An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir June 2016 www.dfmagazine.ie 34 | M cKee Bks nCos Mess was the venue for a talk entitled 1916 and the Mobilisation of Senti- ment, conducted by crisis manager and risk consul- tant, Declan Power, on April 14th. A former member of the Defence Forces, Declan gave a detailed talk that examined the aims of the Rising leadership and how they differed from conven- tional military concepts. Many examine history with the benefit of hind- sight and Power's talk looked at this aspect, and how we, as individuals or groups, when examining a nation's history, may be collective and selective. Were the Irish Volunteers right in staging a rebel- lion in 1916? Did they have a clear mandate to stage an insurrection? Should they have waited until the end of WWI to see if Home Rule would be granted as the British Government had promised? What about those Irishmen that joined the British Army to fight in the war? The talk covered these topics and more. Topics that were controversial in 1916, and even today may cause contention: the sentiment successfully mobilised among the Irish populace in the aftermath of the Rising regarding the event and its participants is still evident today. A lively debate followed the talk with a number of the audience directing statements and questions to the speaker. These were all answered in turn, the audience enjoying the interaction with Declan. One aspect of the evening's discussion was that the Rising was an important event in the history of the Defence Forces (Óglaigh na hÉireann), and its involve- ment in the recent commemorations was testament to this. Declan Power is a security/defence analyst and writer currently working with the European Com- mission on projects involving counter-terrorism (CT), countering of violent extremism (CVE) and civil-mili- tary engagement. He also consults and advises for the corporate sector, including a number of Irish compa- nies working or planning to operate in volatile regions. A former career soldier, Declan served in the three combat arms of the Irish army and later in DFHQ on a variety of operations both at home and abroad. He continues to deploy on UN and EU missions. In 2012 he was part of an Irish/Swiss government- funded team that researched and developed a system of crisis management for international humanitar- ian organisations. He was the project leader for the successful field phase of imple- mentation during deployment in South Sudan 2014-15. Later that year he was also a panelist/ contributor to the 2015 White Paper on Defence. In addition to attending the military college, Declan has also completed a degree in journalism with Dublin City University and is a graduate of Peace and Conflict Studies from Trinity College Dublin and the UNHCR's Emergency Management program. He instructs on various civil and military crisis man- agement courses, including UNOCHA's Civil-Military Staff Planning Course, NATO's CCOE School and the UK's Brunel Centre for Intelligence and Security Stud- ies (BCIS). Declan is the author of a number of articles and papers on security affairs, including 'From the Congo to Mali' (Irish Studies in International Affairs 2013), which examined Ireland's contribution to interna- tional peace support operations. He also wrote 'Siege at Jadotville' (Maverick House 2005), one of the few books dealing with the Irish experience of UN service during the Congo mission. The book has been adapted for film by Parallel film, directed by Dubliner Richie Smyth and is due for release by Netflix later this Autumn. Following 'Siege at Jadotville', Declan has been working on 'Beyond the Call of Duty', the stories behind the awards of the Military Medal for Gallantry. Only eight have been awarded since the foundation of the state. Declan seeks to tell the contribution of the soldiers who earned these decorations, serving their comrades and country. Publica- tion date is set for later this year. When not deployed abroad, Declan provides analysis to both broadcast and print media on security and defence mat- ters. This varies between writing analysis pieces for print and online media as required to more frequently entering the public debate on matters of security, terrorism and defence. The Power of The SPoken word By PAUL O'BRIEN Declan Power

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