Events

St. John's: Training Needs for Today's Peacekeepers, August 6, 2006

Panelists for Public Dialogue:

  • Trista Grant, PhD Candidate, University of Western Ontario
  • Alex Morrison, MSC, CD, President, Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies
  • Dave Munro, President, Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association
  • Mike O’Brien, Military Historian, Memorial University
  • Emily Schroeder, Project Officer, UNA-Canada, Moderator

Overview of Discussion

The panelists discussed the changing nature of training needs for peacekeepers before and after the cold war and examined specific training requirements for today’s peacekeepers. During the cold war, soldiers received no standardized peacekeeping training beyond general skills. It was not until the beginning of the 1990s, that the need for additional training specifically tailored to peacekeeping was recognized. The new challenges presented by contemporary post-conflict contexts prompted the need for changes in specialized training. The UN, as well as Canada, quickly realized that ideal peacekeepers, apart from their training as soldiers, required training in the art of negotiation and needed to acquire a greater understanding of such issues as the rules of engagement, civilian-military cooperation, cultural sensitivity (including local customs and languages), and humanitarian operations. As a result, the approach to training is now ‘multi-pronged,’ based on both hands-on experiences and lectures. One concern, however, is that training remains ad hoc and hard to tailor to specific environments, especially considering the unpredictability of today’s conflicts.

Sample of Recommendations

  • Training requirements should focus on increasing cooperation between a multiplicity of actors.
  • Training should be considered for civilian peacekeepers to build standardized skill sets.
  • Canada should nurture and maintain the peacekeeping expertise it has accumulated over the years, by developing further joint simulations and exercises with other countries.
  • Due to Canada’s strong training expertise, is uniquely placed to build capacity abroad, particularly as the African Union becomes more involved in peacekeeping missions in Africa.

Media Coverage

The event received an attendance of approximately 40 members from the general public, made up of students, veterans, civil society, media and Canadians with general interest in the issue. The media also covered the event through three newspaper articles: