Beyond peacekeeping operations

The Force Commander of the hybrid United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan (UNAMID), Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba, this week, officiated at the opening of a school constructed with support from a contingent of Rwandan peacekeepers. The gesture is part of the ‘Quick Impact Projects’ (QIPs) undertaken by the Mission to help improve the lives of the Darfur communities.Rwandan peacekeepers in Darfur or Haiti have inspired the local communities to use their own energies and resources to improve their wellbeing, instead of waiting for external support. For instance, they have introduced Rwanda’s home grown solutions such as Umuganda (communal work), through which the locals have managed to address their own challenges.It is difficult to talk peace to people in dire conditions. As such, the conventional peacekeeping approach was not as effective, especially in areas where people struggle to access the basics of life.Therefore, initiatives such as QIPs should be considered part of the core peacekeeping mandate. They are critical components that could help bring peace faster and more efficiently.Community service should be encouraged in all peacekeeping missions as they do not only make a difference in the ordinary people’s lives but also make them identify with and support the peacekeepers.Most importantly, such initiatives will encourage communities to find solutions to their own problems through either homegrown solutions or borrowing best practices that have worked elsewhere.

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Beyond peacekeeping operations