„КО ЈЕ НЕПРИЈАТЕЉ?” ПЕРЦЕПЦИЈЕ И СТВАРНОСТ, КАНАДСКЕ МИРОВНЕ СНАГЕ У ХРВАТСКОЈ (1992–1993)
“‘WHO IS THE ENEMY’: PERCEPTIONS AND REALITY, CANADIAN PEACEKEEPERS IN CROATIA (1992-1993)”

Summary/Abstract: In the former Yugoslavia Canadian Peacekeepers were plunged into a conflict more complicated and violent than they expected. Their initial perception of the belligerents was one of confusionand shock because of the carnage they witnessed. Canadian Peacekeepers initially struggled to understand the warring factions and how to provide security for local civilians who had gone into seclusion or fled their communities. They recognized their own limitations and strengths and learned from the unpredictable and often dangerous, boots-on-the-ground actions they experienced. The Canadian Peacekeepers established themselves as trained, disciplined soldiers who should be taken seriously, and they also learned how to quickly adapt, and even integrate new perspectives of the belligerents. This included untangling the region’s complicated history, appreciating local values and principles, and recognizing the complex interweaving of identity and relationships (historical, ethnic, cultural, geo-political, and religious) of the belligerents and the civilian populations. Canadian Peacekeepers learned that forging goals and projects based on common needs was not only mutually beneficial but illuminated local networks including the role of women insustaining families and their communities.This article focuses exclusively on the Canadian Peacekeepers who served in Croatia during the first two years of UNPROFOR’s Operation Harmony (1992-1993) and describes the initial struggles of the Canadians, and the actions they took to better understand the belligerents andfoster security and humanitarian support in a land torn by war. The sources for this paper incorporate numerous first-person accounts of Canadian veterans and a broader historiographical context that includes perceptions of the enemy, culture and behaviour, and social identity theory.In Croatia, Canadian Peacekeepers repeatedly asked: “who are these belligerents, why are they enemies, and what is my purpose in this conflict? In the midst of a nation broken by war Canadian Peacekeepers learned to distinguish between perception and reality.

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