Human Security and Conflict Resolution: Idea and Action

Abstract

The present century is a time of global wealth unrivaled in history. But despite enormous prosperity, there is a growing atmosphere of danger felt on every continent. In the United States, fear of terrorism has its response in a policy of “homeland security.” In the Middle East and the developing world, the menace is armed violence, poverty, and disease. In contrast to most countries that witnessed great improvement in their economic and social conditions over the past decades, there are vast areas in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and South America where lack of natural resources or access to the market make them unable to compete in the world economy (Jones, 2009). Severe deprivation is still a way of life for entire populations. More than 2.5 billion people cling to survival on less than one to two dollars a day. While the chief beneficiaries of globalization enjoy tremendous advancements in health, education, and living standards, over 40 percent of the world’s population face the threat of severe poverty. The experience of genocide and civil disorder in today’s world has the potential of a wider conflagration. Felt worldwide, the need for safety has crystallized in the phrase “human security.” This concept, which acquired new nuances and currency in the last two or three decades, owes much of its dominance in development circles to the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration that raised the alarm and called upon the international community to come to the rescue of all those who constitute the global underclass.