THE AMBASSADORS
Special Peace Issue
PROFILE

Volume 2, Issue 1
January 1999

 

How to be a peacekeeper?

The LesterB. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Training Centre Le centre canadien international Lester B. Pearson pour la formation en maintien de la paix       Mr. Alex Morrison, President

The Lester B. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Training Centre is located in Clementsport, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The end of the Cold War and the decade of events since, have contributed new and unprecedented uncertainties to the field of international peace, security and stability. Each state, each government, and a myriad of non-governmental and other organizations are attempting to deal with these challenges in innovative ways. To that end, in February 1994 the Government of Canada established the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre (PPC), named in honour of Lester B. Pearson, former Prime Minister of Canada and recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for his invention of peacekeeping at the time of the 1956 Suez Crisis. The PPC, funded in part by the Department of National Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, was officially opened in April 1995.

The mission of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre is to support and enhance the Canadian contribution to international peace, security, and stability through the provision of quality research, education and training in all aspects of peacekeeping. It serves the New Peacekeeping Partnership by providing national and international course participants with the opportunity to examine specific peacekeeping issues, and to update or share their knowledge of the latest peacekeeping practices. The New Peacekeeping Partnership is defined as:

Actions designed to enhance international peace, security and stability which are authorized by competent national and international organizations and which are undertaken co-operatively and individually by military, humanitarian, good governance, civilian police and other interested agencies and groups.

The PPC conducts roundtables, research, seminars, and courses, and produces a number of publications each year. All are attended by Canadian and international military and civilian participants. Programs are presented in English and selected courses are also offered in French and Spanish. Off-campus activities in Canada and abroad are conducted by mobile training teams.

Some of the current activities of the PPC include:

• Courses: The PPC offers an extensive range of formal courses ranging from a general survey through those delving into various technical aspects of peacekeeping, and courses custom crafted for one or more specific peacekeeping disciplines. In addition to the standard two-week courses, there is offered a four-week Issues in Modern Peacekeeping: The Advance Course as the PPC's flagship program. Each course is eligible for academic credit at Canadian and other Universities.

• Round Tables: The PPC periodically convenes special conferences known as "round tables" to explore new leading edge issues in modern peacekeeping. The records of discussions of participants form the published proceedings of such conferences.

• Seminars: The Centre frequently sponsors seminars in which subject experts are able to present the results of new and original research to an international audience representing the New Peacekeeping Partnership. Seminars are conducted either exclusively by the PPC or in conjunction with other agencies involved in various aspects of peacekeeping.

• Custom Development: In addition to its scheduled activities, the PPC has the ability to respond quickly to requests for specialised research or customised training programs in all areas related to peacekeeping.

• Elderhostel: The PPC conducts a number of Elderhostel programs which is a week long introduction to peacekeeping and the issues surrounding it for retirees who want to move beyond the headlines and gain an authoritative understanding of the UN and peacekeeping.

• External Education and Training: The PPC conducts a number of external activities for various nations and organization. These courses have been brought to countries such as Jamaica, Argentina, Japan, Italy, England. Inside Canada, the RCMP, Canadian Forces and various academic and governmental institutions have on site instruction from the PPC and its faculty.

• Research: In order to maintain its position at the forefront of peacekeeping studies, the PPC sponsors and conducts a wide range of activities including field research, interview programs involving peacekeepers in-theatre and archival study. Research may be published or used internally in the development of other programs. We also welcome researchers under our Visiting Scholar Program. Researchers in any peacekeeping-related discipline can also arrange for direct or virtual access to the PPC's archives.

The Centre also assists Canadian Forces Commanders in the conduct of the peacekeeping portions of major national and international joint exercises, and the PPC team plays the role of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and other civilian roles for high-level peacekeeping exercises conducted by various major NATO headquarters.

In addition, we have developed an interactive role-playing exercise entitled Canada in a Dangerous World, which has been conducted in several high schools and at the university level in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

• The Canadian Peacekeeping Press: The Canadian Peacekeeping Press, the publishing arm of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre has the mandate of publishing books, booklets, periodicals, annual reports, and other informative materials on all aspects of peacekeeping.

• Internship Program: The Internship Program is an important part of the life of the PPC and provides both the Centre and the interns with a unique and worthwhile experience. The program is intended to provide university students and recent graduates, with an interest in peacekeeping and international affairs, with work experience and greater exposure to the activities of the PPC and peacekeeping generally. It provides the PPC with the enthusiasm and work ethic that recent graduates can bring to an office environment. Interns also bring valuable research skills from their places of study.

Internships may be requested and granted for periods lasting from four to eight months. While at the PPC, Interns receive an honorarium, a one-time travel reimbursement, as well as on-site meals and accommodations.

For further information about the centre, its courses or the intership program, or if interesting in utilizing its resources, please contact Mr. Alex Morrison, President of PPC, by email or through the other means listed below.

ambassadors@sprint.ca

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