02.07.2010

The Military and the Civil Population in Peace Missions: Introducing a Cultural Approach in the Armed Forces’ Operations Abroad

Centro Internacional de Toledo para la paz (CITpax)
C/ Fuenterrabía, 2 (entrada por la Real Fábrica de Tapices)
28014 Madrid, Spain
Phone: +34 9 1523 7452
Fax: +34 9 1524 0067
Email: toledopax@toledopax.org

Link to the organizer

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European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)
Rue Belliard 205, Box 12
B - 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Phone: +32 2 233 3737
Fax: +32 2 233 3738
Email: office@eplo.org

Link to the organizer
URL of event

Conference / Convention

Foreign & Security Policy

Registration required

Nuria Ayarra Burgos
Email: nayarra@toledopax.org

Instituto Universitario “General Gutiérrez Mellado”
Madrid

Spain

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. 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 will be 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. Actually, the tentative results obtained in this framework will be presented at the workshop.