Dr. H. Peter Langille
Peter Langille specializes in peace and conflict studies, United Nations peace operations, conflict resolution and mediation, and independent analysis of defence and security policy.
His PhD in Peace Studies (1999) is from the University of Bradford (under Prof. Paul Rogers), where he focused on initiatives to enhance training, defence specialization and rapid deployment for UN peace operations. Peter’s MA in Conflict Analysis is from the Norman Paterson School of International Relations, Carleton University. His MA research essay was one of three priority books published in 1990 by the University of Toronto Press as Changing the Guard: Canada’s Defence In a World In Transition. He also earned a Graduate Diploma in Peace Research from the University of Oslo, followed by two training courses in mediation.
Near the conclusion of the Cold-War, he initiated discussions on revising NATO and Warsaw Pact military doctrine and deployments to a more defensive orientation. In the early Nineties, his proposal and plans to convert CFB Cornwallis into a Canadian Multinational Peacekeeping Training Centre were solicited by numerous Governments and subsequently prompted the development of the Pearson Peacekeeping Training Centre. In 1994-95, Peter Langille was an “office of primary responsibility” on the core working group of the Canadian Government study, Towards a Rapid Reaction Capability for the United Nations. This report was submitted to the UN General Assembly on its fiftieth anniversary and used as the background document for a wider multinational initiative. As longstanding problems continue to defy prompt UN responses, he wrote another study for the International Peace Institute in 2014, “Improving United Nations Rapid Deployment Capacity”.
Peter’s 2002 book, Bridging the Commitment Capacity Gap, developed the initial concept, case, model and plans for a permanent UN Emergency Peace Service. In 2003, it was adopted as the background book for a wider initiative on UNEPS. In 2015, he elaborated on the option in a WFM-C submission to the UN High Level Panel reviewing peace operations. His latest book is, Developing a United Nations Emergency Peace Service: Meeting Our Responsibilities to Prevent and Protect (Palgrave, 2016).
Peter has addressed diverse audiences, including:
- Global Conference on the Prevention of Genocide (Montreal);
- Japanese senators and parliamentarians (Tokyo);
- Canadian parliamentarians on the SCOND (Ottawa);
- Global Conference on the Prevention of Armed Conflict (New York);
- International Peace Research Association (Calgary);
- Representatives of the African Union (Pretoria);
- Military and Police Advisors Community to the United Nations (New York);
- UN High-level Independent Panel on peace operations, and
- Various international conferences on the proposed UNEPS.
Peter has worked with various levels of government and civil-society organizations. Recently, he developed the umbrella concept of sustainable common security as a means to build bridges of understanding, support and solidarity on shared global challenges, and to encourage a movement of movements for progressive internationalism. He is now outlining a sequence of steps for a global peace system. Peter serves on the advisory board of the World Federalist Movement-Canada and is a Senior Advisor to the Rideau Institute. The International Peace Institute’s ‘Providing for Peacekeeping Project’ lists Dr. Langille as a country expert for Canada and as a thematic expert on UN rapid deployment.
Peter designed and taught courses at the University of Western Ontario, the University of Victoria, York, Carleton and McMaster, as well as Huron & King’s University College. He supervised officers in the Masters in Defence Studies program of the CFC/RMC, and graduate students in Royal Roads University’s Disaster and Emergency Management program.
In 2008, Peter received the Hanna Newcombe Life-Time Achievement Award from the World Federalist Movement-Canada for his numerous contributions in support of more effective UN peace operations.
He has been the recipient of a Human Security Fellowship, a SSHRCC Post-Doctoral Fellowship, and was nominated by Sir Brian Urquhart for the Pearson Peace Prize in 2004.
Peter has practical experience in preventing and transforming violent conflict. Prior to studying peace and conflict, he worked alone as a bouncer in Dawson City, Fort McMurray and Halifax, winning awards for keeping the peace. This was followed by work in youth detention centres in Calgary and Ottawa. He was formerly a professional ski racer and captain of Carleton University’s rugby team.
His full curriculum vitae is available upon request.
Download a copy of this mini-bio here in PDF.