Pick one: In a 2-3 page paper, research and report back to the class on 1 of 5 emerging issues in Peacekeeping:

1. Research Project/Pick One: Emerging Issues

Assignment Instructions

1. The economic impact of PKOs (during and after intervention);
2. Privatizing Peacekeeping;
3. The role of gender in peacekeeping;
4. The role of NATO and non-governmental actors (NGOs) in peacekeeping and peace support operations; or
5. The evolving role, responsibilities and options of the US in Peacekeeping
Save all of your work (including responses to other students) in a single Word file, upload into the assignment folder, and submit for grading. Be sure to cite your sources appropriately!

2.Simulation Exercise: Gaza

Assignment Instructions

You have been invited to participate in a meeting called by the United Nations for UN Security Council member states to engage in a strategic assessment of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which continues to threaten regional and international stability. Please begin by identifying the UN Security Council member state you represent, as well as your country’s position, interests, needs, and values with respect to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Countries will be selected on a first come first serve basis with no duplications. Your introduction should be made by Tuesday of Week 5.

Once you have introduced yourselves, the tasks facing the simulation participants is to assess the situation in Gaza and to discuss a potential UN Peacekeeping Operation. As representatives of UN Security Council member states, each student should complete the following steps (in this order):

1. conduct a system-wide analysis of the situation, assessing the overall security of Gaza:
a. political issues,
b. humanitarian (life saving) needs,
c. human rights violations, and
d. the military situation.
2. propose a conflict resolution and peace-building intervention, describing
a. who will actually provide the intervention,
b. what its goals will be, and
c. how to best deal with the situation on the ground; and
3. identify strategies for obtaining the consent of the parties.

For ease of reference, I recommend posting this work in bulleted or outline form rather than in paragraph form. These three tasks should be completed and posted to the Forum no later than midnight on Friday. At a minimum, students should prepare for the simulation byresearching recent developments in Gaza through the UN website, the U.S. Dept. of State Background Notes, The World News Network, Associated Press, or Reuters.

Once participants’ ideas are on the table, they are expected to debate the merits and build consensus on the proposed interventions, by identifying the recommendations made by other participants that they can live with or cannot live with and by fine-tuning or re-defining recommendations on the table so they are palatable to everyone involved. This is a fast moving and time consuming assignment, so begin early in the week. Students will have until midnight on Sunday of Week 5 to try to come to an agreement on the best course of action for a UN intervention.

In week 6, students will complete a 3-5 page paper sharing their reflections on the simulation experience and describing the benefits and limitations of UN interventions. Students must support the analysis in their paper with research from academic and other credible sources. The paper should include:

1. An introduction that explains the purpose of the paper and the importance of the topic;
2. A discussion of the strategic assessment process and its role in a successful intervention;
3. A discussion of planning considerations in peacekeeping operations;
4. A discussion of the benefits and limitations of UN interventions; and
5. A summation that draws general conclusions about the topic and the simulation experience.

3.Design a PKO

Assignment Instructions

For the Final Paper, students will design their own peacekeeping operation. Students should choose an existing international or intra-state conflict for which there is not currently a UN peacekeeping operation assigned OR design an alternative peacekeeping operation that differs significantly from an existing UN peacekeeping operation.. Please note that the conflict from our simulation is not an option. Students will develop their own multi-dimensional UN peacekeeping operation for their chosen conflicts using the Integrated Mission Planning Process. This operation must involve at least two humanitarian, two security, and two development tasks. In a 5-7 page paper, students will complete the following planning steps:

1. Background information on conflict (very brief);
2. A statement that identifies the mandate;
3. Define the six tasks and identify techniques/methods for achieving them;
4. Discuss the concept of operations, mission planning, the chain of command, force structure, considerations for the unity, security, and cohesion of the force, training and equipment, risk assessment, potential threats to success, and strategy and timeline for deployment;
5. Discuss Basic Principles (strategies for obtaining consent, maintaining impartiality, and non-use/use of force)
6. Discuss strategies and timeline for transition and exit.

Post a brief summary of your peacekeeping operation on the corresponding Forum by Thursday of Week 8 and respond to at least two other students’ postings by Sunday of Week 8. The final paper should be saved as a Word file, uploaded into the assignment sheet and submitted for grading by Sunday of Week 8. Be sure to cite your sources appropriately!