Communication in civil-military cooperation

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) units have become more frequently involved in peace support operations (PSOs). Moreover, they have become more deeply engaged with peoples of different national and organizational cultures. These multicultural peacekeeping environments are rife with communication difficulties. Coordination and cooperation between numerous actors present in the field such as International Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, media, local authorities, tribal leaders and other individuals, has proved to be very challenging. Moreover, considering the nature of contemporary international interventions, any CIMIC staff is required to adapt to a wide range of new, non-military skills which would constitute a necessary "toolbox." Culturally sensitive communications such as negotiation and media interactions are vital to effective coordination and cooperation in modern peacekeeping. Thus, CIMIC officers must know how to deal with the media; how, despite enormous cultural diversity, to successfully conduct their jobs; how to work efficiently with interpreters; and finally, how to resolve local conflicts using negotiations. Besides defining these new phenomena influencing CIMIC activities in PSOs, this thesis provides suggestions or basic universal guidelines for soldiers, especially for those acting at the tactical level. At the same time, the thesis should draw the attention of those people responsible for creating and executing the entire pre-deployment training for CIMIC soldiers who are going to be working abroad. The suggestions presented in this thesis will meet current needs for training.