Exchange of experiences in providing psychological support to soldiers participating in peacekeeping operations

On the morning of October 13, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department (Ministry of National Defense) coordinated with the New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam to organize an experience exchange on psychological support for soldiers participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations between Vietnam and New Zealand.

Participants from Vietnam included representatives from the following agencies: Engineering Corps; Special Forces Corps; Foreign Affairs Department; Military Security Protection Department; Military Medical Academy; officers and staff of Engineering Team No. 3 and Level 2 Field Hospital No. 6, which recently completed their UN peacekeeping missions at the UNISFA mission (Abyei region) and the UNMISS mission (South Sudan).

On the international side, there were psychological experts from the New Zealand Defence Force led by Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jen Atkinson, Head of the Operational Psychology Department; representatives from the New Zealand Embassy and the New Zealand Defence Attaché Office in Singapore, concurrently in Vietnam.

The activity aims to raise awareness, share experiences, and provide psychological support for soldiers after participating in UN peacekeeping operations; discuss lessons learned related to psychological support for soldiers through practical implementation of tasks at UN peacekeeping missions; and promote bilateral cooperation in the field of peacekeeping between Vietnam and New Zealand.

Colonel Nguyen Nhu Canh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, said the program targets members of the 3rd Engineering Team and the 6th Level 2 Field Hospital, who have just completed a year of duty in the Abyei region and South Sudan.

Post-deployment psychological support is especially important, helping soldiers reintegrate smoothly with their families, teammates and social environment after a year of service in harsh African conditions.

Officers and staff of the 2.6 Field Hospital return home after a year of international duty. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA)

During this experience exchange, in addition to diplomatic activities, soldiers and delegates will visit the training facility of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department.

Experts from New Zealand exchanged with officers and staff of Engineering Team No. 3 and Level 2 Field Hospital No. 6 to collect data and build a psychological support program for Vietnamese soldiers.

This is also an opportunity to study the transfer of content from the New Zealand Defence Force Deployment Psychological Support Programme to apply appropriately to Vietnam's UN peacekeeping force; and develop a psychological support programme in disputed areas for Vietnam's UN peacekeeping force.

In addition, members of the 3rd Engineer Team and the 6th Level 2 Field Hospital also shared their experiences in preparing themselves and their families for health and psychology after deployment; as well as sharing their experiences in providing psychological support to the New Zealand Defence Force.

Expressing her appreciation for Vietnam’s growing contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, Colonel Shauna Graham, New Zealand Defence Attaché in charge of Vietnam, shared: “We admire the professionalism and compassion you have shown in each mission and hope that the lessons we have learned from those who have participated in UN peacekeeping missions like me can contribute to supporting Vietnam’s military personnel.”

Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jen Atkinson, Head of the New Zealand Defence Force's psychological expert team, also said she was delighted to participate, learn, share experiences and work with the Vietnamese peacekeeping force to provide psychological support to Vietnamese soldiers returning from UN peacekeeping missions.

New Zealand is a country with extensive experience in deploying peacekeeping forces, especially a systematic psychological support system for the Defense Force in general and forces participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations in particular.

This experience exchange is a practical and valuable support from New Zealand for Vietnam to bring valuable lessons, contributing to the orientation of the work of building and deploying psychological support activities in the entire process of training, preparation, implementation and reintegration of Vietnam's peacekeeping force, especially in the context of Vietnam continuing to participate deeply in United Nations peacekeeping activities in the coming time with the policy of expanding the scale, form and area of participation.

Regarding cooperation in the field of participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations between Vietnam and New Zealand, recently the two countries ' Defense Ministries signed and implemented a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in peacekeeping training.

In the coming time, the two sides will continue to increase delegation exchanges and professional exchanges in this field, including coordinating the organization of conferences, seminars and forums on United Nations peacekeeping.

Vietnam proposed that New Zealand continue to invite Vietnam to send officers to attend short-term training courses, exercises on UN peacekeeping, and seminars to exchange experiences and peacekeeping expertise held in New Zealand; at the same time, it hoped that New Zealand would continue to reserve command and staff training places for Vietnamese officers to improve their capacity to serve Vietnamese officers applying for positions at the UN Headquarters./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/trao-doi-kinh-nghiem-ho-tro-tam-ly-cho-quan-nhan-tham-gia-gin-giu-hoa-binh-post1069959.vnp