NGO Working Group set up: Role for civil society to play in ‘Peace Operations’

The complexity of modern conflicts such as the ongoing struggle in Afghanistan defies easy categorization as ‘peacekeeping.’ The term ‘peace operations’ has emerged as a catch-all term to describe the various activities international actors undertake to bring stability to war-torn countries. To many, these undertakings are remote, the workings of high-level government and military policy. The reality is that there is a role for civil society to play, whether through advocacy, informing debate, research, or actual participation in missions. 

WFM–Canada and the Canadian Peacebuilding Coordination Committee, a NGO umbrella organization, have established the Peace Operations Working Group (POWG) to better support Canadian civil society participation. The working group provides a platform for research and for NGO-government dialogue on peace operations and peace operations policy. The POWG encourages governments to increase coherence in peace operations among their government, military, and civilian participants. The working group also serves as an information and resource point for civil society and the media.  

Currently the POWG’s main focus is the Peace Operations Monitor (POM), a web-based resource that provides an independent source of information on the mandates, multifaceted composition, structures, performance, and challenges of UN and other peace operations. It draws on publicly available data from UN, national government, military, media, and NGO sources on military deployments and humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding activities to reveal a more comprehensive picture of selected international peace operations.  The site also addresses mission-specific issues, such as opium in Afghanistan.  The first pilot phase of the project (Afghanistan) is online and being updated regularly.  See http://www.peacebuild.ca/powg/POM/.

The POWG has recently hired Dave Peabody as coordinator.  New to Ottawa, Dave graduated from the University of Calgary in 2005 with a master’s degree in Military and Strategic Studies. His research focus was on Canadian Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) units and their activities in peace operations. His duties currently include leading the research and fundraising for the Peace Operations Monitor website, drafting a monthly newsletter for the POWG, and assisting in arranging speaking and other events. 

The Peace Operations Working Group website is at: http://www.peacebuild.ca/powg/.