4. 4. 2022 | EUCTI, PR
Last week Centre for European Perspective (CEP)’s digital communications team successfully conducted the 3-day Digital Communications in Civilian Crisis Management training in Georgia as a part of the EU Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI). The second module of the training took place in a residential format, in Tbilisi. After last year’s online first module both trainers and participants enjoyed live sessions and face-to-face feedback.
Participants, 11 of them, came from European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and from the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia. With the help of top experts in the field, they honed their skills in smartphone videography and photography, storytelling, and building infographics. They strengthened their rhetoric skills and learned what it takes to work in the era of influencer marketing. Last but not least, they familiarized themselves with the open-source tools for information verification.
Participants, or digital communicators as they can be called now, described the training as very useful and relevant. Practical elements such as hands-on work with modern video and photo equipment, interactive workshops, and the final simulation contributed greatly to the success of the training.
We remain optimistic that this training will inspire the participants to explore the world around them and share their findings with the rest of us. We wish to thank the participants and experts, who worked tirelessly alongside us for their dedication and valuable input throughout the course.
30. 3. 2022 | POTC, PR
Along with organizing and conducting training courses, Peace Operations Training Centre’s (POTC) regular activities also include monitoring trends in demand for new training content. We identified a number of potential new topics and have consulted national, European, and UN institutions on the most urgent and relevant training needs. We decided to develop a new comprehensive training on the protection of civilians (PoC) after consulting a number of stakeholders.
According to the Security Council Report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, armed conflict is continuously accompanied by high levels of civilian death, injury and psychological trauma, sexual violence, torture, and disappearance, as well as damaged and destroyed homes, schools, markets, hospitals and essential civilian infrastructure, such as electrical and water systems. Protection of civilians is a responsibility that includes military, police, and civilian functions within a peacekeeping mission and many missions have a mandate that includes PoC.
Personnel, deployed to peace operations and missions have consistently demonstrated a lack of understanding of their missions’ PoC mandates and the same lack of understanding is applicable to the core PoC tasks. We have hence developed a training format that will equip participants with a basic understanding of the PoC concept and its applications in peace operations and missions.
We are now inviting police and civilian personnel deployed or waiting to be deployed in IOM to our Protection of Civilians Training Course between 19 and 21 April 2022. The participants will address the PoC concept, elaborate on how conflict affects civilians and will identify different types of threats, perpetrators, and protection actors. They will also address the international legal framework on PoC, different tiers and/or operational phases of PoC, vulnerable groups, and special mechanisms for their protection. Check out the training program for more information.
Fill out the registration form to apply for participation before 12 April or contact [email protected] for any additional information on the new training.
24. 3. 2022 | POTC, PR
The Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC) has successfully concluded the Gender Equality and Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Operations Training that took place online from the 21st to the 24th of March 2022.
Participants from several EU countries’ military and police structures have joined trainers from POTC, UN Women, International Committee of the Red Cross, Slovenian Armed Forces, European External Action Service – EEAS, The Slovenian Police and CMC Finland to address gender issues.
We addressed the international legal framework on gender equality with a special focus on EU legislation, the issue of gender concerning human dignity in international operations, and the impact of conflict on gender-related issues. The participants gained insight into concrete situations and issues in experience sharing sessions with experts from the field.
Shared knowledge and skills will enable participants to contribute effectively to sustaining peace by recognizing the experiences and capabilities of women that are contributing to all aspects of peace operations and are vital for building sustainable peace.
As one of the participants put it: “It was a great training on the topic. It’s good that it’s addressed in such context that we really become more conscious.”
24. 3. 2022 | EUCTI, PR
Between 30 March and 1 April 2022 CEP will conduct the second module of the Digital Communications in Civilian Crisis Management training within the scope of the EU Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI). The module will be carried out in a residential format in Georgia. It is designed for the communication experts working in EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia), but also in other international organizations working in the field.
CEP has already delivered the first module of the training in November 2021 in an online format due to the Covid-19 restrictions. According to the participants and trainers, it was a great success. The 3-day long second module, finally happening in person, will strengthen the participants’ already gained knowledge and skills and strive to put them into practice.
Lead experts and practitioners in the field of (digital) communication will among other topics talk about the importance of infographics, visual storytelling, and information verification. There will of course be time for a rhetoric session as well. All this nowadays invaluable knowledge will be tested throughout the training course while participants can also look forward to the grand finale – a simulation exercise.
(Digital) communication, especially in the civilian crisis management environment, can significantly increase credibility, transparency, public support, and trust in the mission. Consequently, this leads to a higher rate of successfully achieved mission mandates.
CEP is proud to be able to contribute to and support the EUCTI project by delivering tailor-made training based on the needs of in-mission personnel.
17. 3. 2022 | EUPCST, PR
Between 14 and 16 March, the members of the EUPCST Evaluation Committee, chaired by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), met in Lisbon, Portugal. Meeting was held at the premises of the National Republican Guard (GNR), national gendarmerie of Portugal.
The main goal of the Evaluation Committee was to gather abundant experience of the GNR in evaluating Comprehensive Live Exercises (CLEs). These exercises intend to build the capacity of police and gendarmerie officers and units who will be fulfilling their roles in international missions. As EUPCST includes the civilian perspective as well, one of the open questions of the meeting was also to find ways to incorporate and integrate civilian and police aspects into one exercise.
Conducting and evaluating such complex exercises that include a big number of participants is both rewarding and challenging. Organizers have an important job of creating intense, realistic and inclusive exercise scenarios, evaluators on the other hand need to be always omnipresent. But the gained knowledge and broad implications for other projects in the fields of peacebuilding, capacity building and civilian crisis management are invaluable.
Covid-19 restrictions limited the scope of EUPCST activities in the previous two years, but the partners are picking up the pace and finishing strong. As the project is nearing its end, there are 26 activities still planned for 2022.
CEP will among other activities continue its important work chairing the Evaluation Committee and will organize a Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) in September. We are already looking forward to learning new skills, broaden our network even more and share our knowledge.
14. 3. 2022 | EUCTI, PR
Last week, on 10 March, European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI) Secretariat, located at CEP premises at Jable Castle, hosted the first in-person partner meeting. Representatives from seven partner organizations and a representative of EU structures joined us at Jable for a day of intense discussions on the past, present and future of the project activities.
Besides CEP, representatives of ASPR, Clingendael, CMC and ZIF contributed to the discussion in-person. Representatives of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and Egmont Institute joined the discussion remotely. The Consortium was also joined by one of its steering group members, the representative of European External Action Service, Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI.2).
Head of EUCTI Secretariat, Markko Kallonen, and Head of Peace and Security Programme at CEP, Nina Čepon, opened the meeting. Busy agenda included project updates from partners, working groups developments, brainstorming ideas for 3rd country activities, goals and plans for 2022 training delivery and discussion on the future of the project. In the end many open questions were balanced out by new ideas for the visibility and broadened scope of our project. But most importantly by the reignited commitment of all partners to the success of the project and wish to continue with the important work.
We at CEP are already looking forward to the next partner meeting. Until then we will continue with our activities, with the first one happening soon, in the end of March. More will follow!
