From 26 February to 8 March 2018, Sonja Nietz M.A., went on a field trip to Bamako. On behalf of the Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation she is currently writing a study on the role of traditional civil conflict management in Mali. The study aims to determine actors and processes and to question, how they can contribute to the improvement of the political and security crisis since 2012 (possibilities, limits and perspectives). Interviews focused mainly on persons who can be regarded as representatives of certain societal groups relevant to the reconciliation discourse – traditional authorities, regional non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and academics. The field research gave deep insights into the importance of long existing grass-roots approaches for consensus-building in Malian society, especially the use of joking relationships, intermediaries, associations and the tradition of palaver (open dialogue).