<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I have been trying to get information on how UN peacekeeping forces communicate with local populations and whether the UN has policies on such matters. Can anyone help?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Humphrey Tonkin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> lgpolicy-list-bounces@groups.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:lgpolicy-list-bounces@groups.sas.upenn.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Kate Brett<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 12, 2012 7:00 AM<br><b>To:</b> lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [lg policy] Discussion: What are you thoughts on a workplace language policy?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I suppose it's a question of what the policy is for and how far it goes.</span> <br><br><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I never thought I would find myself posting about the practice of the British army back in colonial times, but I think this may be of interest/relevance, so here goes. During WW2 my dad was a junior officer (white British, of course, back then!) in charge of West African engineers doing infrastructure work in Burma/Myanmar. He explained to us that the language of the army was English (as far as giving instructions, making reports etc. was concerned) but when I quizzed him about whether this applied to the Africans when they were working, marching, cooking etc. he said of course not, amongst themselves they would speak their own language and sing their own songs (he was emphatic about the importance of singing). He contrasted this with an experience when they were working with a South Asian unit, whose officer (indigenous Indian) seemed unable or unwilling to pass on orders to his troops, so a task was not properly performed, and eventually the poor man broke down in tears and said they spoke a different language from him so communication was impossible.</span> <br><br><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>All sorts of lessons to be learnt here: communication is essential, so obviously a lingua franca is needed, whatever it might be; but there needs to be common sense applied to when the lingua franca is to be used and when (much of the time) language choice is left up to the individual. 'English only' (better, 'English encouraged'?) is only acceptable in so far as it helps promote necessary communication and should not mean 'nothing but English' in my view as that devalues other individuals and their languages.</span> <br><br><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Kate Brett</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>