Conference on Civil Military Relations in Complex Humanitarian Crises

摘要

Forging Peace was a three-day working conference on civil-military relations in complex humanitarian crises, co-sponsored by The Marshal Legacy Institute and the National Security Program of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. It was held March 13-15, 1998 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some 80 leaders, policy-makers and operational experts from government, military, academia, non-government (NGO) and international communities drew together in search of ways to improve crisis response mechanisms. Conference goals included the sharing of information, promoting greater understanding of institutional cultures, and developing specific processes and actions that ultimately will make a difference for operators on the ground. The conference achieved its goals, owing to the depth of commitment, knowledge, and experience of the participants. A core group of prominent international leaders helped guide discussions and challenged participants to focus on 'realistic and achievable' solutions. Plenary speakers further encouraged participants and laid the foundation for seven focused working groups. Insightful, well-researched read-ahead papers enabled all working group members to begin their discussions on common ground. Highly experienced and dedicated Chairpersons led each of the working groups, which thoroughly debated specific issues within their operational areas.