Modern conflicts are changing what defines a ‘veteran’
Published: 7 January 2016 at 13:08
Anglia Ruskin conference to discuss needs of those who have experienced armed conflict
The concept of a ‘global veteran’ will be discussed at an event at Anglia Ruskin University later this month.
A conference entitled The Global Veteran: Disseminating Strategic Support in an Austere Environment will explore the idea that modern-day veterans have deployed across borders in multiple roles as peacekeepers, humanitarians, protectors of human security and policemen, in response to modern conflicts, natural disasters and humanitarian crises at both home and abroad.
Among the cases discussed will be veterans who assisted during the Ebola epidemic, veterans in East Africa being rehabilitated as peacekeepers, and the Barclays-Ministry of Defence partnership transitioning veterans to the civilian corporate environment.
Current Anglia Ruskin students studying the MSc Military Veteran and Family Studies course will also contribute to the conference and were involved in selecting the speakers, which include experts from academia and several agencies including the NHS, The Salvation Army and the Ministry of Defence.
Dr Lyndsay Baines, Course Leader for the MSc Military Veteran and Family Studies, said:
“The complex, cross-border situation in the Middle East is redefining the roles of the traditional ‘veteran’. In addition to traditional military personnel, there are peacekeepers, refugees, resistance fighters, non-governmental organisations and victims of torture.
“It’s vital that our students get a feel for this modern environment, so we have a wide range of speakers coming to Anglia Ruskin to define what makes the ‘global veteran’ in 2016.”
The conference will take place from 1pm until 4pm on Monday, 25 January in the Lord Ashcroft Building at Anglia Ruskin’s Chelmsford campus, and is open to the public. If you would like to attend, please e-mail lyndsay.baines@anglia.ac.uk