Diana Buttu addresses the question of the role of diplomacy in an insecure world, as she discuses her research on the dynamics of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, "Negotiating in the Absence of the Law: Palestine's Refugees and the Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations, 1993-2007". How has the role the United States plays in the peace process changed over that period? What impact have the events of the Arab Spring had on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? What are the sources of the Palestinian petition for recognition by the United Nations? How should the United States respond to these new initiatives?