Abstract
Through the example of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), this article examines how intercultural skills are used by the French military in their daily life during a peacekeeping operation. As an essential part of professional military education and a component of military efficiency, cultural awareness is supposed to play a key role in fulfilling peacekeeping missions. The contention here is that there is a gap between the official discourse on cultural awareness and the way that the military experience their daily life and perceive multiculturalism during operations. Cultural diversity does not feature as a trump card, and national boundaries remain strong, in for example the compartmentalization of areas of operation and the restrictive UN and national rules of engagement. These limit the formal and informal contacts between contingents and with the population.
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