Anthony Wanis Associate Professor Peace, Human Rights & Cultural Relations
- Degrees
- Ph.D., International Relations, Tufts University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Certificate in Strategic Management and International Consultancy, Tufts University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
M.A.L.D., Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
B.S., Human Services, St. John’s University, magna cum laude - Languages Spoken
- Spanish, French, and a bit of Arabic
- Favorite Spot on Campus
- Spot where JFK gave the 1963 Commencement Speech and announced nuclear test ban negotiations
- Favorite Place in Washington DC
- National Cathedral
- Book Currently Reading
- The Essential Jung: Selected Writings
- Bio
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Anthony Wanis-St. John is the author of Back Channel Negotiation: Secrecy in Middle East Peacemaking (Syracuse University Press, January 2011), and with Noah Rosen, the coauthor of “Negotiating Civil Resistance,” Peaceworks Vol. 129 (2017), USIP Press. With Roger Mac Ginty, he co-edited Contemporary Peacemaking, 3rd ed. (Palgrave, 2022). He directed the M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from 2013 to 2016 and supports the Department of Defense in the training of advisors through the Defense Advising Program and the Security Force Assistance Command at Ft. Liberty, NC.
His research, practice and teaching focus on negotiations in zones of conflict; including peace processes, ceasefires and civil society engagement. His practical experience includes Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. Since 2010 he has supported the Department of Defense and USIP in the preparation of military and civilian advisors deploying to Afghanistan and other partner countries. In 2016 he co-facilitated the strategic review session of USAID/OTI’s countering violent extremism portfolio in Nigeria. In 2015 he worked with the National Democratic Institute to advise Syrian civilian opposition groups exiled in Turkey on having a unified posture with regard to the Syrian government, and to build the negotiating capacity of Syrian local councils. He has facilitated several Track II workshops for Palestinian and Israeli official negotiation staff and advisors.
He has successful experience mediating disputes within federal agencies and corporations, as well as mediating labor contracts and disputes within the education sector in the US. Dr. Wanis-St. John has also consulted with the World Bank and USAID on rule of law programs in countries such as Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela and El Salvador.
He has provided negotiation trainings and lectures to the Joint Special Operations University, US Army 352nd Civil Affairs Command and the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion as well as Marine Corps University’s Command and Staff College, the Department of Labor’s International Labor Affairs Bureau, the Department of State’s Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau, the World Bank, CSIS and others.
He was a Senior Advisor to the United States Institute of Peace, and in that capacity has advised Darfur military commanders on their unity negotiations, conducted electoral violence prevention and dialogue training in Haiti, delivered pre-deployment negotiation trainings for US Military Observer Groups, trained Ugandan military deploying to Mogadishu as part of AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia).
He has been an instructor at the Inter-American Defense College at Ft. McNair; UMASS Boston; Tufts University’s Fletcher School; Johns Hopkins University/SAIS, the executive education programs at Harvard Law School, Bordeaux Ecole de Management, Notre Dame University in Beirut and Georgetown University’s McDonough Business School. Additionally, he’s conducted negotiation consulting around the world for corporations such as Hewlett-Packard, Amex, Visa, Eli Lilly, Parsons and Amgen. He was a Doctoral Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation.
His research appears in outlets such as Journal of Peace Research, Negotiation Journal and International Negotiation
- See Also
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call 51 Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.
Teaching
Spring 2024
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SIS-611 International Negotiation
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SIS-619 Special Studies in Int'l Pol: Comparative Peace Processes
Summer 2024
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SIS-730 Skills Inst in Int'l Affairs: Exped Civil-Military Interactn
Fall 2024
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SIS-611 International Negotiation
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SIS-611 International Negotiation
Partnerships & Affiliations
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Non Resident Fellow 2023-2024
Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities
Selected Publications
Books | Edited Volume (Refereed) | Book Chapters | Journal Issues - Guest Editor | Refereed Journal Articles | Non-Refereed Journal Articles | Research Reports | Reviews and Review Essays | Research Monographs | Peer-Reviewed Policy Papers and Publications | Pedagogy
Books
Edited Volumes
- Conflict Prevention and Management in the New Security Context: Case of Macedonia, with M. Mitrevska, A. Grizold, V. Buchovski (Open Society Institute, 2009) (Table of Contents; Chapters 1 and 9)
- In Macedonian
Book Chapters
- "Conclusion: Peace Processes Past, Present and Future," with Roger Mac Ginty inMac Ginty and Wanis-St. John, eds.,Contemporary Peacemaking: Peace Processes, Peacebuilding and Conflict. 3rd edition. Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. Ch. 27.
- "Introduction (to Contemporary Peacemaking), with Roger Mac Ginty inMac Ginty and Wanis-St. John, eds.,Contemporary Peacemaking: Peace Processes, Peacebuilding and Conflict. 3rd edition. Palgrave Macmillan, 2022.
- "The Intermediation of Turkey and Brazil between Iran and the Western Powers," with Arunjana Das, in Doga Ulas Eralp, ed. Turkey as Mediator: Stories of Success and Failure (Lexington Books, 2016)
- . 3rd ed. (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2014), Ch. 56.
- in Roger Mac Ginty, ed., (London: Routledge, 2013), Ch. 28, pp. 360 - 374
- “Cultural Pathways in Negotiation and Conflict Management,” Chapter 8 in Michael Moffitt and Robert Bordone, eds., Handbook of Dispute Resolution (Jossey-Bass, 2005), pp. 118-134.
Journal Issues - Guest Editor
Refereed Journal Articles
- "Fumbling Abdication: Make America Diplomatic Again,"Negotiation Journalvol. 35, no. 1 (2019): 107-110
- "Impediments to trade across the Green Line in Cyprus: The role of classic barriers and trust," with Omer Gokcekus, Dennis Nottebaum and Jessica Henson, Journal of Peace Research, vol. 49, no. 6 (November 2012)
- “Civil Society and Peace Negotiations: Confronting Exclusion,” International Negotiation, vol. 13, no. 1 (2008), with Darren Kew.
- “Back Channel Negotiation: International Bargaining in the Shadows.” Negotiation Journal, vol. 22, no. 2 (2006): 119-144.
- “The National Security Council: Tool of Presidential Crisis Management,” Journal of Public and International Affairs, vol. 9, no. 1 (1998): 102-127.
- “Third Party Mediation Over Kashmir: A Modest Proposal,” International Peacekeeping, vol. 4, no. 4 (1997): 1-30.
- “The Mediating Role in the Kashmir Dispute Between India and Pakistan,” The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, vol. 21, no. 1 (1996): 173-195.
Non-Refereed Journal Articles
Research Reports
- “Managers as Negotiators: The Power and Gender Mix,” Negotiation Journal, vol. 12, no. 4 (1996): 367-370.
- “Toward the ‘Next Generation’ of Research on Mediation and Third-Party Intervention,” Negotiation Journal, vol. 12, no. 3 (1996): 271-274.
Reviews and Review Essays
- “Thinking Globally and Acting Locally,” Review Essay of Negotiating Globally, by J. Brett and Reaching for Higher Ground in Conflict Resolution, by F. Dukes, M. Piscolish and J. Stephens, Negotiation Journal, vol. 19, no. 3 (2003): 371-378.
- “Advice to Princes in the Global Age”: Review Essay of Power Sharing and International Mediation in Ethnic Conflicts, by T. Sisk and Elusive Peace, by I. W. Zartman, The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, vol. 21, no. 2 (1997).
- Review of A Concise History of the Middle East, by A. Goldschmidt, Jr., The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, vol. 20, no. 2 (1996).
Research Monographs
- Civil Society and Peace Negotiations: Why, Whether and How They Could Be Involved, with Thania Paffenholz and Darren Kew. Background paper for International Mediators’ Retreat, June 2006 Oslo Forum: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Geneva, Switzerland, and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- An Assessment of Back Channel Diplomacy: Negotiations Between the Palestinians and Israelis, PON Paper 00-7 (September 2000) Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School.
- Resolving the Kashmir Conflict Between India and Pakistan: Prospects for Mediation, Working Paper Series, 96-2 Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School.
- The Negotiations Between the Palestinians and Israel: Short Term Breakthrough but Long Term Failure? Working Paper Series, 95-4 Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School.
Peer-Reviewed Policy Papers and Publications
- Setting the Table for Arab-Israeli Peace: The Role of Publics, Policy paper for the USIP Senior Working Group on the Middle East, Co-Chaired by Samuel R. Berger and Stephen A. Hadley, June 23, 2009.
- Training Manual on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Restorative Justice [Judicial training for Nigerian judges], co-authored with Darren Kew and Kevin Nwosu, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, October 2007.
- International Prevention Practices in the Culture of Drugs and Violence, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, July 2005.
- “A Culture of Justice: Guatemala’s Post-Conflict Judicial Modernization,” World Bank, April 2004 (presented at World Bank’s “Scaling-Up Poverty Reduction” Conference in Shanghai, May 2004).
- “Evaluation of World Bank-supported ADR in Guatemala,” World Bank, March 2003.
- “Commercial Alternate Dispute Resolution in Bolivia,” Appendix “B” in S. Brown, C. Cervenak, D. Fairman, Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs: A Guide for USAID, December 1997 (USAID Contract AEP-I-00-96-90022-00).
Pedagogy
- “Comparative Peace Processes,” in Timothy A. McElwee, B. Welling Hall, Joseph Liechty, Julie Garber, eds., Peace, Justice and Security Studies: A Curriculum Guide, 7th ed. (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2009) Ch. 14.6
Professional Presentations
“Peace Processes, Ceasefires and Persuasion for Special Operations Forces,” presenter atSpecial Operations Forces Support to Strategic Competition 2024 Research Forum, Joint Special Operations University, SOCOM, August 8, 2024
“Four Negotiation Skills for National Security Crisis Negotiations” guest lecturer, George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, National Security Studies Program, Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership, Washington, DC, June 12, 2024
“Tactics of Negotiation for Combat Advisor Leadership,” Pre Command Course, Security Force Assistance Command, USFORSCOM Headquarters, Ft. Liberty, April 22-24, 2024
“Challenging the Flawed Foundations of Post-Liberal Peacebuilding,” Paper co-written and presented with Alex Cromwell at the 65th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, San Francisco, April 6, 2024
“Negotiation and Persuasion in Leadership and Command,” Lecture presented at Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College, Leadership and Negotiation Course, Quantico, VA, March 19, 2024
“Tactical Mastery in National Security Negotiations” guest lecturer, George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, National Security Studies Program, Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership, Washington, DC, March 13, 2024
“Strengthening Peacemaking in Times of War,” Keynote Address at “History of Conflicts or Conflict of Histories” Symposium, Florida State College at Jacksonville, March 8, 2024
“,” Panelist at NATO’s Civil-Military Cooperation Center of Excellence (CIMIC CCOE) seminar on “Israel-Palestine: A Humanitarian Case Study,” March 6, 2024
“Tactics of Negotiation for Combat Advisor Leadership,” Pre-Command Course, Security Force Assistance Command, USFORSCOM Headquarters, Ft. Liberty, January 22-24, 2024
"Strategic Advising Curriculum" Training of Trainers at the Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA), Ft. Moore, GA, July 17-20, 2023
“National Security Negotiations: Hostages, Ukraine and Russia,” guest lecturer, George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, National Security Studies Program, Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership, Washington, DC, March 15, 2023
“Negotiation and Persuasion in Leadership and Command,” Lecture presented at Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College, Leadership and Negotiation Course, Quantico, VA, February 28, 2023
“Negotiating Ethical Dilemmas in Public Policy,” Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy, Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 21, 2022
“Professional Negotiation Strategies and Tactics,” Breakthrough Leadership Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 13, 2022
“National Security Negotiations: Great Power Politics and Interagency Negotiations,” guest lecturer, George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, National Security Studies Program, Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership, Washington, DC, March 16, 2022
“Negotiation and Persuasion in Leadership and Command,” Lecture presented at Marine Corps University, Command and Staff College, Leadership and Negotiation Course, Quantico, VA, March 3, 2022
“Foreign Policy, Strategic Questioning and Negotiation Skills for Defense Advisors,” Pre Command Course, Security Force Assistance Command, USFORSCOM Headquarters, Ft. Bragg, January 26-28, 2022
“From Saigon to Kabul: Negotiation Lessons Learned and Forgotten,” Harvard Law School, Program on Negotiation, PON Live! Lecture Series, January 12, 2022,
“Prenegotiations in Peace Processes,” guest lecture in Prof. Jim Pugel’s Conflict Analysis course within Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence program, National Intelligence University, April 28, 2021
“Back Channels in Palestine Before 1948: Colonialists, Zionists and Arab Nationalists" for Panel "Out of the Shadows: Israel and Back-channel Diplomacy,” paper presented at the 62nd Annual Convention of the International Studies Association, April 6, 2021
“Adapting International Negotiation Teaching for Online Delivery,” 10th Annual Graduate Education Symposium in Peace and Conflict Resolution, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University, December 4, 2020
“Cultural and Psychological Dimensions of Negotiation,” Skokolvo Moscow School of Business, October 6, 2020
“Peace Negotiation Skills for Women Delegates to Intra-Afghan Peace Talks,” United States Institute of Peace, September 9, 2020
Professional Presentations
Grants and Sponsored Research
- Fulbright Senior Specialists Scholarship 2009; Curricular collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Palestinian American Research Center Post Doctoral Fellowship, 2005
- Harvard Law School, Program on Negotiation Doctoral Research Fellowship, 1999-2000
Work In Progress
- "Peace Processes: Assessing the Empirical Evidence" (with Alexander Cromwell)
- "Shooting for Peace: Negotiation of Ceasefires"
- "Heading for the Exit: From Saigon to Kabul"
- "International Law and Civil Wars"
- "Kashmiri Self-Determination in International Law"
- "Unofficial Emissaries in Hostage Diplomacy"
- "Arab-Israeli Channels of Secret Diplomacy during the British Mandate"
- "Secret Diplomacy of the 1967 War, the 1973 War and the Israeli Invasion of Lebanon"
51 Experts
Area of Expertise
international negotiation, military negotiations, ceasefires, humanitarian negotiations, peace process, back channel negotiation
Additional Information
Anthony Wanis-St. John researches international negotiation, military negotiations, ceasefires, humanitarian negotiations and peace processes. He has created several advanced courses on negotiation for SIS, ranging from interpersonal skills and analysis to complex international multilateral contexts. He also conducts advanced negotiation trainings, mediation and conflict resolution workshops in diverse organizational contexts and sectors. He is an advisor to the Academy of International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding at the United States Institute of Peace.
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call 51 Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.