Home > Authors and editors

Carmela Lutmar

University of Haifa Israel

Dr. Carmela Lutmar holds a master's degree in peace studies from the University of Notre Dame and completed her doctoral studies at New York University (2004). Dr. Lutmar was a research fellow and lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University (2005-2009). Her areas of research include leadership, regime change, mediation in civil wars, and post-war governance in war-torn countries. Major publications include several books: Leadership Changes and Regional Stability (with Leah Mandler, Rowman & Littlefield), an edited volume Peacebuilding in the Asia Pacific (with James Ockey, 2019, Palgrave MacMillan), an edited volume The Suez Canal: Past Lessons and Future Challenges (with Ziv Rubinovitz, Palgrave MacMillan, 2023), and an edited volume Regional Peacemaking and Conflict Management: A Comparative Approach, (Routledge, with Benjamin Miller, 2015), and numerous articles in scientific journals such as "Leadership Changes and Civil Wars Agreements: Exploring Preliminary Links" in Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy” 22(4): 439-449 (with Lesley Terris, 2016), "Israel's Foreign Aid to Africa and UN Voting: an Empirical Examination", in Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy 25(4): 1-7 (with Leah Mandler, 2019), "Israel's Foreign Assistance and UN Voting: Does it Pay?", in Israel Studies, 25(1): 99-121 (with Leah Mandler, 2020), and "Birds of a feather vote together? – Patterns in the EU and Arab League UNGA Voting on Israeli Resolutions(with Leah Mandler, 2021) in a book Soft Threats to National Security.

1books edited

2chapters authored

Latest work with IntechOpen by Carmela Lutmar

In an era of unprecedented global complexity, International Relations - Emerging Debates, Enduring Questions, and Contending Voices offers essential insights for understanding our interconnected world. This expertly curated collection examines how traditional international relations concepts must adapt to twenty-first-century realities. The volume's greatest strength lies in its commitment to intellectual diversity and productive dialogue among competing perspectives. Rather than privileging any single theoretical approach, it demonstrates how complex global challenges require multifaceted analysis that draws from multiple theoretical traditions, methodological approaches, and regional experiences. What sets this collection apart is its geographical and cultural breadth, incorporating voices from both the Global North and Global South. The book bridges foundational theoretical frameworks with cutting-edge contemporary applications, showing how enduring questions of war and peace, cooperation and conflict remain vital while taking on new dimensions in our rapidly evolving world. The volume excels in connecting abstract theoretical insights with concrete policy challenges, making sophisticated analytical frameworks accessible to diverse audiences. It explores how emerging technologies, shifting power dynamics, and global interconnectedness are reshaping international politics while demonstrating the continued relevance of core disciplinary questions. This comprehensive approach proves particularly valuable for understanding contemporary crises that resist simple explanations. The book's interdisciplinary perspective enriches traditional international relations analysis by incorporating insights from economics, health studies, and post-modern theoretical innovations. Written for students, scholars, and practitioners alike, this collection equips readers with sophisticated yet practical analytical tools for navigating contemporary global politics and understanding the dynamic interplay between continuity and change in international affairs.

International Relations

International Relations

Edited by Carmela Lutmar

Chapters authored

Perspective Chapter: Deadlocks in Civil Wars Negotiations – Causes and Consequences

By Carmela Lutmar

Deadlocks represent critical junctures in negotiation processes, serving as the moments of stasis that contain both significant potential for breakthrough and considerable risk of harm. These impasses are commonplace across all types of negotiations, from routine interpersonal exchanges to complex international diplomatic efforts. This chapter adds to the growing body of research on negotiation deadlocks by analyzing how they function specifically within the context of civil war peace talks. The chapter begins by offering conceptual definitions and identifying typologies that enable the systematic discussion of deadlocks in civil wars. It then identifies the causes of deadlocks and proposes solutions to address three types: UN involvement, mediation, delay, and leadership change. It concludes with in-depth case studies that illustrate our theoretical framework and suggest directions for future research.

Part of the book: International Relations

Perspective Chapter: Small States – A New Research Agenda

By Carmela Lutmar

The study of small states has undergone significant transformation in recent decades, moving beyond traditional approaches that viewed them primarily as passive actors in international relations. This chapter proposes a new research agenda that reconceptualizes small states as dynamic, adaptive entities capable of exercising significant influence through innovative strategies and coalition building. Drawing on recent developments in international relations theory, this agenda emphasizes agency, networks, and institutional entrepreneurship while addressing contemporary challenges, including climate change, digital governance, and global economic integration. The chapter identifies key research priorities and methodological approaches for advancing our understanding of small state behavior in the twenty-first century, arguing that small states serve as laboratories for governance innovation and strategic adaptation that offer valuable insights for international relations theory more broadly.

Part of the book: International Relations

Related collaborators

Vakhtang Maisaia

Matteo Maria Cati

University of Bologna , Italy

Ovo Imoedemhe

Eitan Oren

Sergei Pestsov

Alan H. Yang

National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Sana Hashmi

Anat Gofen

Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Israel

Walter Imoedemhe