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Bishnu Pathak
Professor of Human Security Studies at TRANSCEND
Peace University, Germany.
Email address: pathakbishnu@gmail.com
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Reflection Article
Bishnu Pathak
Peace University, Germany.
Abstract
Keywords
Human Security, Human Rights, United Nations, Peace,
Freedom, Harmony and World Summit.
Palabras clave
Seguridad Humana, Derechos Humanos, Naciones Unidas,
Paz, Libertad, Armona y Cumbre Mundial.
Address correspondence to
Bishnu Pathak
Professor of Human Security Studies at TRANSCEND
Peace University, Germany.
Email address: pathakbishnu@gmail.com
La seguridad humana es una aproximacin conceptual comprensiva. Es una nocin amplia que
comprende proteccin desde lo militar, hasta los organismos no estatales y la proteccin frente a
los desastres naturales. La seguridad humana es un tema muy importante para todos los seres
humanos que necesitan en sus hogares, trabajos, escuelas una vida confortable para crecer, jugar,
estudiar y trabajar. En el centro de la nocin de los conceptos de la antiguedad, en la filosofa, en
los conceptos antiguos y modernos sobre seguridad humana, se mantienen y se rescatan: la paz,
la armona, la coexistencia y el desarrollo. La seguridad humana protege la potencialidad humana y su desarrollo. Algunas iniciativas de las Naciones Unidas buscan establecer y desarrollar la
seguridad humana. Pero cualquiera que sean las comisiones formadas por las Naciones Unidas, la
literatura publicada, el dilogo y el debate conducidos, no son suficientemente fuertes para implementarla. No existe una voz concreta que se alce a favor de la reduccin del gasto militar, para
transformar la produccin militar en produccin civil, para terminar la guerra y financiar el
bienestar. Tampoco las Naciones Unidas han sido serias al respecto o son temerosas frente al
enorme poder de las naciones estado. Estados Unidos colocan poca atencin a la seguridad humana, pero Japn, Canad, Noruega y Suiza le han dado prioridad a establecer un fondo para ello.
La seguridad humana le otorga seguridad a los individuos, los grupos, prioriza las necesidades de
las comunidades y otorga las capacidades para lograr un estndar de vida adecuado, para su
sobrevivencia, su libertad y dignidad. La gente no disfrutar de seguridad sin respetar la herencia pro natura y no podr disfrutar de ella sin desarrollo, no podr disfrutar de desarrollo sin
armona, y no disfrutar de la armona sin la coexistencia, tampoco disfrutar de la coexistencia
sin proteccin para su supervivencia y para su sustento. Las personas no podrn disfrutar de
proteccin sin el fundamento de la libertad, tampoco podrn disfrutar de su libertad sin dignidad,
la gente no podr gozar de dignidad sin el respeto y la salvaguarda de la seguridad humana para
todos. La seguridad humana est centrada territorialmente, se centra en las personas quienes
estn centradas en el trabajo, trabajo que est centrado en la entrega de recursos y servicios; est
centrada en la autonoma, la libertad, en lo secular, en la solidaridad, en la naturaleza, en lo
humanitario, en el gnero y en la legalidad. Slo la victoria en todos los frentes puede asegurar
una paz duradera para el mundo, la co existencia y los derechos humanos. Copyright Syllaba
Press International Inc. 2011-2013. All rights reserved.
2027-7431/$ - see font matter Copyright Syllaba Press International Inc. 2011-2013. All rights reserved
doi: http://dx.doi.syllabapress.us/10.6040/s2027-7431.38118x
Introduction
Human security is a very much important issue to
all human beings. Human Security is not a new, but universal concept in humanity and social sciences. It is a
rising paradigm for understanding global, regional and
national vulnerabilities such as natural hazards to manmade disasters, social exclusion, political restriction, economic deprivation, constitutional and or legal violations
and abuses, international law noncompliance, cultural
limitation and religious intolerance or particularization
in post-cold war and post 9/11. Thus, human security is
todays urgency for national, regional and global stability.
Human security serves as a toolbox to change old-political
prototype (Ramel Winter 2007: 28).
The concept and human security major initiatives
taken rapid attention among the scholars when the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) published
Human Development Report 1994 (Shinoda 2004:5, Tsai
Autumn/Winter 2009, Andrew January 2005, Martin
et al. 2010). Dr. Mahbub ul Haq drew the worlds attention to the concept of human security in the report 1994
that defines Economic Security, Food Security, Health
Security, Personal Security, Community Security, Political Security and Environmental Security. The report is
considered as a milestone publication in the field of human security. The major military-power holder USA pays
little attention to proliferate and discuss on human security, but middle rank power holders like Japan, Canada,
Switzerland and Norway have given priority setting up a
fund for human security (Pathak September 2013:169173).
Being an instructor to human security studies and
researching-attending various levels of dimensions on
conflict transformation, DDR-SSR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration-Security Sector Reform),
civil-military relations, community policing, UN peacekeeping, human rights, etc. (Pathak April-June 2013:135)
at wide levels including security forces and academia, the
author mostly follows secondary literatures drawing the
attentions of learning from yesterday; interpreting human security to ALL for peace, harmony, coexistence, justice and development for today; identifying the important
use and development initiatives taken in four schools of
notions namely ancient, philosophical, traditional and
modern concepts of human security for tomorrow.
Ancient Concepts of Human Security
The ancient understanding of human security had
originated from Eastern World that has still been
available at archeological studies of Egyptian Pyramids
(Egypt Exploration Fund 1916), Iraqian Gilgamesh,
Indian Harappa and Chinese River Valley Civilization.
Pyramid, one of the Seven Wonders of the World in
ancient Egypt, is a monumental structure that especially
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state territorial security, communities security, constitutional and or legitimate government, workers rights and
economic happiness (Pathak September 2013:168).
Platos Theory of an Ideal State focused on productive
workers, protective warriors and governing rulers (Gail
2011). Plato gave idea (knowledge of universal form) to
build commonwealth to achieve justice from producer,
military and ruling classes. The producer class emerges
the guardian class, guardian to ruling class and ruling
class to military class to protect from aggression and courageous acts. The prouder class provides food, clothing,
shelter and equipments to ruling class and military class
to avoid private property and conflict and to secure the
state and the people (Platos Theory of an Ideal State).
Aristotle was pupil of Plato and worked for
Platonism for a long. After Platos death, Aristotle had
followed empirical studies and shifted from Platonism to
empiricism.
However, Aristotles Political Theory
(Shields August 2012) stressed on political community
and their partnership, constitutional government and
democracy (Fred Fall 2012 Edition). The most important
task for the politician is to frame the appropriate constitution for the city-state that ensures laws, customs and
institutions for the citizens. He also stresses upon economic class (rich or poor), local political units and constitutional committee to protect and ensure justice for lawfulness and equality treating equal persons
equally (Georgiadis 1987 and Miller 2005).
The political philosopher Thomas Hobbes in his book
Leviathan established the western political philosophy
from social contract theory perspective. He argued on the
structure, social contract and legitimate government. He
developed some of the fundamentals of liberal thought of
Europe on the right between state and civil society, the
right of the individual making people free from explicit
prohibition interpreting liberal law, the natural equality
of all men, the political power to be for legitimate representative by the peoples consent.
Immanuel Kants Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical
Sketch (1795) stressed on security of state, security of
neighbor, security of the freedom of the state and
peaceful society avoiding future war (Gunnar and Nils
2001; Hinsley 1962). Kant in Critique of Practical Reason
advocated the categories of freedom for the purpose to be
free, to be comprehensible as free and to be morally
evaluated (1788).
In Max Weber: An Intellectual Portrait, Max clearly
defined to the ruler and ruled. For domination and
authoritarian power command, Weber identified indivi
dual or group who rule(s), individual group who is or are
ruled, the will of the rulers to influence the conduct of the
ruled and command, the evidence of the influence of the
rulers in terms of the objective degree of compliance with
command and direct and indirect evidence of that influence in terms of the subjective acceptance of which the
ruled obey the command (1962:292). Weber also observed
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35
changed global context and polarization. The modern concepts of human security divides into two notions: authors
contributed on the concepts development of human security and the some important initiatives taken by the
United Nations, European Union or European Countries
and other nation-states and organizations.
Several authors have contributed to develop the concepts of human security. Some of the notable writers are:
Emma Rothschild, Gary King and Christopher Murray,
Caroline Thomas, Jennifer Leaning and Sam Arie,
Sabina Alkire, Fen Osler Hampson, Roland Paris, Amartya Sen, Yukio Takasu and author himself.
Emma Rothschild extended national security concepts that preceded into four directions: downwards-from
the security of nations to the security of groups and individuals; upwards-from the security of nations to the security of the international system or biosphere; horizontalfrom military to political, economic, social, environmental
and human security; and in all directions-diffuse from
national states to international institutions (upwards),
regional or local government to downwards
nongovernmental organizations and to public opinion
(Summer 1995:55).
Gary King and Christopher Murray define the idea
of human security to improve the lives of people rather
than improve territorial or national borders alone. It continuously improves linkages and cooperation among
go ver nmen ts ,
i nte rna ti ona l
o r gan iza tio ns,
non-governmental organizations and civil society for individual well-being sweeping away poverty (2001-2002:606607).
Caroline Thomas outlines the increasing inequality
brought by globalization. She writes that human security
entails basic material needs, human dignity and demo
cracy. According to her, human security describes a condition of existence in which basic human needs are met.
Meaningful participation in the life of the community can
be met in case for human dignity. Human security is
oriented towards an active and substantive notion of democracy, democracy at all levels, from the local to the
global (2000: p xi).
Jennifer Leaning and Sam Arie define that human
security is based in the human development and capabi
lity approach emphasizing the psychological and the nonmaterial aspects of security. They describe human security as a precondition for human development to protect
the survival of individuals, support individual and group
capacities for adequate standards of living (December
2000:38). Sabina Alkire focuses human security as to
safeguard the vital core of all human lives from critical
and pervasive threats, in a way that is consistent with
long-term human fulfillment (2003:2). Roland Paris argues that human security is related to certain set of value
which loses the neutral position. He suggests human security as a category of research for security studies
(2001:102).
36
Amartya Sen has given human security as alternative concept of poverty and development for individual
security of survival (2000). Yukio Takasu has played a
very important role in advancing a greater understanding
on the notion of human security within UN and across
nations working more than 15 years. Takasu initiated the
formation of the Friends for Human Security in 2006 to
follow up 2005 UN Submit Outcome document (Secretary
-General: SG/A/1271).
The author myself stated that human security is integrated, comprehensive and interrelated concepts to fulfill basic needs and capabilities as basic rights, fundamental freedom and sustainable human development to
reduce the critical pervasive threats. Human security is
based on objective, subjective, horizontal and vertical
theories (Pathak November 2012). According to him, human security is territorial-centered, citizen (non-citizen)centered (civil), job-centered and resource (delivery)centered (economic), service-centered (administration),
autonomy-centered (culture), civic-and-freedom-centered
(political), secular-centered (religion), solidarity-centered
(social), nature-centered (environment), humanitariancentered and legal-centered (Pathak 2005, Pathak September 2013a, Pathak September 2013b).
The Commission on in Human Security defines "to
protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment. Human
security means protecting fundamental freedoms - freedoms that are the essence of life" (Ogata et al. 2003:4).
Security is a neglect concept (Baldwin 1997:5). Human
security complements the state-individual security, promotes human rights and strengthens human development. Human security thus brings together the human
elements of security, of rights, of development (Ogata et
al. 2003:4). The concept proposed by the Commission on
Human Security re-conceptualizes security in a basic way
by:
"First, moving away from traditional, state-centric conceptions of
security that focused primarily on the safety of states from military
aggression, to one that concentrates on the security of the individuals,
their protection and empowerment; second, drawing attention to a multitude of threats that cut across different aspects of human life and thus
highlighting the interface between security, development and human
rights; and third, promoting a new integrated, coordinated and peoplecentered approach to advancing peace, security and development within
and across nations" (UNTFHS 2009:5-6).
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Oxford Dictionary says, "The state of being free from danger or threat".
Human security is similar to sustainable development of everyone. The idea of human security is a coalition of middle power states, development agencies and
NGOs of which all want to shift attention and resources
away from conventional security issues (Paris 2001:87).
The national security tends to secure the territory of nation from all kinds of political, socio-cultural, economic,
environmental, nation-states and non-nation states and
natural disaster threats. The concept of national security
is to freedom from military threat and political coercion
(MacFarlane 2006:19)
Security threats evolves through natural and manmade disasters; internal violence; massive displacements;
health related risks; sudden economic and financial
downturns; human trafficking. Human insecurities are
the major challenge to peace, security and long-term development (UN Trust Fund for Human Security 2011:2).
The evolving threats not only challenge individuals, institutions or communities, but also to national, regional and
international coercion.
The concept of security is shaped by the potential for
conflict between states in which security is equated with
the threats to a nation's borders and country seeks arms
on the course to protect citizen's security. The worry
raises the insecurity on people because of a fear of a cataclysmic world. Several forms namely, job security, income
security, health security, environmental security, sociocultural security and security from crime are the emer
ging unease of human security all over the world. The UN
establishment has given dichotomous importance: people
and territorial security. On the results of the San Francisco Conference, the US Secretary to his government in
June 1945 reports:
The battle of peace has to be fought on two fronts. The first is the
security front where victory spells freedom from fear. The second is the
economic and social front where victory means freedom from want. Only
victory on both fronts can assure the world of an enduring peace....No
provisions that can be written into the Charter will enable the Security
Council to make the world secure from war if men and women have no
security in their homes and their jobs.
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security, irrespective of class (poor or rich), birth, geography, sex, caste/ethnicity, religion, color, profession and
culture. The reduction of military spending is possible,
transforming military production to civilian production.
However, such conversion lacks to implement owing to
diverse range of members associated in it and weak political commitment and will-power of worlds leaders. The
United Nations initiates dialogue and discourse on human security. Numbers of institutions and major initiatives on human security are given the birth, but insecurity prevails in the world due to powerful nations inferior
complexities, manufacturing and trading modern armaments can only proliferate their hegemony, save themselves and their citizens.
Whatever the major initiatives such as Commissions
have been formed, research and reports published and
human security unit formed within UN, neither they are
sufficient nor is the UN strong enough to implement
them. UN did not try to form a team to proclaim Universal Declaration on Human Security and other treaties
such as conventions and covenants similar to human
rights. The issue of human rights overshadows the human security. Thus, either the United Nations is not
serious on human security or it does afraid with powerful
nations-states.
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