The inaugural program, “Global Challenges: Leadership and Cooperation in Complex Environments,” was held from 15-20 November at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), in Geneva, Switzerland. The program was an initiative of the Global Public Policy Academic Group (GPPAG) at NPS working with the GCSP in a cooperative education program of the two designated NATO Partnership for Peace Training Centers. The primary format was an interactive seminar led by Dr. Karen Guttieri (GPPAG) and Col Arnold Teicht (GCSP), and participants included 24 military and civilian leaders experienced in complex environments.

“International Geneva,” home to hundreds of international organizations and more than 35,000 diplomats and international civil servants, provided the backdrop and opportunities for direct exchange with high-level representatives of the Swiss Government, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the United Nations as well as non-governmental organizations based in Geneva. A variety of site visits to the ICRC, the World Health Organization, and United Nations Office at Geneva, provided the background and context for the participants, who included members from non-governmental organizations, government, academia, private enterprise, and the military.

The program delved into the complexity of the civil-dimension operations that are vital to strategy along with conflict prevention and mitigation all around the world. In particular, the seminar focused on leadership challenges in humanitarian assistance, stability operations, and CIMIC operations—those that require close coordination between civilian and military elements—in different contexts. Utilizing a variety of exercises, small-group breakouts, and discussions, the participants worked together to appreciate and understand the special considerations required within multinational, multidimensional, and multi-organizational cross-sector relationships found in complex environments.