Lebanon peacekeeping

This lieutenant colonel is from the Indian battalion and their job when they’re not out look for Hezbollah or Israeli incursions is to teach yoga in this small village. This class is mostly women with a smattering of young, teenage boys. The Indian battalion also organizes soccer matches and provide dental care, and while not everyone participates, everyone gets the message that the Indians are here to help. The U.S. isn’t the only army with PR problems and some units in the south have been attacked, and some say it’s because of their cocky attitude. This Indian officer says it’s possible to do your job and be liked. Just north of the Israeli border is where this Nepali battalion helps run a community center. This organizer says the Nepalese have allowed the locals to do their own thing. At another village in south Lebanon, these Indonesian soldiers are working to teach language skills and tae kwon do. The Indonesians say their most important weapon is their smile, but they know smiles can’t be their only weapon. This Indonesian officer says much of his time has been spent by studying other attempts by armies to win hearts and minds around the world. UNIFIL is not so widely liked by the enemies it is here to keep apart, and both sides have claimed some UNIFIL forces are ineffectual. But one thing the UN does seem have right is that hearts and minds are better won through activities like yoga than bombs.