting ID: 837 0622 6378

Passcode: 674778

Independent Session – join us from anywhere in the world! This session will be held in English and is open to all.

📌 Registration Required – Even for online participation, registration is mandatory. Simply send an email to info@esi-cz.eu to receive the access link.

💡 Free of charge – No fees, just valuable insights!

Main topics for Talks Without Borders:

🔹 Individual Responsibility vs. State Responsibility in Family Disputes

What are the boundaries of individual, family, and state responsibility in resolving family conflicts?
Should family mediation be mandatory or only recommended?
Which institutions handle family matters on behalf of the state (social services, courts, schools, etc.) in different countries?

🔹 Children in Family Disputes – Their Voice and Right to Decide

How can we ensure that a child’s voice is heard in parental conflicts while preventing them from being overburdened with responsibility?

🔹 Effectiveness and Proper Timing of Mediation in Family Disputes

When and at what stage of the conflict is it appropriate to recommend or mandate mediation?
Which institution should be responsible for initiating or mandating mediation?

Special Opening Presentation

We are excited to announce that Olivier Wétuan YEHOUN Ph.D. will open the session with his presentation on:

„Role of the blacksmith, mediator, in the process of conflict prevention and management in Bwa country from the origins to the end of the nineteenth century.“

Abstract:

Conflict is inherent in human life. Humans have always experienced conflicts and have developed mechanisms to prevent or resolve them. In Bwa country or in Bwamu, a territory straddling Burkina Faso and Mali, conflicts are also legion. This non-centralized power society, made up of village communities, has endogenous mechanisms for conflict prevention and management, including mediation, often managed by very specific actors, including blacksmiths. These caste men, who owe their functions to the Kurukan Fuga charter, are important actors in the implementation of these mechanisms for living together and social cohesion in the Bwamu.

The objective of this paper is to understand the exact role played by the blacksmith, the man of the forge in the process of conflict prevention and management in Bwa country through mediation.

Thus, it will first allow a knowledge of the caste system among the Bwaba. Then review the various endogenous mechanisms for conflict resolution available to the Bwamu. Finally, to demonstrate the role of the blacksmith (mediator) in the implementation of these endogenous mechanisms.

ℹ️ More details coming soon – We will be updating the information regularly.

We look forward to seeing you online!