Most wars don't end with a peace deal

+ the Easter Bunny's pagan roots US Edition - Today's top story: Why do peace talks fail? A negotiation expert answers 5 questions about the slim chances for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 April 2022 [The Conversation]( When I first spoke with peacebuilding and conflict resolution scholar Andrew Blum at the end of March, we discussed writing about how peace talks work. Ukraine and Russia had been holding peace negotiations, and it seemed reasonable to think they might hatch a deal to end the war. Since then, the violence has only worsened and grown uglier, amid reports of Russian soldiers raping women and systematically murdering civilians. Currently, the prospect of peace seems very far away. But understanding how peace talks work – and why they fail – remains useful when thinking about why the two countries are still fighting, and what it might take to end the war. We asked Blum five key questions to help explain peace talks. “Negotiators must sit across from those they believe have killed their sons and daughters," [Blum writes](. "This means that there must be compelling, strategic reasons to negotiate.” Also today: - [Parsing the mixed results of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm]( - [When school police do more harm than good]( - [Why news media aren’t naming shooting suspects]( Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor Peace activists demonstrate outside the European Commission building on March 22, 2022, in Brussels. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images [Why do peace talks fail? A negotiation expert answers 5 questions about the slim chances for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine]( Andrew Blum, University of San Diego Russia and Ukraine have held several rounds of failed peace talks. Understanding the challenges to successful peace talks helps illuminate the struggle for peace in Eastern Europe. Ethics + Religion - [Sacred hares, banished winter witches and pagan worship - the roots of Easter Bunny traditions are ancient]( Tok Thompson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences A folklorist explains the prehistoric origins of the mythical Easter Bunny and why this longstanding cultural symbol keeps returning each spring. - [What is the Sikh festival of Baisakhi and why is it so sacred?]( Simranjit Khalsa, University of Memphis Originally a spring harvest festival, Baisakhi acquired religious significance after the10th Sikh guru created the Khalsa, a distinctive Sikh identity, on this day. Arts + Culture - [Jackie Robinson was a radical – don’t listen to the sanitized version of history]( Peter Dreier, Occidental College Years before Colin Kaepernick was born, Robinson wrote, ‘I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a Black man in a white world.’ Economy + Business - [Corporate do-gooder efforts can boost sales as long as they’re tied to corporate harm]( Dionne A Nickerson, Indiana University Research regarding corporate social responsibility actions detected a pattern in terms of the benefits for brands. Politics + Society - [What’s next for Pakistan after Imran Khan’s ouster?]( Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University The former prime minister was forced from office by a vote of no confidence. But that doesn’t mean the political drama is over, an expert on Pakistani politics explains. - [News media heeding call to limit naming perpetrators in mass shootings]( Thomas J. Hrach, University of Memphis The more deaths there were, the more news reports used the perpetrator’s name. But something changed in 2012. The Brooklyn subway shooting may be an exception. Health + Medicine - [The FDA approved a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s, but Medicare won’t always pay for it – a doctor explains what researchers know about Biogen’s Aduhelm]( Andrew Williams, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Although Medicare has agreed to pay for Aduhelm, its coverage comes with restrictions. Environment + Energy - [The information age is starting to transform fishing worldwide]( Nicholas P. Sullivan, Tufts University One of the oldest industries, fishing, is entering the world of advanced analytics and data-driven planning. With oceans under stress and key fish stocks dwindling, can precision fishing help? Education - [Police presence on school grounds poses potential risks to kids]( Elizabeth K. Anthony, Arizona State University School districts across the nation are wrestling with whether to have police officers on school grounds. Science + Technology - [A decade of science and trillions of collisions show the W boson is more massive than expected - a physicist on the team explains what it means for the Standard Model]( John Conway, University of California, Davis A decadelong experiment produced the most accurate measurement yet of the mass of W bosons. These particles are responsible for the weak force, and the result is more evidence for undiscovered physics. Trending on site - [Fishing, strip clubs and golf: How male-focused networking in medicine blocks female colleagues from top jobs]( - [Archaeological site along the Nile opens a window on the Nubian civilization that flourished in ancient Sudan]( - [Russian ruble’s recovery masks disruptive impact of West’s sanctions – but it won’t make Putin seek peace]( Today's graphic [A bar graph showing the top factors identified by interviewees as important for flourishing, by percent of interviewees who mentioned each.]( From the story, [Psychological tips aren’t enough – policies need to address structural inequities so everyone can flourish]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? 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