Donald Planty: 1996 Guatemala Peace Process

Lawyering Peace

In this episode of the Lawyering Peace podcast, we delve into Guatemala's journey toward peace through the lens of the 1996 Peace Accords process, which concluded 36 years of internal conflict. Ambassador Donald Planty, the United States Ambassador to Guatemala during the peace process, shares his firsthand experiences from engaging in the process, emphasizing the crucial role of international cooperation, especially the strategic support of the "Friends of the Peace Process" in this context. This episode also unpacks the essential skills for successful diplomacy, such as relationship building, effective listening, and understanding diverse perspectives. Ambassador Planty illustrates how capitalizing on these skills and relying on informal confidence building measures with the parties, propelled the negotiations forward. Tune in to learn about the dynamic challenges facing an ambassador engaged in high-stakes negotiations and the practical negotiation skills that can lead to successful outcomes.