Summary: Inter-Cultural Competence as Means of Conflict Management
Andreas Berns/Roland Wöhrle-Chon
With NATO conducting out of area operations in countries of other cultures, the priorities within the task spectrum of the Deutsche Bundeswehr and the requirement profile for the soldier have changed. Inter-cultural issues, and in particular inter-cultural competence as a means of effective conflict management and crisis prevention, will therefore have to find increasing recognition in military training.
As stereotyping and prejudices are inevitable when encountering the unfamiliar, it is important to remove such psychosomatic blockages through inter-cultural training, in order to facilitate an open further approach. The aim is not to make the unfamiliar familiar, but rather to take on the challenge of facing the unknown. Emphasizing cooperation and things held in common does not postulate an illusionary sense of unity.
Inter-cultural competence in acting is based on consciously understanding one’s own culture and value system. Cultural identity needs to be lived positively and credibly, without feeling superior or trying to dominate the other. Dialogues with representatives of other cultures will foster mutual understanding, respect, and tolerance, and working on the premise that no culture is superior to any other, inter-cultural discourse has to be conducted openly, unprejudiced, and on a par basis.
Inter-cultural relationships are marked by communicative processes that may play an important role in conflict prevention, particularly prior to the outbreak of a violent conflict. Inter-cultural communication therefore requires inter-cultural competence, indispensable in correctly assessing a conflict and adjusting one’s actions accordingly. Such skills are necessary also to avoid wrong conflict situation assessments and possible escalations due to cultural misinterpretations.
Inter-cultural competence has to become part of the skills of the Bundeswehr soldier as well as of police officers and civilian personnel serving in out of area peace operations within foreign cultures. It will also enable military personnel working with the media to convince the German public of the advantages of a consensus and understanding oriented operation in a culturally different region.
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