This Marine Corps book provides an important record of the cultural lessons learned during the past decade--not only in Afghanistan and Iraq but in a variety of operations around the globe. Case Studies in Operational Culture draws together the experiences of 22 field grade military officers from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, as well the Canadian and Australian military. Applying the cultural concepts described in two previous books in this series--Operational Culture for the Warfighter and Applications in Operational Culture--these cases provide detailed, concrete illustrations of how specific cultural factors had a direct impact on the outcome of military operations. As these case studies illustrate, cultural considerations are not merely a tactical concern focused on building good relations with local communities; indeed, they are critical if the United States and its allies hope to create effective plans and strategic solutions that depend upon the cooperation of culturally diverse partners in a region.Part I: Challenges across Service Cultures * Understanding the Environment and Social Structures: Keys to Accessing Indigenous Australian Communities for the Army * by Major Nicholas Rose, Australian Army * The Challenge of Surviving within the Special Operations Culture * by Lieutenant Colonel David K. Aragon, USAF * Part II: Cross-Cultural Challenges when Working with the Local Civilian Population * Operational Culture Challenge: The Fallujah Peninsula, Iraq - by Major Clark Mitchell, USMC * Operational Culture Onboard the al-Basrah Oil Terminal - by Lieutenant Commander A. J. Kruppa, USN * Operational Culture Impacts in Rutbah, Iraq - by Major Bradley P. Bean, USMC * Solving the Terrain Denial Dilemma in al-Anbar Province - by Major Brandon W. Graham, USMC * The Successful Application of Operational Culture Dimensions in an-Najaf, Iraq - by Major Carrie C. Batson, USMC * Key Leader Engagement * By, With, and Through: Working with a Neighborhood Council - by Major David Smith, USA * The Cultural Grounds of the Delaram Gravel Conflict -- by Major Llonie A. C. Cobb, USMC * An Angry Crowd: Operational Culture in Musa Qala, Afghanistan - by Lieutenant Colonel Justin J. Ansel Jr., USMC * Dynamic Dimensions of Dar-I-Bum - by Major Jonathan R. Smith, USMC * Gender Issues * The Dilemma of Female Detainees - by Lieutenant Colonel Eric C. Dill, USMC * Gender as an Operational Challenge and Opportunity in Military Operations * by Major Misty J. Posey, USMC * At the Checkpoint * by Major Jason A. Borovies, USMC * Assessment * Culture and Evaluation of Methods of Assessment * by Major Corey J. Frederickson, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry * Part III: Cultural Challenges in the Joint Operating Environment * Security Cooperation and Advisor Training * Mirror Imaging the Afghan Local Police: Environmental Considerations for Developing Indigenous Police Forces - by Major Ryan D. Shea, USMC * Working with the Iraqi Police in ar-Ramadi, Iraq - by Major Marcus J. Mainz, USMC * Redesigning an Afghan District's Security Plan - by Major John C. Gianopoulos, USMC * Permission to Coordinate: There Must Be Homage to Authority in Ecuador 2009-10 - by Major August R. Immel, USMC * Joint Operations * Coordination in a Multinational Flight Training Exercise - by Lieutenant Colonel Derek M. Brannon, USMC * Coalition Compromise in a No-fly Zone over Libya - by Major Steven Leutner, USAF * Regional Air and Missile Defense in the Western Pacific: Overcoming Cross-Cultural Differences - by Lieutenant Commander Adam D. Wieder, USN * References

Operational Culture for the Warfighter: Principles and Applications is a comprehensive planning tool and reference. It addresses the critical need of the Marine Corps to provide operationally relevant cultural teaching, training, and analysis. This book links social science paradigms to the needs of Marines using an applied anthropology approach. The text explains how fundamental features of culture (environment, economy, social structure, political structure, and belief systems) can present challenges for military operations in different cultures around the globe. Drawing on the research and field experiences of Marines themselves, Operational Culture for the Warfighter uses case studies from past and present cross-cultural problems to illustrate the application of cultural principles to the broad expeditionary spectrum of today's and tomorrow's Marine Corps. This new and expanded second edition of Operational Culture for the Warfighter extends the concepts of the original edition to the Marine Corps Planning Process. New sections on transportation and communication, law and ethics, and culture and planning will assist both military planners and operators with the practical aspects of incorporating culture into military decision-making. This book is intended for use by Marine leaders at all levels of professional military education, planning, and operating.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.

Despite recent advances in important aspects of the lives of girls and women, pervasive challenges remain. These challenges reflect widespread deprivations and constraints and include epidemic levels of gender-based violence and discriminatory laws and norms that prevent women from owning property, being educated, and making meaningful decisions about their own lives--such as whether and when to marry or have children. These often violate their most basic rights and are magnified and multiplied by poverty and lack of education. This groundbreaking book distills vast data and hundreds of studies to shed new light on deprivations and constraints facing the voice and agency of women and girls worldwide, and on the associated costs for individuals, families, communities, and global development. The volume presents major new findings about the patterns of constraints and overlapping deprivations and focuses on several areas key to women s empowerment: freedom from violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, ownership of land and housing, and voice and collective action. It highlights promising reforms and interventions from around the world and lays out an urgent agenda for governments, civil society, development agencies, and other stakeholders, including a call for greater investment in data and knowledge to benchmark progress.

Women, Business and the Law 2021 is the seventh in a series of annual studies measuring the laws and regulations that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. The project presents eight indicators structured around women’s interactions with the law as they move through their lives and careers: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension. This year’s report updates all indicators as of October 1, 2020 and builds evidence of the links between legal gender equality and women’s economic inclusion. By examining the economic decisions women make throughout their working lives, as well as the pace of reform over the past 50 years, Women, Business and the Law 2021 makes an important contribution to research and policy discussions about the state of women’s economic empowerment. Prepared during a global pandemic that threatens progress toward gender equality, this edition also includes important findings on government responses to COVID-19 and pilot research related to childcare and women’s access to justice.

This report examines the links between inequality and other major global trends (or megatrends), with a focus on technological change, climate change, urbanization and international migration. The analysis pays particular attention to poverty and labour market trends, as they mediate the distributional impacts of the major trends selected. It also provides policy recommendations to manage these megatrends in an equitable manner and considers the policy implications, so as to reduce inequalities and support their implementation.