The Guiding Principles for Stabilization and Reconstruction presents the first-ever, comprehensive set of shared principles for building sustainable peace in societies emerging from violent conflict. The manual serves as a tool for U.S. government civilian planners and practitioners engaged in stabilization and reconstruction (S&R) missions and is a valuable resource for international actors and nongovernmental organizations. Today, civilian actors operate without the support of any unifying framework or common set of principles to guide their actions in these complex environments. As global demand for these missions continues to rise, this gap will impede the cooperation and cohesion that is needed across the peacebuilding community to ensure success of any S&R mission. The Guiding Principles seeks to fill this gap by providing:

• An overarching strategic framework for S&R missions based on a construct of End States, Conditions and Approaches.

• A comprehensive set of shared principles, distilled from the wealth of lessons that have emerged from past S&R missions.

A product of the collaboration between the United States Institute of Peace and the United States Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, this manual reflects the input of dozens of institutions across the peacebuilding community. It is based on a comprehensive review of major strategic policy documents from state ministries of defense, foreign affairs, and development, along with major intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations that toil in war-shattered landscapes around the globe. (click here to download)

Critical Questions is a short analysis prepared by CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) experts. They are a quick and easy read designed to get to the heart of the matter. The links provided below will feature two Critical Questions answered by: CSIS/PKSOI's Mr. Nathan Freier.

Topic: Defining and Operationalizing "Balance" in Defense Strategy

Q1: What is "Balance" in the contest of Defense Strategy?
Q2: Why is increased precision in the definition of "Balance" so critical now?
Q3: Are there other views about "Balance" on the table?

For the answers to these "Critical Questions" and to read more from Mr. Nathan Freier please follow the link below to the Center For Strategic and International Studies

National Defense University's Lincoln Hall
Fort Lesley J. NcNair, Washington D.C.

2009 Stability Operations Training and Education Work-shop, The Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) in concert with its co-sponsors: the National De-fense University, Consortium for Complex Operations, George Mason University, United States Institute of Peace, US Army Combined Arms Center, State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabiliza-tion, and the Naval Post Graduate School; will conduct the Workshop at Fort McNair's Lincoln Hall from 27 to 29 October, 2009.

This annual event brings together education and training practitioners from the stability and peace operation com-munity of practice and provides a forum to:

• Examine processes in order to create synergies among current education and training efforts
• Identify best practices
• Provide recommendations to improve peace and stability operations training and education programs.

For more information on the event please go toPKSOI events page or email through PKSOI contact page