Pre-Conference Workshops

Social Capital and Water Peacebuilding in the Middle East: Building Trust, Cooperation, and Shared Narratives

Facilitator/s:

Masume Eshtiaghi & Maliheh Musanejad

Workshop Description:

This participatory workshop explores how social capital can provide the relational foundation for water peace in the Middle East. Participants will examine how trust, cooperation, and shared cultural ties can support transboundary collaboration and institutional capacity for peace. Through facilitated discussion and group exercises, we will identify the key social and institutional codes that enable ‘blue peace’ and collective action across borders.

The session will use a social facilitation approach combined with group discussion. Active listening will be emphasised as participants surface key social capital codes underlying narratives of water conflict and cooperation. Participants will also engage in practical social networking exercises aimed at stimulating collective action at a transnational scale.

The workshop integrates both conceptual foundations and applied skill development. While it introduces theoretical insights from social and sociological sciences, its primary purpose is to translate these into practical competencies that support the empowerment of individuals and communities in linking social capital to blue peace in real-world contexts.

Objectives or Learning Outcomes:

After attending the workshop, participants will:

  • Understand how key conceptual elements of social capital can create enabling social and institutional contexts for water peacebuilding.
  • Recognise the role of institutional trust, networking, and shared identity in mitigating water-related conflicts.
  • Develop practical soft skills for capacity building and applying social capital variables within blue peace frameworks.
  • Gain experience in participatory methods for identifying and leveraging social capital to support transnational cooperation.
Intended Audience:

This workshop is designed for community leaders, water and peace professionals, activists, water planners, and others involved in regional cooperation, peacebuilding, or resource governance.

About the Facilitator/s:

Masume Eshtiaghi has a PhD in Sociology and is a social researcher in water and development issues from Iran. She has a background in scientific and administrative activities in the social field of water and peace in the Middle East. She is the head of the Women’s Committee of the Iranian Water Diplomacy Association and is also a member of the Environmental Sociology Group of the International Sociological Association. She works on social capital and institutional cooperation for water peace.

Maliheh Musanejad has a PhD in Cultural Policy from Kharazmi University and is a peace Researcher and Member of the Women’s Committee of the Iranian Water Diplomacy Association.

About the workshops

On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the conference will host up to 30 half-day workshops, running in both morning and afternoon sessions, before the opening keynote presentation by Professor Robert Putnam in the evening.

These workshops will span a wide range of topics connected to social capital, offering space for hands-on practice, in-depth research exploration, applied analysis, and more. They provide an opportunity for participants to engage closely with experts, develop practical skills, and exchange insights in a more interactive format than the main conference sessions.

Workshop Signup will be available with the conference registration

Registration will open in October 2025. Even before registration opens, you can register your Expression of Interest to receive timely updates, registration reminders, and program news directly from the organisers.

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Want to facilitate a workshop?

We invite proposals for workshops to be held in conjunction with Social Capital 2026. We welcome submissions from academics, practitioners, policymakers, community leaders, and others with relevant expertise or experience.

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