Surveying NGO-Military Relations: Empirical Data to Both Confirm and Reject Popular Beliefs
Abstract
This study into NGO-Military relations examines how military personnel and civilians working for humanitarian organisations each perceive the barriers and enablers to their working together in the same context. Specifically, the intention was to inform the UK MOD about how different parties perceive the relationship and what can be done to minimise friction. Using snowball sampling, 84 participants were surveyed to explore the attitudes and experiences of both military and humanitarian actors. The original plan was to simply compare the two groups' views. However, it became apparent during analysis that a more refined categorisation based on previous experience provided more insight. This analysis identified that the sources of friction in NGO-military relations are indeed perceived differently by both NGOs and the Military, and that they appear to follow three main themes: (i) protection of humanitarian space; (ii) the issue of identity; and (iii) communication issues - the use of language and meaning. Moderating factors, which are perceived to reduce friction and enable cooperation, were identified as: background, experience of the NGO-military interface, affinity for NGOs, and to some extent training. There is also evidence which could potentially help to dispel some of the popular myths associated with NGO-military relations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA546962
Entities
People
- Andrew Leggett
- Barry Mcguinness
- Freyja Lockwood