Background In the summer of 1992 the forerunner of the Program on Peacekeeping Policy applied to the emerging field of Peacekeeping, the tools of analysis which are used in the US Military. During this application it became clear that there were great gaps in the underlying understanding of Peacekeeping and Peace Operations. As a result of these efforts George Mason University began a Project on Multinational Command and Control in Peacekeeping Operations. In Mid 1994, Ambassador Walter Stadtler became Director of the Program. The work of the Project advanced and The Program on Peacekeeping Policy (POPP) was born. POPP is advancing knowledge about Peace Operations and the interplay of all the various stakeholders in a Peace Operation. Our work is heavily influenced by the Program's associate in Canada, The Lester B. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and its Director Alex Morrison. The Pearson Peacekeeping Centre's concept of the New Peacekeeping Partnership forms a major part of the Program's education curricula.
POPP has four interwoven threads: Education, Research, Applications,
and Outreach. Each thread forms an integral part of the Program's
effort and together they form the Program on Peacekeeping Policy.
A two semester course in Peace Operations is conducted each year. This course covers the elements of a Peace Operation, modeled on a United Nations mission, during the first semester in a theoretical approach. The second semester of this course is directed at covering the pragmatic activities that are required for a mission to operate. Selected students are given the opportunity to participate with the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre's visits to existing Peace Operations. Several students have taken advantage of this opportunity and visited the United Nations Mission In Haiti (UNMIH) with the Pearson Peacekeeping Management Command and Staff Course. Additional courses are offered when required. Courses have included two Doctoral Seminars. The first in 1995 - 1996 was on Conceptual Modeling of Humanitarian Activities. The second in 1996 - 1997 is being presented on the Economics of Peacekeeping. The Economics of Peacekeeping is being offered in two semesters. The first examines the elements of cost of a Peace Operation, and follows with the economic impact of the Peace Operation on the conflict itself. At the end of each semester, selected students have been invited by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations to travel to New York and present their research. More than fifteen papers have been presented in New York by students in the Program. All these courses are team taught by the members of the Program and distinguished guest lecturers. Course material is constantly updated based on the research of the Program, and students in the course are actively engaged in the research and applications of the Program. Although the Program does not offer a specific degree, it participates on academic committees for both the Institute of Public Policy (TIPP) and the Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) at the Masters and Doctoral levels, as well directing courses of study for the Master's of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS). POPP has recently completed a series of six round tables. These round tables, attended by senior civilian and military professionals, formed the basis for research which has been documented in a book published by the National Defense University Press: Contemporary Peace Operations: Evolving Concepts, Issues and Policy. The book by Jim Narel and Dave Davis presents the results of these six sessions and documents the emerging Conceptual Model of Peace Operations or CMPO. Original research into analysis of Peace Operations has resulted in applications of Bayesian Network and Decision Theory to Peacekeeping, as well as the research into conceptual modeling of these international operations. From command and control issues in Cyprus to the implementation of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia, the Program has participated in research field trips for the purpose of further defining the elements of Peace Operations. A major research tool used by the Program is the CMPO. The CMPO is a System's Engineering Informational Domain Model of Peace Operations. The model explains Peace Operations in terms of Peace Making - the work of the Diplomat and Conflict Resolution professional - Peace Building - the work of Humanitarians, Human Rights Activists, Educators in Governance and others - and Peace Support - the work of militaries, police and security personnel. This model and its derivatives are used throughout the Programs activities. Project applications on Peace Operations include: Peace Operations Task Analysis; Conceptual Modeling; Command, Control and Decision Analysis; Metrics of Performance in Peace Operations; Military and Civilian Leadership in UN Operations; Peace processes in Liberia; The application of computer information systems to conflict resolution; Conflict Resolution Training for the Haitian National Police; and other, widely distributed aspects of Peace Operations.
The remaining thread of the POPP is in outreach. The popular understanding of Peacekeeping and Peace Operations is flawed. The Program has taken on the responsibility of talking to groups, or individuals, about the realities of Peacekeeping and the involvement of international and national agencies. This outreach has covered talks in Colorado, Virginia, New York, California, London, Malta, and more. The Program believes that it is necessary to share the results of its research with the public, as well as with students and fellow researchers. The Program also supports the Cornwallis Group: Analysis for and of the Resolution of Conflict. This is a multi-disciplinary group dedicated to the advancement of analysis in support of Conflict Resolution and the complex problems of Peace Operations. The Program on Peacekeeping Policy can be contacted via email to ddavis@gmu.edu;, phone: (703) 993-4403, fax: (703) 993-1574, or post:
Professor D.F. Davis
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