Managing Communications

Right: Lt. General Ervin Rokke (right), NDU president and Institute board member, introduces panelists.

New information technologies and communications procedures can help reduce the cost of complex humanitarian emergencies and increase their effectiveness, says Richard H. Solomon, president of the U.S. Institute of Peace. As a result, they help save more lives. "The challenge for government agencies, the military, and aid organizations is to standardize their equipment and procedures for communications interoperability in the field and to share information to their mutual benefit," Solomon says. "This includes joint planning and staff training. Increased efficiency through more effective communication can have a dramatic impact on the success of these operations."

Solomon spoke at an Institute conference entitled "Managing Communication: Lessons from Interventions in Africa," held June 20 at the National Defense University (NDU). The event was sponsored jointly with NDU.

Lt. Gen. Ervin Rokke, NDU president and Institute of Peace board member, noted in his opening remarks that international crises of the post-Cold War world call for a new kind of cooperation among a broad range of military and civilian organizations. "Personnel participating in these joint operations share a high level of dedication to achieving the same goals. Yet the differences in their professional cultures, the lack of familiarity with each other's methods, and imperfect communications in the field can lead to misunderstandings or poor coordination of effort and handicap these operations." Conference participants agreed on the types of problems they face in the field; however, they said they are optimistic that new telecommunications technologies can be adapted to meet communications needs, and thus can improve the possibilities for cooperation.

Peacekeeping Operations in Africa

The conference was part of the Institute's initiative on "Virtual Diplomacy," which will further explore the role of information technologies in preventing, managing, and resolving international conflict at a spring 1997 conference. (Please watch future issues of Peace Watch for details.) About 200 representatives of civilian and military agencies, international and nongovernmental organizations, and foreign governments involved in humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping efforts attended the event, which was organized by Sheryl Brown, director of the Institute's Office of Communications, Margarita Studemeister, director of the Jeannette Rankin Library Program, and Bob Schmitt, information systems manager.

Far Left: Elizabeth Mulbah of the Christian Health Association of Liberia.
Left: Maj. Gen. Romeo Dallaire of the Canadian Army talks with a conference participant.

The conference included two panel discussions. The first panel--moderated by Robert Oakley, former U.S. special envoy to Somalia--examined how peacekeeping forces established and maintained communications in Somalia, Rwanda, and Liberia. The second panel--moderated by H. Roy Williams, vice president of the International Rescue Committee--discussed how nongovernmental, private volunteer, and international organizations exchanged information between themselves and peacekeeping forces. Small group discussions at the end of the conference explored the kinds of agreements that need to be in place for the various actors to routinely integrate improved practices into their preparations and field operations. They also focused on ways to improve information sharing among the actors.

Flexibility and Trust Are Key

Lt. Gen. Anthony Zinni, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, noted that there is a "true clash of cultures" among the many actors involved in peacekeeping operations. The various groups are working to improve communications among themselves, but they have different views on how that should take place. Zinni stressed that whatever types of agreements are reached, flexibility remains key to the success of any operation.

Many speakers said the communities involved in humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations have been learning from each operation, and coordination has improved dramatically. Robert McPherson, a former Marine Corps officer and deputy director of the Civil Military Operations Center during Operation Restore Hope, said, "My worst day in Bosnia was ten times better than my best day in Somalia." Though new technologies may further improve such operations, a more pressing need is to establish and maintain an environment of trust among the actors, participants agreed. Further, operations need a reliable communications center that serves as an information clearinghouse, as well as clear procedures that would allow any individual to step in and operate effectively.

Further Information

Further information about the conference is available on the World Wide Web at: /june20.html. You can find more information on the Virtual Diplomacy project at /virtualdiplomacy/index.html.

© 1996 United States Institute of Peace