Disarmament and Demobilization Course Success in Romania

The Pearson Peacekeeping Centre conducted their key course in
disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) in Romania in
September 2002. The course was delivered at the request of the Department of National Defence (DND) as part of Canada's cooperation with countries in the Balkan region.

The course was co-presented by the Regional Training Centre in
Bucharest. There were 40 participants from throughout the Balkan region, from both civilian and military backgrounds.

The aim of the course, The Hard Road Home: Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants (C-12), was to provide intermediate and senior members of the Peacekeeping Partnership with a broad understanding of issues, processes and contemporary experiences of DDR operations. As a second objective, the programme builds confidence between Balkan countries by giving officials from different countries an opportunity to train together.

The curriculum focused on the legal framework of peace operations, the Peacekeeping Partnership, disarmament & demobilization, assembly areas, weapons management and destruction, security and governance, civil society and reconciliation, social and economic re-integration and vulnerable groups.

The course included a mix of presentations, case studies and an
exercise, 'Hermit Crab'. The exercise component provided
participants with an opportunity to apply their skills in the context of a modern peacekeeping mission. It allowed them to review the sequence of events for demobilization, visualize the movement of soldiers and civilian populations during the demobilization process, estimate the capacity of camps of various sizes and calculate requirements for logistic support of camps.

It also provided an opportunity for participants to identify problems
which might arise within particular locations, detail the layout of the various camps, relate problems to the lessons learned from real missions, discuss possible solutions, and formulate recommendations about settlement and management of camps for various stages of the demobilization process.

Participants also worked on case studies, developing a DDR process suitable for each case, which they then presented for critique to fellow participants and faculty.

Another highly beneficial element of the course was a visit to the
"Civil Protection Unit" where delegates of the Ministry of
Interior demonstrated the destruction of weapons.

The mix of participants demonstrated the multicultural and
multidisciplinary makeup of real-world peace operations. Men and women from Romania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, FYROM and Canada, with backgrounds in government, Foreign Service, military and NGOs helped to enhance the quality and range of debate.

The success of the course was evident in the comment of one of the participants, who said, "This was an excellent opportunity to have a comprehensive view of the DDR process, with good balance between theory and personal experiences."

For more information, please contact:

Kees Steenken
C-12 Course Description

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