The purpose of this handbook is to help field staff of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and peacekeeping forces develop a basic understanding of the outlook and operations of these major third-party institutions. By offering sketches of the philosophies, cultures, and working practices of the different external players, this book aims to dispel some of the misconceptions and prejudices that exist on all sides to build mutual understanding and respect, and to facilitate cooperation and coordination of effort. This book offers a series of quick but recognizable sketches, outlining both the general characteristics and the most important variations. The military section shows readers how to identify the service, rank, and specialty of military personnel and the weapons and other equipment mostly likely to be seen in the field. It is intended to be a general but reliable guide to one's partners in peace operations.

Introduction / Richard H. Solomon and George F. Oliver III ; Part I: Intergovernmental organizations / Thomas G. Weiss. Introduction -- An overview of IGOs -- IGOs in action -- IGO profiles ; Part II: Nongovernmental organizations / Pamela Aall. Introduction -- An overview of NGOs -- The structure and organization of NGOs -- NGOs in conflict -- The challenges of coordination -- NGO profiles ; Part III: The military / Daniel T. Miltenberger. Introduction -- The organization and structure of the military -- Military thinking and military culture -- The challenges of peace operations -- Uniforms, weapons, and other equipment -- Common military abbreviations and acronyms.