1. What is Grey Zone Conflict or Hybrid Warfare? Does it have other names?
Grey zone conflict and hybrid warfare are just two of a confusing array of terms used to describe attacks mounted by one nation-state against another without necessarily using any military means (though sometimes the military is used in parallel.) Other terms used for this phenomenon include asymmetric conflict and unrestricted warfare.
2. What is the primary purpose of Project Seshat?
Project Seshat has two main objectives: first, to increase understanding of a type of activity that is carefully designed to be as obscure as the attackers can make it; and then, to use that understanding to help create methods for averting attacks, and for mitigating harm when they occur.
3. Why is Project Seshat important to negotiation and conflict management practitioners, and the public at large?
In a globalized economy, business and NGO executives, and their representatives such as lawyers, are routinely engaged in negotiations of all kinds, with suppliers, customers, municipalities, potential merger partners and more. These dealings do not have to be visibly cross-border transactions to have hybrid warfare connotations. For example, if an apparently "domestic" firm you are dealing with is in some hidden way influenced by an adversary government, you might find yourself on the wrong end of an attack without ever realizing the opponent's intention, or even its existence. Preparing professionals for this new environment will not be simple. And as potential remedies begin to emerge, some will undoubtedly require governmental action. If the public at large can develop a better understanding of what is going on and what can be done about it, better public policy approaches are more likely.
4. Who should be interested in this research and its conclusions?
Business executives, corporate lawyers (particularly in-house counsel), executives of many kinds of nonprofits including hospitals and universities, municipal officials, and military and security professionals are just some of the obvious people. But this work has implications for anyone whose life or work role involves any potential dealings with companies or other entities that may, intentionally or not, be carrying out the undisclosed interests of a hostile government.
5. Where are the participants in Project Seshat from?
The initial working group of some fifty people come from about ten countries and a larger array of subject fields. In both respects we expect the complement to grow over time.
6. How can I learn more about Project Seshat?
Please see the Publications page for some foundational writings. It will be updated regularly to the extent possible, although please note that not all of the project's discussions and findings are public. Readers who want to delve more deeply are invited to follow the list of references in our Negotiation Journal 2020 article in particular. And Project Seshat would not be possible without related previous work by some of the same team, particularly the framing of our subject here as a "wicked problem". Those interested in this background--how "wicked problems" arise and operate in conflict management--may wish to read Chapters 24-27 of Venturing Beyond the Classroom and Chapters 17-21 of Educating Negotiators for a Connected World , two of the four volumes produced by our predecessor Rethinking Negotiation Teaching project. (Both of the above links lead to PDF versions for which there is no charge.) You may also wish to study the three Coleman et al chapters (#s 83-85) of the Negotiator's Desk Reference.
Grey zone conflict and hybrid warfare are just two of a confusing array of terms used to describe attacks mounted by one nation-state against another without necessarily using any military means (though sometimes the military is used in parallel.) Other terms used for this phenomenon include asymmetric conflict and unrestricted warfare.
2. What is the primary purpose of Project Seshat?
Project Seshat has two main objectives: first, to increase understanding of a type of activity that is carefully designed to be as obscure as the attackers can make it; and then, to use that understanding to help create methods for averting attacks, and for mitigating harm when they occur.
3. Why is Project Seshat important to negotiation and conflict management practitioners, and the public at large?
In a globalized economy, business and NGO executives, and their representatives such as lawyers, are routinely engaged in negotiations of all kinds, with suppliers, customers, municipalities, potential merger partners and more. These dealings do not have to be visibly cross-border transactions to have hybrid warfare connotations. For example, if an apparently "domestic" firm you are dealing with is in some hidden way influenced by an adversary government, you might find yourself on the wrong end of an attack without ever realizing the opponent's intention, or even its existence. Preparing professionals for this new environment will not be simple. And as potential remedies begin to emerge, some will undoubtedly require governmental action. If the public at large can develop a better understanding of what is going on and what can be done about it, better public policy approaches are more likely.
4. Who should be interested in this research and its conclusions?
Business executives, corporate lawyers (particularly in-house counsel), executives of many kinds of nonprofits including hospitals and universities, municipal officials, and military and security professionals are just some of the obvious people. But this work has implications for anyone whose life or work role involves any potential dealings with companies or other entities that may, intentionally or not, be carrying out the undisclosed interests of a hostile government.
5. Where are the participants in Project Seshat from?
The initial working group of some fifty people come from about ten countries and a larger array of subject fields. In both respects we expect the complement to grow over time.
6. How can I learn more about Project Seshat?
Please see the Publications page for some foundational writings. It will be updated regularly to the extent possible, although please note that not all of the project's discussions and findings are public. Readers who want to delve more deeply are invited to follow the list of references in our Negotiation Journal 2020 article in particular. And Project Seshat would not be possible without related previous work by some of the same team, particularly the framing of our subject here as a "wicked problem". Those interested in this background--how "wicked problems" arise and operate in conflict management--may wish to read Chapters 24-27 of Venturing Beyond the Classroom and Chapters 17-21 of Educating Negotiators for a Connected World , two of the four volumes produced by our predecessor Rethinking Negotiation Teaching project. (Both of the above links lead to PDF versions for which there is no charge.) You may also wish to study the three Coleman et al chapters (#s 83-85) of the Negotiator's Desk Reference.
"You may think to yourself: 'I'm not a national security person. I'm a scientist, a business person, an academic and so on. I'm not interested in geopolitics.' Well, I can say with a high level of confidence that geopolitics is interested in you. And it’s important that you know how you can be at risk and how you can protect your interests."
David Vigneault, Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
February 9, 2021 speech
David Vigneault, Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
February 9, 2021 speech