# Weak States and Sudden Disasters and Conflicts: The Challenge for Military/NGOs



## 54/102 CEF (1 Sep 2005)

From the Institute for  »Research on Public Policy

As Canada's military engages in the early stages of its mission to Afghanistan, the IRPP is releasing the Honourable David Pratt's keynote address and the final reflections by Kathy L. Brock delivered at its recent conference entitled "Weak States, Sudden Disasters and Conflicts: The Challenge for Military/NGO Relations." 

IRPP Releases Final Papers from Conference on Weak
States, Sudden Disasters and Conflicts
Montreal - The Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP.org) today released the final papers
from its recent conference entitled "Weak States, Sudden Disasters and Conflicts: The Challenge
for Military/NGO Relations." All three presentations are now available on the IRPP's Web site
(www.irpp.org).

 ¨ Major-General Andrew Leslie (Royal Military College) argues that we need to carefully select
areas or countries in which our military, diplomatic and developmental pull benefit us and our
trading partners. "Our current, diffuse tactics are not working very well," says Leslie. He
exlpains that the Canadian Forces "have to think and operate as a single entity with air, land,
and naval assets working as a joint team, both at home and abroad." This "focused military,"
says Leslie, entails "superbly trained and effective 'boots on the ground'" to provide security
and thereby allowing civilian experts to carry-out social reconstruction or humanitarian
assistance activities.

 ¨ Christopher Waddell (Carleton University) examines the crucial role the media plays in
providing first hand independent and balanced information to feed public debate about the role
and actions of NGOs and the military. "Good reporters will always want to go beyond what
they're told to find out more," says Waddell, adding that "they are bound to produce stories the
military and NGOs won't like." But he concludes that the media's role is not to be "cheerleader
for the efforts of NGOs or the military." Their loyalty is to their audience, which expects tough,
realistic and fair reporting.

 ¨ Andrew F. Cooper (Centre for International Governance Innovation and University of
Waterloo) argues that the 3D (Defense, Diplomacy and Development) approach needs to be
complemented by the 3Ns (Niches, Norms and Networks). Using the Zaire intervention as a
case in point, he explains that the 3Ds tend to "focus on the 'how' of the intervention, with
special consideration on the functional organization of the mission." What is also needed is an
understanding of "where," "why" and "with whom" issues, which the 3Ns are said to answer.
"Only when these elements are added can we get a full picture of what should and can be
done to help in situations of sudden disasters in weak states," says Cooper.

The conference, which was held on June 7, 2005, was organized by the IRPP, the Centre for
Managing Security in Transitional Societies, RMCS Cranfield (United Kingdom); the Defence
Management Studies Program and the Public Policy and Third Sector Program at the School of
Policy Studies (Queen's University); the Centre for International Governance Innovation (Waterloo);
and the War Studies Program (Royal Military College of Canada).

CONFERENCE PAPERS ARE HERE http://www.irpp.org/events/archive/0605NGOpap.htm


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