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Religion and security considerations intersect in multiple, complex ways across the globe and thus are consequential for government policy, strategy, and engagement. Seminar participants explored the multi-dimensional context of religion on the world stage, including its role in the phases of conflict, terrorism, peace operations, and development. The course introduced tools for analyzing religious factors, such as faith-inspired actors and institutions in stabilization and reconstruction operations. An enhanced perspective on these mechanisms informed what has largely been a neglected area in U.S. national security policy: how stakeholders can understand and address urgent contemporary security challenges with religious implications. In sum, this workshop was an opportunity to better understand religion as a set of factors that cannot be ignored in both national and world security, and to overcome resistance to engaging in this sensitive topic in national security and foreign policy conversations. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs with support from the Henry R. Luce Initiative on Religion and World Affairs.

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This two day conference convened stakeholders to discuss approaches and share experiences on the challenge that Secretary Gates' call — to focus on building defense institution capacity within partner nations — poses. Policymakers, DIB-related security cooperation providers and practitioners, policy analysts, and representatives of the Combatant Commands and Services examined DIB challenges, identified strategies and approaches, and discussed how to further develop thisevolving issue. This conference served as a launching event for a series of smaller, focused workshops, which will refine approaches and establish best practices for use in the field. The overall program will solicit participant views and suggestions for future development in the conceptual, programming, and implementation arenas.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies and US Department of State's Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization partnered to host an educational program on civil-military interaction for actors, including representatives from US and international nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces, who work in insecure environments around the globe. Working in the Same Space, held March 14-17, 2011, in Monterey, California, convened 44 mid-level and senior practitioners to explore the concept of humanitarian space and how organizations with very different missions and operational methods can engage effectively as they work side-by-side on stabilization and reconstruction programs. Working in the Same Space was designed to help participants increase their understanding of other actors, identify potential opportunities for cooperation and collaboration, and develop strategies to increase their own organizational effectiveness.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies partnered with Dr. Tatsushi Arai of the SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont, to develop and host Building Capacities for Cross-Cultural Communication, which was held in Lansdowne, Virginia, from February 13-17, 2011. The workshop convened 32 representatives from nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, the armed forces, and academia for an in-depth and interactive analysis of critical cultural concepts and current events. Participants used plenary discussions, exercises, art, and two case studies to explore the relationship between culture and conflict and develop innovative approaches for strengthening cross-cultural communication and addressing seemingly intractable conflicts.

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From January 31st to February 3rd, 2011, the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies held an interactive workshop, Agriculture: Promoting Livelihoods in Conflict-Affected Environments, in Monterey, California, that convened 45 experienced agricultural practitioners to discuss strategies for rebuilding broken agriculture sectors in post-conflict societies, sharing best practices and lessons learned. The workshop, which was designed by Dr. John Mellor, Dr. Sophal Ear, and Mrs. Graseilah Coolidge, provided participants with the opportunity to learn from practitioners who had been involved in agricultural redevelopment initiatives in such countries as Afghanistan, Sudan, Timor-Leste, India, and Ethiopia, among others.

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In post-conflict states, actors often implement disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR) programs to strengthen security, assume civilian control of armed forces, and begin reconstructing the state’s fragile security and justice institutions and services. While these programs have historically been implemented separately, actors are now seeing the wisdom and myriad benefits of harmonizing these two efforts. In consultation with several partners, the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies developed and hosted an interactive workshop on this topic, Exploring the DDR-SSR Nexus. The workshop, which was held December 6-9, 2010, in Monterey, California, convened mid-level and senior practitioners who work at both the strategic and operational level on DDR and SSR initiatives globally. The workshop’s 43 participants hailed from 20 different countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, the Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This diverse group of actors also included representatives from United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, academia, and the armed forces who shared strategies and insights for strengthening DDR-SSR linkages through expert presentations, case studies, a role play, and plenary discussions.

About This Event:
The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies and US Department of State's Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization partnered to host an educational program on civil-military interaction for actors, including representatives from US and international nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces, who work in insecure environments around the globe. Working in the Same Space, held November 1-4, 2010, in Monterey, California, convened 41 mid-level and senior practitioners to explore the concept of humanitarian space and how organizations with very different missions and operational methods can engage effectively as they work side-by-side on stabilization and reconstruction programs. Working in the Same Space was designed to help participants increase their understanding of other actors, identify potential opportunities for cooperation and collaboration, and develop strategies to increase their own organizational effectiveness.

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This course, designed by USAID, provides a forum for US military personnel to discuss relationships between USAID, its partners and the US military, enhancing their ability to work collaboratively during humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies of the Naval Postgraduate School, in partnership with the US Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, delivered Building Capacities for Cross- Cultural Communication, a skills-based course on cross-cultural communication emphasizing peace and conflict issues August 15-19, 2010 in Lansdowne, Virginia. Dr. Tatsushi Arai, a leader in the field of cross-cultural training, facilitated the workshop that created an interactive forum for 37 participants spanning 19 different nationalities. All participants brought diverse perspectives as they were carefully selected from applicants representing a wide spectrum of vocations among nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces. Utilizing case studies from Pakistan and Burundi as well as talented guest facilitators Faiysal AliKhan and Azhar Hussain, the course explored real world application of bridging the cross-cultural divide through greater self awareness, exploring deep culture, building cultural fluency, and enhancing professional networks.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies partnered with Dr. TatsushiArai, a leading conflict transformation academic and peaceworker, to develop Approaching Societies in Conflict, held in Monterey, California from May 2-5, 2010. This interactive workshop, which convened 36 experienced stabilization and reconstruction practitioners, was designed to provide participants with the opportunity to discuss the personal and organizational challenges inherent in working in conflict and post-conflict environments, learn new concepts and strategies for helping warring parties move beyond violence, and share best practices and lessons learned from their experiences. Practitioners, who hailed from 11 countries around the globe, have been involved in post-conflict transformation initiatives in countries such as Afghanistan, Colombia, Eritrea, Indonesia, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, SriLanka, and Sudan, among others.

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On March 22-25, 2010, the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies held an interactive workshop, Agriculture: Promoting Livelihoods in Conflict-Affected Environments, in Monterey, California, that convened 44 experienced agricultural practitioners to discuss strategies for rebuilding degraded agriculture sectors in post-conflict societies, sharing best practices and lessons learned. The workshop, which was designed by Dr. John Mellor, Dr. Sophal Ear, and Mr. Jeff Lewis, provided participants with the opportunity to learn from practitioners who had been involved in agricultural redevelopment initiatives in such countries as Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Rwanda, among others.

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Although practitioners have conducted disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) initiatives around the world for nearly three decades, many programs have not achieved desired goals. Among the reasons why: Actors’ narrow eligibility criteria disenfranchised large portions of postconflict countries’ illicit armed forces, including such populations as women, youth, children, and people with disabilities. The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies recently conducted a workshop for experienced DDR actors to discuss emerging trends and best practices, consider lessons learned, and practice designing more inclusive approaches to meet the needs of these previously marginalized populations. An Expansive Approach to Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration, which was held on February 21-26, 2010, convened 42 practitioners from 18 different countries to share insights and strategies.

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From November 17th to 22nd, 2009, the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies (CSRS) held two interactive workshops to explore the topic of humanitarian operations between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and armed forces during international disasters situations. The workshops were facilitated by Mr. William Laspina and Mr. Thomas Frey, both relief professionals with extensive multifaceted experience.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies, US Naval Postgraduate School, and the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, US Department of State presented a short course titled “Working in the Same Space” in Monterey, California, October 26 – 29, 2009.

The course emphasized inter-agency, cross-community understanding and communication skills that focus on ways in which government civilian agencies, nongovernmental organizations, inter-governmental organizations and the armed forces can work more effectively alongside each other in insecure environments.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies joined with three other organizations, The Institute for Inclusive Security, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Development Programme to design and conduct An Expansive Approach to Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration on June 21-26, 2009. The workshop assembled 40 mid-level and senior actors from 20 different countries to discuss emerging trends and best practices of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration; consider lessons learned from past operations; and begin constructing new approaches that would address the needs of previously marginalized populations such as women, youth, children, and people with disabilities.

Information about The Institute for Inclusive Security, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Development Programme is provided on the inside back cover.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies held an interactive workshop, Getting Back to Work: Rebuilding Livelihoods in Post-Conflict Environments, April 26-29, 2009, in Monterey, California, to explore the topic of creating jobs and sustainable livelihoods in fragile states around the world. The workshop, which was designed and facilitated by Dr. Nat J. Colletta and Dr. Sophal Ear, provided stabilization and reconstruction actors with the opportunity to discuss the challenges and successes of economic recovery initiatives in a wide array of post-conflict environments, as well as learn new frameworks and best practices. Participants included 40 US and international representatives from civilian government agencies, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, the armed forces, and educational institutions, who provided a wealth of insights into their own experiences designing and executing economic recovery initiatives.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies convened Security Sector Reform: The Art of Assessment from March 23-26, 2009, in Monterey, California, to explore ways of improving assessment design and implementation and enhancing local ownership and the sustainability of assessments and reform-driven programs. Fifty mid- to senior-level stabilization and reconstruction practitioners gathered to discuss best practices for developing security sector reform frameworks and evaluate key lessons from past assessments. Participants represented a diverse array of actors, including US and international government civilian agencies, armed forces, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, education and research institutions, and consultancies, among others.

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On Thin Ice: Addressing the Scientific, Economic, Environmental, Cultural, and Security Implications of Climate Change in the Arctic Region was held December 8-9, 2008, in Monterey, CA. More than 150 participants from diverse communities with Arctic interests discussed the challenges and opportunities presented by sea ice melt and related factors. Participants represented an array of stakeholders, including US and international academic and environmental research institutes, indigenous nations, industry companies, environmental advocacy groups, nongovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces, among others. These stakeholders explored opportunities for cross-community cooperation and alliance building, brainstormed strategies for improving environmental data and access, and discussed areas of potential emerging conflicts and how best to mitigate them.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies held its first economic recovery workshop, Creating Jobs and Rebuilding Livelihoods in Post-Conflict Situations, from October 26-29, 2008, in Monterey, California. The interactive workshop, which was designed and facilitated by Dr. Nat J. Colletta and Dr. Sophal Ear, brought together 40 practitioners from the different groups of actors charged with rebuilding fragile states. Participants discussed the challenges and trade-offs of various economic recovery priorities and strategies, explored best practices and lessons learned from past initiatives, and crafted possible job creation solutions for different countries in crisis.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies hosted an interactive skills building workshop, Working in the Same Space, September 21-24, 2008, in Seaside, California. The workshop convened 36 S&R actors to discuss their organizational perspectives and differences, explore the issues of shared humanitarian space, enhance their negotiation and mediation skills, and deepen their professional networks. Representatives from nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces attended the workshop.

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Practitioners and scholars have long noted the tension between actors’ efforts to provide emergency healthcare relief during armed conflict and their attempts to reconstruct sustainable public healthcare services in its aftermath. To explore the interdependent issues involved with conflict, emergency relief, and healthcare system development, CSRS convened a workshop, Sustaining Healthcare in Post-Conflict Environments, from July 13-16, 2008. Panelists and participants from non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, civilian governmental agencies, and the armed forces discussed the prospects and pitfalls they and local governments face in attempting to sustain healthcare systems and delivery in a rapidly changing, complex post-conflict environment. This report represents the author’s interpretation of the workshop’s primary findings. Participants did not formally endorse the findings or recommendations identified in this report.

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Tools for Cross-Cultural Understanding was held June 24-27, 2008, in Monterey, CA. Participants, who hailed from 12 different nations, included 40 representatives from nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces. These practitioners explored cultural concepts, discussed the impact of deep culture on conflict, and created strategies for addressing the needs and motivations of multiple actors in conflict and crisis. The event, which was facilitated by Dr. TatsushiAraiof the SIT Graduate Institute, featured both personal and political case studies set in China, Iraq, Japan, Nepal, and Tanzania.

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The Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies hosted a short course on Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) from March 30 — April 2, 2008. The event was co-sponsored by the International Organization for Migration, Save the Children, and The Initiative for Inclusive Security. Forty-five participants from nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the armed forces met to review best practices and lessons identified from past DDR programs. Particular emphasis was placed on areas in which past programs have demonstrated the most shortcomings: the reintegration phase and the inclusion of women, children, and youth in DDR.

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The 2008 US Navy Stability and Security Conference was held January 30-31, 2008, in Arlington, VA. More than 230 participants, who represented multiple services from the US and foreign armed forces, government civilian agencies, foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, and intergovernmental organizations discussed past successes and emerging trends in stability and security operations, explored ways to enhance cooperation among key actors, and strengthened professional networks. The event was cosponsored by the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies and the Strategy and Policy Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for Information, Plans, and Strategy (OPNAV N3/N5) of the US Navy.

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Groups that rely on the illicit use of violence and/or illicit sources of wealth to pursue their goals plague many countries. However, they tend to play a disproportionate role in post-conflict settings where wartime networks or networks forged during the transition from war to peace undermine the institution-building efforts necessary for democratic stability and development. To improve actors’ understanding of this problem and to begin devising remedies, the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies (CSRS) held a workshop entitled “Cleaning House: Confronting Illicit Power Structures in Post-Conflict Settings” in Monterey, CA, from November 4-7, 2007. More than 40 panelists and participants from nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, the armed forces, thinktanks, and academic institutions met to review a proposed framework for analyzing the propensities, capacities, and vulnerabilities of illicit power structures and to assess ways in which the framework might guide practitioner responses to this global challenge. The workshop, which built on a number of conferences on the illicit power structure framework sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development, is part of a CSRS series of events addressing the negative impact of corruption and institution building in post-conflict settings.

This report represents the author’s interpretations of the workshop’s primary findings. Participants did not formally endorse the list of findings or recommendations identified in the report.

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Making Sense of It All: Cross-Cultural Understanding was designed to help participants explore culture at both a cognitive and experiential level. Through presentations, simulations, and group discussions, participants explored culture as an individual and collective experience, began developing cultural fluency, and investigated the role between culture and conflict.

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Negotiation Skills for Post-Conflict Actors was held May 20-23, 2007, at the Marina Dunes Resort in Marina, California. Representatives from non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, government civilian agencies, and the US and foreign armed forces gathered to discuss negotiation principles, improve their cross-community and interorganizational communication skills, network with practitioners from the field, and learn best practices from experts. The event was hosted by the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies and was cosponsored by the United States Institute of Peace, drawing from their successful curriculum on negotiation issues.

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CSRS conducted the conference with OPNAV N5 at the Washington Navy Yard on April 24-25, 2007. CSRS has made informal plans to conduct a similar conference during 2008. Approximately 75 participants attended, largely from the Navy, but also from OSD, Joint Staff, Army and Marine Corps, and State Department. Of the Naval Component Commands, both NAVEUR and NAVSOUTH participated. (NAVCENT and PACFLT were unable to attend due to operational demands.)

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Healing the Wounds: Rebuilding Health Care Systems in Post-Conflict Environments was held March 12-15, 2007, at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey, California. Representatives from both US and international government civilian agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and the armed forces gathered to discuss healthcare needs in post-conflict environments, discuss successes and shortcomings of existing models, and begin building best practices with industry peers.