Supervising a Temporary Truce, Working for a Permanent Peace: UNTSO’s Mission in the Middle East

In 2011, I participated in a discussion convened by a Vatican university in Rome on the situation in the Middle East. As part of this meeting, universities in the Middle East were invited to Rome to analyze the role of educational institutions and universities in promoting peace, stability, and future dialogue in that region. Building on this, and before I go into the substance of my talk, I want to make an important point straight away. If there is anything that I can take away from my 33 years of experience in the army, in particular my work on the international arena, it is that the way to a fruitful dialogue and peaceful future goes through the hearts and stomachs of children and women. A process strongly supported by the engagement and good work of educational institutions like this one at the American University of Beirut.