Leadership and Cooperation

Civilian and military personnel are holding a meeting together.

Photo: Vilhelm Stokstad

When a country is hit by violent conflict, many different actors are normally engaged in order to stop the violence. Good leadership and cooperation skills are decisive factors for all actors’ ability to contribute to solving the conflict.

When war breaks out within a country, the government may decide to invite an international actor such as the UN, EU or OSCE to establish a peace operation in the crisis area.

Such an operation is staffed with personnel of various nationalities and from different professional backgrounds. For example, there might be military staff tasked with protecting civilians from violence, police staff tasked with maintaining law and order, and civilian staff in leadership positions or tasked with supporting the leadership. All actors involved need solid understanding of each other’s roles, and training in cooperation.

Moreover, the peace operation staff must be able to coordinate their work with outside actors, such as local authorities. Good leadership, at all levels in all organizations involved in the efforts for peace, is key for effective coordination, cooperation, and sustainable results.

What does the FBA do?

Training and advice
FBA offers training and advice on leadership and cooperation in international efforts for peace. FBA also co-arranges Viking together with the Swedish Armed Forces. Viking is one of the world’s largest international staff exercises, held approximately every fourth year with military, police and civilian participants practicing cooperation in a fictional peace operation.
Research
FBA conducts and supports international research on leadership and cooperation in international efforts for peace.
Secondments
FBA seconds personnel working within the field of leadership and cooperation to international peace operations that Sweden contributes to, led by the EU, UN and OSCE. Click here to see a map of where our personnel is currently deployed.
Our partner countries
Within the framework of Sweden’s international development aid, FBA carries out projects concerning leadership and cooperation in efforts for peace. Click here to read more about the countries where we work.
Support to civil society
FBA grants yearly funds to Swedish civil society organizations working to promote dialogue and debate and to spread knowledge about peace and security related issues, for example issues concerning leadership and cooperation in international efforts for peace.

Making the voices of the Afghan people heard in the peace talks between the Taliban and the government

Historic peace talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement have just begun. But how will the voices of the Afghan people be brought to the negotiation table? A new platform, run by the Afghan civil society with practical support from the FBA and funding from the EU, will bring together the concerns and desires of the Afghans, and transmit them to the negotiators.

2020-09-16 10:05

On international deployment

Kristian Edqvist

Training manager in Brussels

Linnéa Lindberg

Adviser to the UN in Myanmar

Johan Chytraeus

Monitoring officer in Ukraine

Karolina Riedel

Statistician in election observation missions

Vanda Dahlbom

Analyst in Iraq

Björn Tedeman

Election observer

Johan Fredborn Larsson

Political adviser in Mali

Read our publications

Mitigating Election Violence through Dialogue and Mediation in West Africa

This brief discusses the role that dialogue and mediation training can play in addressing electoral violence, a serious problem to human life and democracy in many countries. Over fifty percent of the African states have experienced electoral violence since the 1990s.

Documents

Mitigating Election Violence through Dialogue and Mediation in West Africa.pdf

More Publications

THE FBA BLOG

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Posted by Rhodri Williams
Civil society as a critical partner: rule of law and accountability in the Liberian COVID response

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The rule of law is broadly recognized as necessary for good governance, peace and security. The UN 2030 Agenda recognizes this dynamic in all countries, rich or poor. However, the impact of the rule of law – or its absence – is most strongly felt in countries struggling with conflict and crisis.

As part of its work in Liberia, the FBA has supported local partners to apply rule of law principles in public administration. This reflects a ... Read entire post »
2020-09-14 10:34
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Posted by Andreas Berg
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What is the last ‘normal’ thing you remember doing? In the extreme year of 2020, many of us have asked this question, trying to remember the last event or activity where we blissfully, innocently, spent time in public spaces without caution, moving through crowds, kissing cheeks, and sharing food in a way that now feels reckless or at least decadent and daring. For me the answer would probably be attending a wine festival in Kyiv in ... Read entire post »
2020-09-09 09:49
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Posted by Randolph Rhea
The evolution of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs – from programs to processes

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South Sudan 2013
The prop-plane bounces through turbulence and I am awoken. I gaze out the window at the landing strip. From high above it looks busy, with many aircraft on the tarmac. When we land I realize that all of the cargo planes, troop carriers, and small aircraft are actually all destroyed and the fuselages have merely been pushed to the side of the mortar-potted runway. The wounds of war are still fresh here.

After several hours ... Read entire post »
2020-07-08 08:37