Post Conflict People

Overview

Post Conflict People is an independent organisation which helps revive societies in or after conflicts. In order for them to achieve this they claim to recognise that there is no single defining problem and so there is no easy solution to revive societies after they have been torn down by war. Different approaches to restoring order, including stability and Rule of Law and initiating economic recovery are required. However it takes expertise to know which approach will help benefit a society most. This is where Post Conflict People claim to work best. They state to have something unique: "the respectability of an international, independent NGO alloyed with the capacity-to-deliver of the private sectors, primed to deliver the knowledge of experts" . This allows them to evaluate development programmes before they start, train practitioners before deployment, and undertake activities themselves.

Andy Bearpark, a director of Post Conflict People, is also the director of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC). Bearpark plays an extremely controversial role in that he legitimises the use of private security companies through the BAPSC encouraging them to become self-regulated whilst then profiting from Post Conflict People who are there to rebuild societies after private sectors have been involved in the destruction of these societies.

Goals and Objectives

Post Conflict People is an independent association founded by Andy Bearpark, Penny Beels and Iain King. It claims to work:

- to revive societies suffering from recent or on-going conflicts and to improve the lives of the people affected by conflict;

- to improve the practical performance of governments, international agencies, firms and individuals that work in post-conflict situations;

- to offer advice and produce authoritative reports that are respected and heeded .

The fundamental problem is that “State Building” takes time – but the international community, and indeed the affected population, want quick results. The two are simply incompatible. The way in which the international community usually addresses this is to place more emphasis on what it is doing and less on building functioning institutions. By the time it is clear that the institutions are not functioning donor interest has frequently moved on. There are three particular problems with which Post Conflict People try to deal: security, development instruments and reality checks.

However, going more deeply into the question, the role of Post Conflict People looks controversial. One of its founders, Andy Bearpark, is also the Director General of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC), an association having completely different aims and objectives. While BAPSC would allow British private military companies to self-regulate, creating in this way upheaval and trouble, PCP aims to rebuild and restructure these conflict areas.

Personnel

The independent NGO Post conflict People was founded by Andy Bearpark, Penny Beels and Iain King.

Andy Bearpark is also the Director General of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC) along with Penny Beels who is the Deputy Director General to this company. In 2009 BAPSC had incorporated 6 full members including; Aegis Defence Services, Armour Group, G4S Risk Management, International PLC, Control risks Group, Janusian Security Risk Management and the Olive Group. In addition to these, it had 15 provisional members and 13 associate members. . BAPSC claims to be "aware that there is a need for internationally recognised standards of governance for the international operations of PSCs, BAPSC is working with Government and the industry to ensure best practice in the standards of operation of its members" . BAPSC was originally founded as a number of UK private security firms realised that standards of operation needed to be raised whilst advocating self regulation. The demand for security services overseas has led to it becoming a new and ever expanding industry. PSC's now have a compulsory role to play in post conflict reconstruction, nation building and security sector reform as well as providing their traditional services to the private sector. The directors Andy Bearpark and Penny Beels have been integral to the formation of the BAPSc from the very beginning . Andy Bearpark together with Penny Beels appear to play a seemingly contradictory role within the Post Conflict People organisation. Where BAPSC are watching over the practice of PSC's who initially in their traditional practice went into conflict areas to enact in the role of combat and protection, PCP involves the restructuring of these areas after combat and upheaval has subsided. Essentially Bearpark and Beels are partly responsible for the disruption and then the rebuilding of these conflict areas.

Bearpark began his career in public service in 1973 with the Overseas Development Administration(ODA), where he spent thirteen years running numerous development programmes in Asisa and Africa. From 1986 to 1989, he served as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, where he was responsible for Home Affairs and then progressed to Parliamentary Affairs. From 1991 to 1997 he was Head of the Information and Emergency Aid Departments of the Overseas Development Administration. During this period he ran all UK Governement emergency relief operations, he was also Press Secretary to the ODA Minister Barones Chalker during 1991 to 1995. In 1998 Bearpark was based in Sarajevo where he served as Deputy High Representative in the Office of the High Representative (OHR)and took on the Reconstruction and Return Task Force until 2000. During 2000 to 2003, Bearpark took the position of Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in charge if the EU Pillar of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo where he oversaw the province's reconstruction and economic development. Before his currnet position at BAPSC, he served as Director of Operations and Infrastructure for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq .

Penny Beels career began in 1973 as a government servant in the security defence sector. She joined Control Risks in 1978 where helped set up their Information Service that provided the private sector with up-to-date information in formulating their business strategy abroad especially in hostile areas. She then moved to their office in Washington DC to help develop their opportunitites in the Americas returning in 1982 as Executive Assistant to the Managing Director and their main board. In 1983 she left the security sector to establish a picture framing and gallery business, later to return to the defence sctor in 1994. On her return she worked for Defence Systems Ltd establishing their Special Projects Department to provide security assistance to International Agencies and Humanitarian Projects in post conflict areas. She provided the management for the first EU contract in Bosnia and Herzegovina providing mine clearance training after working alongside the Chairmen and CEO of Defence Systems Ltd. She was recrutied by the FCO in 1997 to join the UK Presidency of the EU Monitoring Mission and spent two years working in the Balkans, including the period of the crisis in Kosovo where she reported on the political developments and teh social security situation. In 1999 she joined the Cabinet of the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina where she was expected to oversee the social problems of refugee return and reconstruction. During this time period she worked closely with Andy Bearpark. In 2001 she assisted in the coordination of th handover of the High Representative to Lord Ashdown and moved to Brussels to manage his representative office as EU Special Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina .

Iain King (born 1971) is founder of Post Conflict People and a 'civilian stabilisation advisor'. He was formerly Director of Programmes at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. King worked for UNMIK from April 2000 to December 2003. He spent 2003 as head of planning for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.[3] Since 2004 he has been the director of programs at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. [4][5] In 2005 King attended the Neocon International event in Prague the Democracy and Security International Conference

The role of the BAPSC is essentially to promote, enhance and regulate the activities of UK-based firms and companies that provide armed security services in countries outside of the UK. Whilst representing the interests and activities of members in regards to proposed or actual legislation. Members of the BAPSC must provide services with high professional skill and expertise whilst taking into account the inadequate legal framework of the countries they are operating in . In comparison to this the role of the Post Conflict People organisation is to revive these societies that have suffered the effects of war and armed combat brought on by the use of armed security services. Contradictory is it not that Andy Bearpark and Penny Beels play a leading role in both of these organisations.

Links to Private Security/Military Industry

The British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC) was launched in February 2006 by leading members of the private security industry under the chairmanship of Andrew Bearpark. According to its charter its mission is:

to promote, enhance and regulate the interests and activities of UK-based firms and companies that provide armed security services in countries outside the UK and to represent the interests and activities of Members in matters of proposed or actual legislation . BAPSC also claim to raise standards of operation of its members and enshrine compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights standards The charter further states that:

The Association determines that it can only achieve its objectives through effective self-regulation and transparent engagement with UK Government departments and relevant International Organisations. The Association believes that it is only through effective self-regulation that the Members will enhance their position and be able to achieve differentiation from non Members in the same industry sector.

Activities

As stated above,PCP claim that their objective is to rejuvenate societies which have been afflicted by war so as to improve the situation for the inhabitants and to raise the performance of firms, such as, the members of BAPSC of whom they are closely connected, and individuals. However, the evidence given by a number of concerned individuals and NGO dispute these claims and suggest that there are other, less obvious, objectives at work here

In his address at the second BAPSC conference, at the Royal Geographical Society in December 2007, Andrew Bearpark recognised the inconvenience of short term contracts for his members in Iraq, however, he suggested that in the long term private security companies will be asked to pickup the shortfall as the UK defence budget is cut.Ten civil servants from departments of the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office would make no comments as to why they had attended the conference.

One unnamed delegate at the conference highlighted the reasons behind the governments employment of private military companies: "Private security companies are not subject to political considerations in the same way conventional armies are. Plus you don't necessarily have to flag up money you spend on hiring mercenaries. It doesn't necessarily appear in the official defence budget," he said. "Most importantly, if a private security contractor is killed on active duty, you don't get any body bag pictures on the front pages. That means no bad publicity for the government". A number of speakers at the conference, including Sir Malcolm Rifkin following complaints by NGOs, called for governmental regulation of private security companies. . Ironically, Sir Malcolm Rifkin, who was formerly the UK Foreign Secretary was also the the chairman of Armour Group. Another former member of the British parliament who now makes his living from PSC is Ex-British defence and home secretary John Reid who is now group consultant to G4S, including ArmorGroup, which is hired by the UK government in Afghanistan. In his address at the BAPSC conference he stated: "We need an insistence in common standards and a clear understanding that private personel will not be engaged in offensive operations".

Further, Bob Shepherd an ex-SAS soldier and security advisor has suggested that allowing BAPSC to self regulate is "tantamount to allowing Afghan drug traffickers to police the boarder with Pakistan". Shepherd, resigned from one of BAPSC member companies in 2006 due to the failure of the company to supply his squad with weapons and an armoured vehicle for over a year.

By January 2009 Erinys also suspended its BAPSC membership siteing the need for Government clarity on the regulatory framework for British Private Security Companies.[3] In addition to this War on Want (WAW) provides evidence regarding the need for regulation of private security companies (PSCs) in its recent critical report of the killings and human rights abuses by PSCs in Iraq. A trophy video on WAWs web site shows mercenaries from British company Aegis Defence Services(ADS) systematically shooting at civilian cars in Baghdad .

ADS is also known as Aegis Specialist Risk Management (ASRM) was founded by former Scots Guard Tim Spicer who was named in the Sandline Affair for his involvement in the exportation of 30 tons of arms to Sierra Leone which was in violation of the UN weapons embargo. He was also arrested in 1997 for his involvement in an abortive coup in Papua New Guinea. Spicer's former Sandline business partner ex-SAS officer Simon Mann was also arrested in 2004 for his attempt at facilitating a coup in Equatorial Guinea .

According to Andy Bearpark in 2007 the Iraq boom for the private security industries was in its final stages: "It will not be the same again,...The $8bn (£9bn) the US paid out for Iraqi construction will not be repeated," he said. However, by September huge profits were on the horizon again as the US Pentagon renewed a three year contract with Aegis which was worth a staggering $475m .

In November 2007 US Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur heavily criticised the Aegis contract, at a House Committee hearing. She stated: "I will say this, both in closed door meetings and in public, I have yet to find a person other than the auditor, who is able to shed any light on how it was that Aegis, a foreign corporation, was given a contract where now we have the second-largest force in Iraq, larger than the Brits, headed by someone named Tim Spicer. Who signed that contract, and what are those 20,000 people doing, many of whom are foreign mercenaries? What are they doing? Why can't I get any answers out of our Government? What is happening inside the Department of Defence? What are those people doing over there? The last answer I got was, well Congresswoman, youll have to go over to Central Command over in Baghdad. OK, I'll go, but why can't I get answers on that as a member of this committee?" .

G4S currently holds the Home Office contract for a number of immigration detention centres in the UK and has recently been criticised for a number of human rights abuses against asylum seekers in their care. Many of whom are escaping the ravages of violent conflict in their own countries. While being deported Jimmy Mubenga, aged 46, died on a British Airways flight about to depart for Angola. Three G4S civilian security guards have been arrested in connection with his death. . In G4S-run Tinley House an 11 year old girl who was arrested, became so traumatised that she attempted to strangle herself. In addition to this, in March this year a G4S manager was sentenced to a 40 week suspended jail term for assualting a 13 year old boy in his care. The boy's buttocks were severely injured through being dragged across a tarmacked court and up a flight of stairs. Despite this evidence the home office has renewed G4S contract until 2012 .

Public Disclosure of Misconduct by Armour Group North America. In September 2009, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) produced a critical report of gross negligence and inappropriate conduct by a significant number personnel of Armour Group North America (AGNA) who were contracted by the US Department of State (DOS) to protect the US embassy in Kabul. This included accounts of hazing, sexual misconduct and drunkenness that led to the "complete distrust of leadership and the breakdown of the chain of command" The report highlights the fact that there were an insufficient number of guards and that Afghan staff were also being victimised. Despite these failing the DOS renewed the companies contract with an option to extend to 2012. Patrick Toynne-Sewell of Armour Group drew attention to the rational behind the continued use of private security companies in Iraq and a possible motive for the invasion in the first place when he said: "We believe that Iraq as a market will continue to grow for some time due to the outsourcing by the US government in terms of convoy logistics, in terms of guarding, that will continue. The fact that there are obviously huge oil reserves in Iraq and international companies will go back in once the security situation stabilises a bit more".

It would seem from the above evidence that the activities and behaviour of PCP and the BAPSC is at odds with the public description of their work. When the expertise of PCP can be seen to be severely lacking in the field of 'training' their 'practitioners before deployment'and the BAPSC appear to be ill equipped to regulate the activities of their members or ,for that matter, to be complying with any known international humanitarian and human rights legislation. However, both companies exhibit a considerable expertise when it comes to promoting their own self-interests.

Conferences

Stabilisation and Reconstruction

London - Thursday, 9 December 2010

The annual conference will have as a topic the practical demands that stabilisation and reconstruction make on governments and on military and international actors. More than one important point will be taken into discussion: the practical steps that could be taken in order to implement a new "Stabilisation Agenda" and communicate with post conflict people; the role of the private sector and its potential actions to improve investment, growth, stability and mediation; the importance of civil and military cooperation. Speakers from Government, the Military and the International Theatre have agreed to participate.

British Association of Private Security Companies Conference

London - Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Ex-British defence and home secretary John Reid - now group consultant to G4S, including ArmorGroup, which is hired by the UK government in Afghanistan - addresses the annual conference of the British Association of Private Security Companies

Strategic Communications in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict

London, 24-25 June 2009

Albany Associates in conjunction with Post Conflict People organized this event with the aim of discussing ways of communication in post conflict countries. Numerous guests participated: experts from various backgrounds, delegates from the UK and the US Governments, the EU, NATO, the United Nations and other International organisations, NGO's, Academics, Media, Independent Communications Experts, Defence Specialists and the Private Sector.

More information about this conference can be found at the following link: http://www.powerbase.info/index.php?title=Globalisation:Albany_Associates

British Association of Private Security Companies Conference

London 18 October 2011

Main agenda the International Code of Conduct (ICOC) for private security providers.

Counter Terror Expo Conference

London 19/20 April 2011 (Advertised on BAPSC web site)

A Highly specialised event for those who are tasked with demanding and complex role of of delivering robust defence against the treat posed from international terrorism. Attendees will include experts from government,security services, law enforcement and academia.

National Security Emphasises need for a Coordinated Approach to Counter-Terrorism. High in rhetoric but offering little insight in terms of its goals will be fulfilled against a backdrop of swinging cuts both in defence and the Home Office budgets.

"Cyber Security & Electronic Terrorism" has long been considered a strategic threat to national assets. Important to recognise that additional funding for so called cyber terrorism (which amounts to £500 million) is focused primarily at protecting government and military networks.

Democracy & Security International Conference

In 2005 King attended the Neocon International event in Prague,the Democracy and Security International Conference also known as the “Democracy and Security: Core Values and Sound Policies” conference was held in Prague on the 5-6th of June, overlapping the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm . Another participant at this conference was Jamie Shea who is a former British journalist turned NATO propagandist. He later became Director of Policy Planning in the Private Office of the Secretary General responsible for advising and assisting the Secretary General, senior NATO management, and the Council in addressing strategic issues facing the Alliance .

Connections

With Government

The following spoke or where represented at the 'Strategis Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict' conference held on the 24th-25th June 2009 at The Cumberland Hotel, London in association with Albany Associates. This was an international conference that discussed how strategic communications can be incorporated into policy at an early stage and how to use effective communication techniques.

Jamie Shea (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict' 24-25 June 2009)

Alister Campbell (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

MOD (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

EU (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

United Nations (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

NATO (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

Edward Mortimer CMG(Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009. Associated with: Financial Times, United Nations, Salzburg Global Seminar)

AMISOM (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

UNAMA (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

UNRWA (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

General Sir Michael Jackson (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009)

The following spoke or where represented at the 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' conference on 19 Nov 2008 which was sponsored by Portland International Affairs and Fujitsu at which Rt Hon, Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC had this to say on Post Conflict People: ‘So many times when you get into situations like Iraq, Afghanistan, like I found myself in Bosnia Herzegovina, we reinvent the wheel and that tremendous storehouse of knowledge and of the folklore of about how this is done is lost, and that’s a tragedy and it contributes to our mistakes… Coming together to share practice, to codify practice, to hand on knowledge, to hand on skill, to bring experience to bear, instead of doing as we have done in the past, reinvent the wheel every time, think we can do it, involving ourselves and inevitably bringing about the inevitable suffering that we’ve seen in Afghanistan, that’s the wrong way to do it... Actually the lesson of Iraq and Afghanistan is not never do it again, the lesson is we must learn to do it better and Post Conflict People and the conference you are on today will make a major step, I am sure, towards that direction’]],.

Rory Stewart OBE(Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: Turquoise Mountain Foundation, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Conservative Party, British Army- Black Watch.

Michael Moller (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: Kofi Annan Foundation, United Nations (UN).

General Sir David Richards KCB, CBE, DSO (Keynote Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: British Armed Forces, NATO)

Daniel Korski (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Department for International Development, British Government, US State Department, The Spectator, Lord Paddy Ashdown)

Jasmine Zerinini (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: French Cabinet Office)

Mark Etherington, CBE (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: UK's Stabilisation Unit)

Andrew Michels (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: US State Department)

With Industry

Albany Associates (Conference:Strategic Communications in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict’ 24-25 June 2009. Associated with: Coffey International Development)

Simon Haselock (Speaker- Conference:Strategic Communications in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict’ 24-25 June 2009, Co-founder and Director of Albany Associates . Associated with: Royal Marines, United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), UK Ministry of Defence)

Portland PR (Sponsor- Conference:Strategic Communications in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict’ 24-25 June 2009. Associated with: Coca-cola, McDonalds, Google, CBS, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Virgin Media, Kofi Annan Foundation, Mitsubishi, Facebook, Tesco, Vodafone, BT, Maersk, UK Broadband, Syngenta, The Rockefeller Foundation, Remploy, Renewable UK, Quintain, Overseas Development Institue (ODI), New Schools Network, Nduna Foundation, Morrisons, LSN Learning, Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF), Inmarsat, The Gurkha Welfare Trust, Gazprom, Cash4Gold.com, British Red Cross, Beverage Brands, ChilversMcCrea Healthcare, Every Child a Chance Trust, Medicapital Bank, Coolabi, Care UK, Kingspan, TeachFirst, iSoft, Bebo, Netjets, Wsta, Teenage Cancer Trust, Scouts, Seatwave, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, JaguarLandrover, COI, Africa Progress Panel)

Bell Pottinger (Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009, associated with: Chime Communications )

Nik Gowing (Speaker- Conference: 'Strategic Communication in Countries Emerging from Violent Conflict'24-25 June 2009, Guest speaker- Quarterly Networking Dinner,Wednesday, 25th March 2009. Associated with: BBC World, World Economic Forum, Channel Four, ITN, Nobel Awards, Ditchley Foundation, Overseas Development Institute, Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House))

19 Nov 2008 Conference:

Fujitsu (Sponsor- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008)

James Ferguson (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008, Has been associated with: Arbuthnot Securities, Arbuthnot Latham & CO, Nomura Group, Robert Fleming, SBC Warburg, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Mitsubishi Securities, Pali International)

Alistair Harris (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008, Associated with: UN, Pursue Ltd)

Richard Harvey (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: AVIVA)

Felix Martin (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: World Bank, European Stability Initiative (ESI), Thames River Capital.

Christina Lamb (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: The Sunday Times, Royal Geographical Society)

Norine A. MacDonald QC (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: The European Council on Foreign Relations (ICOS), The Gabriel Foundation, Network of European Foundation of Innovative Cooperation (NEF), NEF- Merator Fund, The Global Media Centre, International Crisis Group (ICG))

Richard Williams, OBE (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: Fujitsu Services)

Phillip van Niekerk (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: Kroll, Good Governance Group, South Africa's Mail and Guardian Newspaper)

Geoff Hill (Speaker- Conference: 'New Approaches to Stabilisation: Tackling Post-Conflict Reconstruction' 19 Nov 2008. Associated with: Washington Times]])