The Negotiators

Join veteran Afghanistan reporter Andrew North as he speaks with an incredible lineup including Barnett Rubin, who shaped the interim Afghan government, and peace advocate Lisa Golden from Norway. They unveil the secretive ‘talks about talks’ that began in 2006 amidst intensifying conflict. Laurel Miller shares her experiences in negotiating peace, while Hekmat Karzai discusses the Taliban's leadership struggle following Mullah Omar's death. Together, they explore the challenges, mistrust, and the persistent hope for peace in Afghanistan.

Soraya L, an Australian Iranian investigative journalist, delves into the Bonn Conference negotiations to end the wars in Afghanistan post-9/11. The absence of the Taliban, selection of interim leaders like Karzai, and challenges in forming a stable government are highlighted. The complexities of power struggles, security force placement, and the crucial need for a political settlement in Afghanistan are explored.

We all remember how the story ends, with the fall of Kabul and the return of the Taliban. But in this special seven-episode season of The Negotiators, we’re going back to the beginning, to try to understand why some of the world’s smartest and most experienced negotiators failed for 20 years to mediate a peace deal in Afghanistan.

William Ury is one of the most famous negotiation experts in the world. He co-wrote the classic book Getting to Yes and co-founded Harvard’s Program on Negotiation.On today’s episode of the Negotiators, our last of the season, Ury describes his role in mediating some of the world’s most difficult conflicts.His forthcoming book, Possible, includes lessons from a long career as an international troubleshooter. The Negotiators is a partnership between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy.

After nine years of war in Yemen, a peace deal finally seems at hand. Representatives of the Houthis met with the Saudis in Riyadh in September, in their first official visit since the war in 2014 began.On today’s episode of The Negotiators, we talk to Yemeni mediators about how they have advanced the peace process and what they think is needed to end the war. First, host Jenn Williams speaks with Maeen Al-Obaidi, one of the most successful local negotiators in Yemen, about how she has helped facilitate hundreds of prisoner exchanges. Then we hear from Farea Al-Muslimi, a Gulf regional expert at Chatham House and co-founder of the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies.

Exploring the failures of Israeli-Palestinian peace plans, focusing on the 'Roadmap' proposal. Insights from a political adviser reveal challenges faced during mediation. Tony Blair's role in pushing the US to accept the plan in exchange for support in Iraq. Analysis of Ariel Sharon's impact on the two-state solution.

Discover the negotiations and implications of the recent agreement between California, Arizona, and Nevada to cut back on water usage to protect the Colorado River. Learn about the background of the negotiations, including the involvement of Native American tribes. Explore the role of tribal inclusion in water conservation and the benefits and sacrifices made by each state in the recent water agreement. Understand the interconnectedness of the Colorado River Basin and the temporary water agreement in the lower basin states.

Exploring the historic negotiations between the US and Mexico over water rights along the Colorado River. Highlights include the challenges faced, building trust amidst a crisis, and the use of points of tentative agreement. The podcast also delves into negotiation lessons and the bi-national agreement reached on water rights.

Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, mediated a political crisis in Kenya in 2008. He, along with Graça Machel and Benjamin Mkapa, negotiated an end to violence and a peaceful transition of power. Meredith Preston McGhie, an aide to Annan, shares insights on how he approached the negotiations. The podcast discusses the initial stages of the negotiations, changing the setting, frustration faced by negotiators, suspension of sessions, and the final agreement.

Ellen Stutzman, Assistant Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America West, shares insights on the recent deal with Hollywood studios. Topics include demands made by writers, negotiations structure, actors' strike consequences, involvement of studio heads, challenges with artificial intelligence in negotiations, reaching the deal, and negotiated raise for writers.