The military and the civil population in peace missions: introducing a cultural approach in the armed forces’ operations abroad

Public Event July, 2, 2010

Madrid, Instituto Universitario “General Gutiérrez Mellado”

In July 2009 CITpax organised a first workshop with the participation of experts in international affairs, security and defence, to analyse the importance of cross-cultural awareness in the resolution of international conflicts.

The name of this first workshop was “The Military and the Civil Population in Peace Missions: Introducing a Cultural Approach in the Armed Forces’ Operations Abroad” and it was organized with the crucial support of the Spanish Institute of Strategic Studies (IEEE) and with the collaboration of the European Commission and European Parliament Permanent Representation in Spain. One fundamental conclusion drawn from that seminar was that cultural knowledge and competence is a crucial asset for the military forces deployed to distant scenarios.

Cross-cultural awareness has to be taken into account when planning and implementing military and civilian interventions in settings where international peace and security is at stake. Cross-cultural awareness will bring the military and the civilians on the ground closer to those people who they ultimately want to protect.

Cultural knowledge and competence is a crucial asset for the military forces deployed to distant scenarios.

To go more in depth in the analyisis of the concept of cross-cultural awareness, we have organized a second workshop in which the goal is to examine the problems and opportunities arising from the application of the concept in a concrete scenario: Afghanistan. After the new strategy of the allied forces in Afghanistan has beed laid down, it is a good moment to study the role of cross-cultural awareness in the new framework where the focus has shifted to the protection of the local population.

This second workshop was sponsored by IEEE and has the support of the University Institute “General Gutiérrez Mellado”. CITpax also recognises the crucial contribution made by UTRAFAS and MADOC to this project, both institutions are leading in Spain the work on cultural awareness in assymmetric conflicts within the framework of the Multinational Experiment 6. The tentative results obtained in this framework was presented at the workshop.

Sponsored by:

Spanish Institute of Strategic Studies

 In collaboration with:

Instituto Universitario General Gutiérrez Mellado

See Also

Civil and military cooperation in situations of conflict

Policy Fora February, 10, 2005

Other Areas
Crisis Management and Peacebuilding
The project arose out of a seminar in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, which brought together experts in peace maintenance operations to analyse the essential collaboration work between the armed forces and civil authorities. In particular, the cases of Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq were discussed. At the end of the seminar, an evaluation session was held which included thoughts on civil and military cooperation ideas in Spain and the reforms needed.Read more

The military and the civil population in peace missions: introducing a cultural approach in the armed forces’ operations abroad

Public Event June, 17, 2009

Other Areas
Crisis Management and Peacebuilding
Madrid, European Commission Delegation in Spain A group of experts in international relations, security and defence affairs, met at the European Commission Permanent Representation in Madrid, to analyse jointly the specific problems arising from the interaction between the militaries and the civilian staff in peacekeeping missions and the civilian population in conflict theatres. Thus the seminar explored how a cultural approach may be introduced or enhanced during the planning and implementation of peacekeeping missions. This exercise starts off from the evidence that ‘a bad relationship...Read more