During peace negotiations, many diverse actors become involved, such as military officers, nongovernmental organizations, international civil servants, and individual citizens. As such, the potential for misunderstandings and differences in operational protocol is high. In order to facilitate peace negotiations in a climate of diverse cultures, it is necessary to develop a general approach to culture and peacekeeping. The author outlines a proposal for thinking of culture as a model for understanding and action. Since it may be impossible to understand each and every unique organizational, national, and regional culture it becomes imperative to understand culture as a tool to respond to unique and new situations. The author outlines manifestations of cultural models that help explain how culture plays out in everyday interactions. Thinking and reasoning styles, verbal styles, context, uncertainty and ambiguity, and power and social relations are explained as diverse cultural manifestations. Next, the author explains how cultural differences between military personnel and civilian populations may create conflicts during peace operations. Finally, the author offers eight general principles that should guide individuals attempting to transcend cultural differences in order to reach a stated goal. Tables, notes, references