Mediation, identity construction and legitimacy: Reimagining the Syrian nation through third‐party peacemaking

This article interrogates whether, and if so how, international mediation might shape the identities of conflict parties. I examine stages II Geneva Peace Process, early United Nations (UN)-led efforts in relation to Syrian civil war, by thematically analysing 31 semi-structured interviews, 35 press conferences 68 official documents. argue that mediators parties can reimagine within, response to, mediation. Mediation may form a backdrop processes identity construction, while very occurrence provoke construction. Within case analysed, opposition members community reconstructed vision people, depicting nation as being united suffering. This, contend, was driven perceived need legitimise peace process simultaneously painted parallel hues an attempt their aspirations govern.