Peacekeeping Strategies Essay

Peacekeeping: Strategies and Organizational Techniques

Peacekeeping is indeed a nuanced and complex process, one which is characterized by intensive strategy and concerted navigation in the murky path from conflict to peace. One of the most powerful entities in the world which specializes in peacekeeping is the United Nations and has proven to the global community that peacekeeping has a range of strengths and advantages "including legitimacy, burden sharing, and an ability to deploy and sustain troops and police from around the globe, integrating them with civilian peacekeepers to advance multidimensional mandates" (un.org). Some of the most intensive peacekeeping efforts are the ones which are marked by political and peacebuilding support, allowing nations to make a smooth transition from conflict to peace. While UN peacekeeping is marked by things like consent, impartiality, and non-use of force aside from self-defense, this paper is going to look at how four basic concepts guide the most effective peace-keeping efforts: self-reliance, lead member state concept, force logistic support group concept, and civilian support concept.

Self-reliance is so crucial to peace-keeping because it allows individuals to navigate their present and future with a higher degree of autonomy. This ability is so vital to a health individual and collective consciousness, that it simply cannot be overlooked. Peacekeeping efforts which are aware of this and which seek to elevate individuals within communities are generally more successful. These are peacekeeping efforts which focus in employment-intensive projects to strengthen infrastructure, increase primary production and help in reviving local markets to foster local skills and capacities (ilo.org, 2011).With employment comes a reduction of fragility in a situation and an increase in development. These are all the ramifications of creating situations where self-reliance is able to thrive. As one expert, Paul Crook explains the connection between employment and self-reliance: "Decent jobs matter in crisis. This is a powerful, tested rope that pulls people and societies out of conflict and sets them on a sustainable path of development. Decent and stable jobs offer crisis-affected people not only income, but also freedom, security, dignity, self-esteem, hope, and a stake in the reconciliation and reconstruction of their communities" (ilo.org, 2011). Thus, one can see that there's a strong and undeniable connection between self-reliance and the construction of strong communities.

On the other hand, the concept of a lead member state is essentially a "big brother" in the world of international relations. This is a developed conflict-free nation which establishes a strong presence in the present and future of a nation in need and is able to provide crucial support. Often this support is given by leading through example, or through sage guidance. A lead member state can truly have a powerful impact on ridding a nation from conflict: this….....