The stretcher and the drum: Civil‐military relations in peace support operations

TLDR

The article investigates how international military forces and civilian humanitarian organizations perceive one another and their interrelations. It compares their organizational cultures, analyzes the varied meanings of “military” and “humanitarian,” and identifies technical and security civil‑military relationships, highlighting tensions and consensus that complicate operational planning. The study concludes with policy and practice recommendations for managing civil‑military cooperation during emergencies.

Abstract

Abstract This article examines the relationship between international military forces and civilian humanitarian organizations, and looks at how these two groups perceive one another. First, it compares military and humanitarian organizational cultures. Secondly, it considers the terms 'military' and 'humanitarian' to show how each encompasses a range of differing organizational cultures, making operational planning and standardized practice more complicated than is commonly recognized. Thirdly, having identified two main types of civil‐military relationship in peace‐support operations ‐ technical and security relationships ‐ it identifies several areas of tension and consensus between the two groups. The article ends by outlining policy and practice conclusions for those responsible for managing civil‐military co‐operation in emergencies.