The Center for Security Studies (CSS), an organization focused on Swiss and international security policy, publishes an interesting newsletter called Mediation Perspectives. They recently discussed the ways in which religious texts can best be used during a mediation, particularly by religious groups/organizations that are training their own mediators and negotiators.
The authors establish four criteria or "best practices" for using religious resources, all of which are described in more detail in the article:
1. Insiders can use religious resources for legitimization, but outsiders can’t.
2. Outsiders can use religious resources only for purposes of accessibility, not for legitimization.
3. Develop ideas in a two-way form of dialogue.
4. Use open questions and ask for peer- or elder-review
This article would be of particular interest to mediators who work from within a given religious community.
Read the article here.