PEACEKEEPING RESEARCH PROJECT: BACKGROUND

Dear reader

The following two to three months, I will focus on my research over the last 12 years in peacekeeping support operations for our security community, i.e, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), SA Police Service (SAPS), Correctional Services, Intelligence Agencies and Foreign Affairs. Initially our focus was on the methods of distance education, namely "Correspondence Instruction" and to offer in-service training to peacekeeping militia on the African continent. Eventually the project involved the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in Geneva, Switzerland, and its Peacekeeping Operations Correspondence Instruction (POCI).

I paid a research visit to UNITAR in Switzerland to link all the possibilities with my research papers and posters. I also visited the Director for UNITAR POCI at the Dough Hammarskjold United Nations building in New York, Dr Harvey J Langholtz. We agreed on collaboration and since 1995/6 produced multiple research outputs which will be published in my Blog further on.

Our sincerest desire is that UNITAR POCI could only make a one single degree shift towards peace on the African continent...

We admit that UNITAR POCI is not a general panacea for peace. Therefore we took hands with all the willing staff in the SANDF, SAPS, Correctional Services, Foreign Affairs and the War Information Simulator at the Council for Sience and Industrial Research (CSIR) .

Skillsplus Solutions (Pty) Ltd. ( jean@skillsplus.co.za) in Johannesburg is now in the process to record the UNITAR POCI programmes in line with the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). This will enable learners to obtain academic credits for further study, career development, promotion or new career paths.