HUMAN SECURITY
An International Perspective
Ashikaga
Shimane Kaikan
Ashikaga,
Tochigi, Japan
11 April, 2000
Santasilan KADIRGAMAR
The
concept of Human Security evolved in the 1990s and is now widely accepted as a
theme under which numerous issues are discussed. It is a concept under which
various groups including the United Nations, Universities and NGOs discuss
contemporary problems. The Human Development Report published by the United
Nations Development Fund (UNDP) has in the 1990s provided us with a broad
approach to human well-being and the study of the social and economic problems
facing the world. As the 1999 report
states:
"Getting
income is one of the options people would like to have. It is an important but
not an all-important option. Human development includes the expansion of income
and wealth, but it includes many other valued and valuable things as well.
“For
example, in investigating the priorities of poor people, one discovers that
what matters most to them often differs from what outsiders assume. More income
is only one of the things poor people desire. Adequate nutrition, safe water at
hand, better medical services, more and better schooling for their children,
cheap transport, adequate shelter, continuing employment and secure livelihoods
and productive, remunerating, satisfying jobs do not show up in higher income
per head, at least not for some time."
Human Security and National Security
Human
Security is an expression that offers an alternative approach to the more
widely used national security concept. National security is concerned with
defense, militarization, manufacture and trade in weapons including nuclear
weapons and research, pacts and alliances among states - all these apparently
for defense but often in reality used for aggression and domination.
There
are numerous examples that can be cited. In the second half of the 20th
century the best known example was the Vietnam War. The United States fought
this war claiming that it was vital for its national interests and security.
This is now regarded as a major failure and defeat for the US. The Gulf War
against Iraq is another notable example. Whatever Saddam Hussein's faults
including the annexation of Kuwait, the Western Powers supported by several
other states used the United Nations to attack Iraq, primarily to retain
control over oil fields in the Middle-East. Here again the war was fought to
promote the national interests of the powerful industrialized nations. The main
victims of both wars were children and the poor.
In
the second half of the 20th century we have in addition seen the
growth of the national security-state. In such a state, the security forces are
used by authoritarian and dictatorial regimes to control their own citizens in
order to preserve power in the hands of a few wealthy people - the upper class
of land owners, owners of industries and business tycoons. Political freedoms
are curtailed, trade union activity is prohibited and the press controlled. A
kind of crony capitalism is prevalent. Corruption including kickbacks from
foreign aid and investment is extensive.
Examples
in Asia in recent years were the Philippines under Marcos and Indonesia under
Suharto. Both were over-thrown by people's power. Such regimes were and are
common in Latin America and Africa. Another form of the national security-state
is one in which economic and political power is concentrated in a ruling class
within one ethnic group. The minorities are oppressed and discriminated
against. Attempts to assert their rights lead to repression. The classic
example was South Africa during the period of apartheid where a minority of
whites oppressed the black majority. In such a state power gradually shifts to
the police and the army and grave violations of human rights take place.
Peoples' Security
Prof.
Mushakoji says that by Human Security we mean peoples’ security. “Peoples’
security is different from “National Security” for all peoples who do not
exclusively identify with the “nation-state”. The modern “nation-state” is
ready to protect its citizens provided they do not question its legitimacy and
its national project … The “minorities” may receive protection from the state
if their integration is advantageous to it and is accepted by the “majority.” …
the (i.e. majority identity group) as well as the state constitutes often a
threat against which they have to protect themselves. How the United Nations
can guarantee the security of such peoples is a question which increases in
importance everyday.” (Mushakoji Kinhide, PRIME, Meiji Gakuin University,
Nov.1994). This is one dimension of the crisis in several states.
“The
post-cold war era is increasingly witnessing a phenomenon of what some have
called “failed states” the implosion of countries like Rwanda, Somalia,
Yugoslavia, and others … several countries are among the ranks of what
Professor James Rosenau of George Washington University calls “adrift
nation-states” … the media and many
other observers now almost habitually ascribe the outbreak of civil wars and
the collapse of entire societies to just one factor: the resurfacing of
“ancient ethnic hatreds” revolving around seemingly irreconcilable religious
and cultural differences.” In reality the causes are far more complex.
“Roughly half of the world’s countries have
experienced some kind of interethnic strife in recent years.” There are “233
minority groups at risk from political or economic discrimination. These groups
encompassed 915 million people in 1990, about 17 percent of the world’s
population. “One of the continuing legacies of colonial and imperial rule is
that boundaries are often arbitrary – drawn not to reflect local realities, but
to serve the purposes of the imperial masters… following independence, civic
life in many of these states continued to be split along ethnic lines, with one
group ruling at the direct expense of the other.” (State of the World 1997: A
Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society, Lester R.
Brown et al, Worldwatch Institute,
1997.
p.
117-118.)
United Nations as a Human Security
Institution
The
alternative approach that of Human Security, while recognizing the need for
legitimate national security, asserts that there is a vital link between
development and peoples' security. The problems that emerge with development,
modernization and urbanization are numerous. These include human rights, the
right to work and earn a decent living, basic needs like food, clean water,
shelter, health care, education, and welfare - especially for children and old
people, the environment and gender
issues. Human security is an umbrella term that includes all the major problems
we have in modern society.
This
concept favors transforming the United Nations into a Human Security
Institution. The perception that people have of the UN and the Security Council
in particular is that of an organization primarily concerned with war and
peace. The use of military force and peace-keeping at the point of the gun
receive excessive importance. There are often deep differences among the
world's peoples regarding the UN's role in these matters. Human security as
defined above is increasingly being recognized as an important role of the UN.
Member states and especially citizens should press for a greater role by the UN
in giving top priority to Human Security concerns.
This
is an insecure world for the majority of the people. It is impossible to
discuss all these issues in today's lecture. I have chosen some major issues
that are relevant to teachers and educators. This does not mean that these are
more important than the others. All the issues are interrelated. For
example literacy, infant mortality and life expectancy are connected. These again are dependent on the availability of
schools and adequate medical facilities. Expansion of the educational and
health care systems require infrastructure that facilitates transportation and
communication. These include roads, railways, electricity and telephone
facilities. Access to information through newspapers, radio and television is
important especially in poorer countries. All these in turn require economic
development.
A Message for Teachers and Educators
But
before I take up some of these issues I have one comment to make. I have often heard Japanese people say
that they do not know about the problems in several Asian countries because
they do no have enough information. This is not quite correct. It is true that
both print and electronic media in Japanese do not give enough information. The
situation is now much better than ten years ago. However, even now, the media
tends to focus on the curious and the exotic, on what is trivial and
entertaining - infotainment rather than relevant knowledge. This is one of the
major failures in post-war Japanese society. In Europe there is greater
awareness.
Japanese
post-war society has been influenced too much by the consumer oriented American
way of life. In the Meiji period and early Showa years Japan was highly
influenced by Europe. But in America consumerism and ignorance is constantly
challenged by sections of the media, distinguished journalists, writers,
eminent intellectuals, activists, and numerous organizations such as NGOs and
some churches with a strong commitment to justice, human rights and welfare of
peoples in the poorer countries of the world.
In
the USA the main stream media like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times
and the Washington Post give wide coverage to the problems mentioned above.
These papers are now freely available in Japan, especially the supplements
carried by the Daily Yomiuri and the Asahi Evening News without extra charge.
CNN, CBS and BBC bilingual news broadcasts and documentaries available in Japan
also give valuable information.
In
addition it is possible to down load from the Internet tons of information
within a few minutes. In fact there is too much information. But this is of
course in English. By reading the newspapers and listening to the news you can
gather a lot of information and at the same time improve your English. There is
therefore no longer any excuse for Japanese people to say that we do not have
enough information. If people are ignorant it simply means that they are not
interested or do not care about the sufferings of people denied human security.
It is a question of commitment and whether you are prepared to give a little
bit of your time to create a better world.
Today
numerous publications on the issues mentioned above are easily available in
several languages including Japanese. I recommend in particular the Human
Development Report and UNICEF reports published by the UN annually. These
should be read by teachers and educators. When you first read them they may
appear to be difficult. Data (facts and figures) on many problems are provided
country by country in these reports.
To
begin with you should choose two or three problems and study them. Gradually
you can broaden the scope. You can form your own study circles, either in your
place of work or within the community in which you reside. Or you can form a
group among your friends. It is important that school libraries equip
themselves with books, newspapers, periodicals and audio-visual aids and
encourage clubs to focus on these issues. Curriculum and syllabus of courses
provided in schools should give high priority to Human Security concerns.
A Quick Look at some Socio-Economic Facts
and Indicators
I
have selected a few topics for discussion today. We have made copies of tables
and charts (in English and Japanese) taken from
(1) The State of the World's Children 2000 - UNICEF (2) The Human Development Report 1999 and (3) Associated Press Document on
the High Human Cost in All Wars.
Using
these I intend to focus on (1) The Growing Gap between the Rich and the Poor.
(2) Children and Education. (3) Social and Economic Indicators relating to
Literacy, Infant Mortality, Life Expectancy, GNP per capita and Military
Expenditures in selected countries.
A World Without Borders
We
live in a world that is being rapidly transformed into a totally integrated
global society where troubles in one part soon affect other parts of the world.
Global warming and environmental issues are a good example. Rapid population
growth, urbanization, poverty and wars including ethnic conflict make people
take risks. Refugees by the millions cross nation-state borders in search of
security.
Human
Security is global. Borders cannot totally restrict the movement of people.
Poverty, diseases, and pollution that poverty breeds cannot be confined within
national boundaries. Illegal trafficking in arms and drugs are universal. The
big gap in incomes between rich and poor countries attracts migration. People
in the rich countries must realize that helping poorer countries to develop is
an essential investment in their own security. Human security has to be
understood as preventive action. It is better to prevent rather than wait until
the problems become too big to cure.
As
Johan Galtung states, "human security can be seen as an umbrella concept …
and relates the concept to peace in general via four other concepts: human
rights, social development, women and human settlements." (International
Symposium on Human Security in Asia Pacific Region, December 1997, PRIME, Meiji
Gakuin University, Tokyo.)
The
above symposium focussed on a broad range of issues relevant to human security
by both scholar-activists and activist-scholars. Academics in Universities in
particular have a responsibility to relate their study to practice. Activists
in turn should make an effort to sharpen their intellectual understanding of
the problems that they confront in practice.
Efforts
are being made by several groups in Asia and other parts of the world. These
are signs of hope. One such group with which I have been associated is the
Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives based in Hong Kong. It is a
fellowship of concerned Asian scholars. Founded in 1980 conferences have been
held in Thailand 1982, Indonesia 1985, India 1988, Philippines 1992, South
Korea 1996 and in Sri Lanka March 2000. The leadership and activities of ARENA
has now passed on to a younger generation with women playing a major role. In
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 24-29 March this year the theme was "Re-Imagining
Asia: Towards Alternative Concepts of Human Security, Movements and Alliances
in the Twenty First Century." ARENA's programs and publications constantly
seek Alternatives.
As ARENA Coordinator Jeannie Nacpil-Manipon states in "locating the
possibilities and locating the possible … the word impossible doesn't seem to
exist anymore." Returning
from that meeting in Colombo I bring this message to you - especially to those
of you who are young teachers. You face a world burdened with many problems.
But it is also a time of great challenges and opportunities. We must look for
the signs of hope and seize the opportunities that come our way...
As Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan states,
"There is
no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children… The State of
the World's Children 2000 begins and ends with the premise that the wellspring
of human progress is found in the realization of children's rights. It spells
out a vision in which the rights of all children, without exception, are
realized. The challenge, as so often, lies in the implementation of good
intentions. Let us summon all our courage and commitment to make it so. Because
a child in danger is a child who cannot wait."
We must believe that Human Security is an attainable target if
each and every one of us makes a small contribution. It must begin with power that comes from
knowledge, and through participation in movements and alliances of people with
people. It calls for "creative daydreaming" study and action.
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