Foreword

BRINGING LASTING PEACE and stability to regions devastated by violent conflict is a daunting and urgent task. Equally important is facilitating cooperation among the diverse institutions involved in peace, stability, and relief operations.

In discussing international interventions, terms go in and out of fashion, but, as I write these words (April 2007), what are referred to as "stability operations" are under way in Iraq and Afghanistan, societies still embroiled in violent conflict. Elsewhere, peace operations are carried out in situations where, for the most part, the violent phase of conflict is over. In these cases-as well as in instances of natural devastation, such as the Asian tsunami-the common challenge is to help people whose lives and societies have been devastated to build a firm foundation for stable peace. To accomplish this goal, international organizations must work together in ways that maximize their respective strengths, allowing each to retain individuality and initiative, while finding a unity of purpose based on mutual respect and understanding. Thus, as a basis for these efforts, I am proud to introduce a new Institute volume titled The Guide for Participants in Peace, Stability, and Relief Operations.

The guide introduces the Institute's Framework for Success for Societies Emerging from Conflict. The framework lays out five related objectives, or "end-states," that are mutually reinforcing and essential for success. The framework describes critical leadership responsibilities that are important to achieving these goals. The utility of the framework is its multiparty approach. It is designed to be used by international military officers and civilian officials, as well as local leaders involved in peace, stability, and relief operations.

This volume is a major revision, update, and expansion of the Institute's Guide to IGOs, NGOs, and the Military in Peace and Relief Operations, published in 2000. That volume was the first handbook of its kind, and its many readers have told us how valuable it was in helping members of the international community understand each other better-their missions, their outlooks, and their styles of operations-and thereby facilitating more effective working relationships. To produce the current text, the Institute established a broad-based steering committee that has overseen the process of making the guide as focused, accurate, objective, timely, and user-friendly as possible and widening the scope to include the civilian side of the United States government.

Producing the new guide reflected the same kind of well-coordinated effort that is needed for success in field operations. Robert M. Perito, senior program officer in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at the Institute, formed a steering committee of experts representing the U.S. State Department, the U.S. military, the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations, which worked diligently to ensure that every aspect of the guide accurately reflects the hard-won experience of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was written by practitioners who had first-hand knowledge of not only how things should work, but how they do work, and how to make them work better.

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New Departures in International Operations

In 2005, the U.S. government revamped the organizational structure that handles conflict interventions when President George W. Bush signed National Security Presidential Directive 44, which ordered the State Department to coordinate the activities of other civilian agencies involved in conflict interventions. This responsibility was assigned by the State Department to a new Office for the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. This office and its mission are thoroughly discussed in the guide's new section titled "Civilian Agencies of the U.S. Government," which highlights the expanded role that civilian agencies of the U.S. government play in peace and stability operations.

The military section describes the strengths of the U.S. military and provides a clear, sophisticated explanation of basic characteristics of the military and then explains how these characteristics relate to stability operations. The section on non-governmental organizations highlights the proliferation of these entities and the expanded role they play in providing all types of assistance to people in need.

Also new in this text is recognition of the grim threat of armed attacks and other types of violence directed at all actors in this field. The rise in the number of UN peacekeeper deaths during the past seven years is an example of the increasing danger under which all participants in stability operations are working. In 2002, 52 UN peacekeepers lost their lives on duty. By 2005, the number of deaths more than doubled, as 121 peacekeepers died on mission. All participants in these operations have felt the impact of this increased insecurity on their respective roles and responsibilities-from personnel in NGOs and international organizations to those in military and civilian government agencies. In fact, the mounting danger and complexity of these operations has led to the increasing use of private security firms to protect NGOs and newly formed governmental offices.

Perito and the steering committee carefully describe the UN, the U.S. military, civilian U.S. government agencies, and non-governmental organizations and the roles they play. They did their utmost to keep pace with the developments in this ever-changing field, but this is a race with no finish line. We will be looking into the potential of Web-based updates as a way of addressing the challenge of timely information. But even in this electronic age, there is no substitute for a book-especially a book like this, which can be readily carried and used, whether in the field or the classroom.

It is clear that NGO, IO, military, and civilian government personnel will need to work together ever more closely as the challenges increase in future operations. The successful interaction of not only the key institutions, but more especially the individuals on the ground, can make the difference between the success and failure of an operation. In light of the new dangers and obstacles faced by NGOs, IOs, the military, and government personnel, it is critical that the guide be made available as widely as possible-to those in the field, at the headquarters level, and in the classrooms where new generations of peacebuilders are in training-to ensure that these disparate, yet equally vital, participants in peace, stability, and relief operations know each other and are able to communicate clearly, and operate together effectively.

RICHARD H. SOLOMON, PRESIDENT
UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE

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Profile of USIP

UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE

1200 17th Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036-3011

Phone: +1-202-457-1700
Fax: 202-429-6063
E-mail: usiprequests@usip.org
Internet: www.usip.org  

Peacemaking: A Global Imperative

It is essential that the United States, working with the international community, play an active part in preventing, managing, and resolving threats to international peace. Inter state wars, internal armed conflicts, ethnic and religious strife, religious extremism, terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction all pose significant challenges to security and development throughout the world. The resulting human suffering, destabilization of societies, and threats to security make effective forms of managing conflict imperative. The United States Institute of Peace is dedicated to meeting this imperative in new and innovative ways.

United States Institute of Peace Mission and Goals

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, non-partisan, national institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to help accomplish the following:

  • Prevent and resolve violent conflicts
  • Promote post-conflict stability and development
  • Increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide

The Institute does this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding efforts around the globe.

United States Institute of Peace Programs and Activities

In order to achieve the above goals, the Institute "thinks, acts, teaches, and trains," providing a unique combination of non-partisan research, innovative programs, and hands-on support:

  • Providing on-the-ground support in zones of conflict, most recently in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories, Liberia, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, and Sudan. Specific work performed by Institute staff and grantees includes the following:
    • Mediating among parties in conflict
    • Facilitating interethnic, intersectarian and inter- religious dialogue
    • Promoting the rule of law
    • Helping build civil society
    • Reforming education systems
    • Building conflict management skills through training and workshops
  • Sponsoring a wide range of country-oriented working groups for policymakers in Washington, including groups on Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Korea, Somalia, Sudan.
  • Performing cutting-edge research on the dynamics of conflict and on subjects relevant to policymakers and practitioners.
  • Identifying best practices and developing innovative resources in support of conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict stabilization.
  • Providing practitioner training on conflict management, including mediation and negotiation skills, to government and military personnel, civil-society leaders, and the staff of non-governmental and international organizations.
  • Strengthening secondary school, college, and university curricula and increasing the capacity of future generations to manage conflict.
  • Supporting policymakers in the administration and Congress, as well as in the international community, by providing analyses, policy options, and advice.
  • Educating the public about peacebuilding through events, publications, documentary films, radio programs, and an array of other outreach activities.
Expertise

The United States Institute of Peace draws on a variety of resources in fulfilling its mandate, including Institute staff, grantees, Jennings Randolph Fellows, and a broad set of governmental and non-governmental partners:

  • Institute Specialists. The Institute employs more than seventy specialists with both geographic and subject matter expertise. These experts are leaders in their fields. They come from the government, military, non-governmental organizations, academia, and the private sector.
  • Grants. The Institute invests more than 25 percent of its annual budget in grants to nonprofit, educational, and research organizations worldwide. Its grantmaking process is extremely competitive-only about 10 percent of proposals receive funding.
  • Jennings Randolph Fellows. The Jennings Randolph Program awards Senior Fellowships (in residence) to outstanding scholars, policymakers, practitioners, journalists, and other professionals to conduct research on important issues related to conflict. Since the program's inception, senior fellows have produced more than 125 books and special reports. The Jennings Randolph Program also awards non resident Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowships to students at U.S. universities researching and writing doctoral dissertations related to the Institute's work.

For further information on the United States Institute of Peace, please contact the Office of Public Affairs and Communications by e-mail at info@usip.org, by phone at 202-429-3832, or by visiting the Institute's Web site at www.usip.org

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