Farkhondeh Akbari is a Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) at Monash University. She holds a PhD in Diplomatic Studies from the Australian National University and has published extensively on inclusive peace, diplomatic engagement, and feminist foreign policy. She is co-author of Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan and co-editor of Mapping Futures for Afghanistan (Routledge, 2025). She also leads a grassroots organisation in Afghanistan empowering women, girls, and marginalised communities through education and employment to drive peace and social change.

• Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Theories of Actors in Diplomacy Chapter 3: Theories of Peace Settlements Chapter 4: Diplomatic Actors Framework Chapter 5: Diplomatic Challenges with the Khmer Rouge Chapter 6: Diplomatic Challenges with the Taliban Chapter 7: Conclusion

“Farkhondeh Akbari’s powerful study is indispensable for any diplomats seeking to engage meaningfully with armed non-state actors. Using the sobering cases of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the Taliban in Afghanistan, she demonstrates that unless such groups have a sufficient degree of autonomy, organisational coherence, and representativeness, commitments that they make in peace settlement negotiations may unravel spectacularly, with potentially disastrous effects.”William Maley, Emeritus Professor, The Australian National University

Farkhondeh Akbari is a Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) at Monash University. She holds a PhD in Diplomatic Studies from the Australian National University and has published extensively on inclusive peace, diplomatic engagement, and feminist foreign policy. She is co-author of Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan and co-editor of Mapping Futures for Afghanistan (Routledge, 2025). She also leads a grassroots organisation in Afghanistan empowering women, girls, and marginalised communities through education and employment to drive peace and social change.

• Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Theories of Actors in Diplomacy Chapter 3: Theories of Peace Settlements Chapter 4: Diplomatic Actors Framework Chapter 5: Diplomatic Challenges with the Khmer Rouge Chapter 6: Diplomatic Challenges with the Taliban Chapter 7: Conclusion

“Farkhondeh Akbari’s powerful study is indispensable for any diplomats seeking to engage meaningfully with armed non-state actors. Using the sobering cases of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the Taliban in Afghanistan, she demonstrates that unless such groups have a sufficient degree of autonomy, organisational coherence, and representativeness, commitments that they make in peace settlement negotiations may unravel spectacularly, with potentially disastrous effects.”William Maley, Emeritus Professor, The Australian National University

Farkhondeh Akbari is a Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) at Monash University. She holds a PhD in Diplomatic Studies from the Australian National University and has published extensively on inclusive peace, diplomatic engagement, and feminist foreign policy. She is co-author of Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan and co-editor of Mapping Futures for Afghanistan (Routledge, 2025). She also leads a grassroots organisation in Afghanistan empowering women, girls, and marginalised communities through education and employment to drive peace and social change.

• Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Theories of Actors in Diplomacy Chapter 3: Theories of Peace Settlements Chapter 4: Diplomatic Actors Framework Chapter 5: Diplomatic Challenges with the Khmer Rouge Chapter 6: Diplomatic Challenges with the Taliban Chapter 7: Conclusion

“Farkhondeh Akbari’s powerful study is indispensable for any diplomats seeking to engage meaningfully with armed non-state actors. Using the sobering cases of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the Taliban in Afghanistan, she demonstrates that unless such groups have a sufficient degree of autonomy, organisational coherence, and representativeness, commitments that they make in peace settlement negotiations may unravel spectacularly, with potentially disastrous effects.”William Maley, Emeritus Professor, The Australian National University