Peacekeeping English Project (PEP)

The aims of the Peacekeeping English Project funded by the UK Ministry of Defence Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Department for International Development are:-

• To ensure an increased contribution to international peace support, security & humanitarian/disaster relief operations through improved interoperability by establishing a locally sustainable system of EL training for military & other security personnel.

• To facilitate the short term rapid build up of a specific number/target of English language users to meet a country’s multinational peace support obligations or facilitate international contact for senior personnel.

• To promote the development of a long-term sustainable host nation infrastructure to eventually enable   a self-sufficient strategy to meet that country’s peace support operation provision and international contact needs.

In Libya, the project (October 2007) has just begun and will be largely based in the Libyan Armed Forces Staff college with the following short term aims:-

• To raise the language level of Libyan Armed Forces Key officer personnel in order that they can effectively participate in training in the UK and other English speaking countries, participate in international training through the medium of English and Peace Support missions though the United Nations or the African Union.

• To establish a long term sustainable English (with a long term aim of a range of foreign languages taught) language centre in the Staff College serving the training needs of the Armed Forces.

• To establish a ‘state of the art’ self-access study facility in the Staff College based on UK best practice.

• In future, promotion and professional advancement within the Libyan Armed Forces will have language proficiency as a criteria.

Initially, the project will support the Staff College in the set up and delivering for a six month course for 24 beginners with teaching conducted by Libyan teachers contracted by the Libyan Armed Forces and through teaching and training inputs provided by the British Council Teaching Centre in Tripoli. Future priorities are yet to be decided but could involve a range of different levels of courses as well as the set up of a suite of English for Military Purposes courses.

The project is managed by the British Council through a Steering Group in London consisting of the London PEP Director and UK funding clients. In-country there is a country project management team consisting of the project manager, the Country Director and representatives from the British Embassy. In the future this country project management team will also include representatives from the Libyan Armed Forces.

For more information please contact

Phil Dexter

Peacekeeping English Project Manager

British Council, Libya

phil.dexter@ly.britishcouncil.org

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-elt-pep.htm