Peacekeeping centre celebrates 15th birthday

The Pearson Peacekeeping Centre is a nonprofit, Canadian-based institution that offers specialty training for civilians, military personnel and police officers serving in conflict zones all over the world.

The centre is viewed within the international peace and security community as the global standard of research-led education and training, and capacity building for complex peace operations.

This year marks its 15th anniversary and about 100 people gathered last week in Cornwallis to pay tribute to the vision of its founder, and the community that first opened its homes to the world. Among those toasting the centre’s success were current president Suzanne Monaghan, board chair Louise Fréchette, and centre founder Alex Morrison.

Also attending the reception were a handful of past and present staff, community hosts, as well as a few representatives from the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre and various board members.

The centre now operates out of Ottawa, but Monaghan said it was appropriate to return to the organization’s roots to thank the people who helped it grow into a premiere international training institution.

She credited its success partly to what she termed ‘the Cornwallis effect’, a hometown hospitality that people carry with them when they leave the centre. Over the years, many of the centre’s international guests have welcomed by local families, who took them in during their stay.

The centre relies partly on host families to help make the training experience a memorable one for many who visit the Cornwallis facility. “It’s an organization ahead of its time in its vision and its type of work,” she said. “Everyone works hard to make this a great place, and we want to thank you. “When we look at all we have accomplished, we realize how much our work touches the lives of people around the world.”

Alex Morrison, the centre’s founder, said it was during the last days of the Cold War that two sides first gathered in Cornwallis, as “not quite friends, but learning to understand each other,” when the vision for the centre was born. “It was and is an experience of a lifetime, and many carry an everlasting soft spot,” he said. “It’s great to see the worldwide effects of what we do.”

Centre board chair Louise Fréchette said when she first learned about the centre she thought it was a very ambitious idea, but realized it held the gold standard for capacity building and preparing people for complex peacekeeping operations. “The PPC has remained ahead of the curve, anticipating needs,” she said. “It keeps on the leading edge. Many imitate it, some compete with it, but what distinguishes us is our capacity to continually change, adapt, and stay ahead of the curve.”

The centre is the only organization of its kind in Canada, and one of just a few in the world. The centre has an international reputation for excellence, evolving with the changing needs of the ever-growing complexity of modern conflicts.

The centre has recently begun working with West African countries to develop their own peacekeeping training centres. The PPC also recently developed and delivered a unique program addressing gender-based violence.

Since 1994, the centre has trained more than 18,000 people from over 150 countries, often working with member states of the European Union, the United States Joint Forces Command, the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the governments of Germany and the Netherlands.