Grey zone conflict / hybrid warfare: How does it relate to negotiation, and to conflict management throughout the West?

Project Seshat (2019-2023) was a multinational effort to study and respond to the rising threats of “hybrid warfare” or “grey zone conflict” now targeting all democracies. These are proliferating, but as yet are poorly understood. ​Project Seshat included approximately fifty conflict management and security experts from many walks of life, and focused particularly on how to defend entities other than national governments: corporations, universities, hospitals, NGOs, think-tanks, municipalities and more. Following four years of study and experimentation, an effort is now under way to create a more institutional successor. (The details are not yet public.)

Chris Honeyman served as Project Seshat’s Principal Investigator and chaired the steering committee. He is now an advisor to the group working to create Project Seshat’s successor.

Further background can be found at Project Seshat 

Major publications

Forthcoming: (anticipated publication late 2024, at DRI Press.) The first teaching casebook on hybrid warfare is now being edited by Adrian Borbély. It is based in test cases developed by five interdisciplinary Project Seshat teams; further details will be announced shortly before publication.

Project Seshat. 2023. Negotiation Strategies for War by Other Means
A special issue of the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. With seven articles by Project Seshat members, including
Project Seshat. 2023. Hybrid Warfare: Fighting Back with Whole-of-Society Tactics.

A special issue of On Track, the journal of Canada’s Conference of Defence Associations Institute. With five articles by Project Seshat members, including

Also see:

Schneider, A.K. and Honeyman, C. 2023. Advocates’ and Neutrals’ Roles in a New Type of Conflict–the Private and Public Crises of Hybrid Warfare. New York State Dispute Resolution Lawyer, Vol. 16/1.

Honeyman, C., Chrustie, C., Schneider, A.K., Fraser, V. and Jordaan, B. 2020. Hybrid Warfare, International Negotiation, and an Experiment in ‘Remote Convening’. Negotiation Journal, Fall 2020.

 
…The goals of these hybrid efforts are to erode economic strength; undermine the legitimacy of key institutions such as governance bodies, academia, diplomatic entities and the media; encourage social discord; and weaken the bonds between the nations and international organisations...The erosion of economic strength is probably the most important element and likely the hardest to reverse once it is accomplished.

Financial Times, October 14, 2019