Read the text. THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN PEACE AND RELIEF MISSION NEGOTIATIONS[24]

When one thinks of peace and relief mission negotiations in the context of the United Nations (UN), the high level international accords between the leaders of the various nations come readily to mind. These negotiations, as a rule, are highly visible and use professional negotiators and extensive support staff, including highly-trained professional interpreters. Often these negotiations take place far from the action, perhaps a luxury hotel in Geneva, or an Air Force base in the United States.

Field negotiations, however, between military members, aid organizations and civilians in the context of contemporary peace and relief missions (in dangerous, ever changing conditions), using locally-engaged language assistants constitutes the other level of negotiation. To the extent that without communication there can be no negotiation, communication is obviously integral to the success of the mission, particularly in the latter context.

Communication consists of several layers, with verbal/written, non-verbal and cultural components. Culture includes the values, customs, and traditions which members of a group or an organization share.

VERBAL / WRITTEN

A mission's operational security is affected by the use of the local language. Learning a few words of the local language demonstrates your interest in the country and its culture and is considered another demonstration of cultural sensitivity and good breeding.

Errors in translation of peacekeeping negotiations can have a dramatic and costly impact on international missions. In hostile situations, for example, people are closer to choosing to use their best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA). Most frequently the BATNA in a peacekeeping context is force and a negotiator must seek a way to prevent this. And often, peacekeeping partners who have only the most rudimentary understanding of the language of another country gain respect for taking the time to learn some of the basics.

Peacekeepers should be prepared to employ interpreters when necessary. The provision of interpreters would be advisable, for example when detailed, accurate and/or sensitive information is solicited from, or conveyed to, non-English- or French- speaking cultural communities or second language speakers. Therefore, in especially sensitive circumstances, as when dealing with interracial or religious conflicts, it is prudent to employ an interpreter in order to minimize the potential for dangerous misunderstanding.

An interpreter has to be able to translate in both directions, without the use of any dictionaries, on the spot. Translation involves transferring a written message from one language to another. In the context of peacekeeping, the text to be translated may be a treaty, a law, legal papers, or a press release; a user manual or engineering plans; a handwritten letter, a medical textbook, or a historical document, in short, anything that is written is a potential translation assignment.

Peacekeeping negotiations in the field often employ background interpreting or "chuchotage." Chuchotage is one-to-one direct translation where the interpreter "whispers" the translation for up to three persons who are to receive the interpretation. For best results, the principals should make statements in short paragraph-sized "blocks," speak at a normal speed and tone of voice, express their thoughts in clear, logical order and avoid acronyms, slang and jargon.

In spite of the vast differences in the skills of translators and interpreters, there is one thing that they must share, besides deep knowledge of both languages: they must understand the subject matter of the text or speech they are translating. Translation is not a matter of substituting words in one language for words in another. It is a matter of understanding the thought expressed in one language and then explaining it using the resources of another language.

The main qualifications of a good interpreter include knowledge of the general subject of the discussions that are to be interpreted. The interpreter should demonstrate general erudition and intimate familiarity with both cultures. An extensive vocabulary in both languages is required as well as the ability to express thoughts clearly and concisely in both languages.

A good translator would demonstrate excellent note-taking technique for consecutive interpreting. Interpreters must be good public speakers who are adept at grasping meaning and solving complex linguistic problems quickly, whereas translators must be able to conduct thorough and meticulous research and produce accurate, camera-ready documents while adhering to tight deadlines.