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2.4: Resources and References

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    76096
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    Questions for Discussion

    1. What is human security and how is it different from traditional state (national) security?
    2. Critics note that the concept of human security, while laudable, is too broad to actually become operational. Do you agree? Discuss.
    3. What is the reason most treaties or instruments are developed?
    4. What is the basic goal of international humanitarian law?
    5. What are the characteristics of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and Geneva law that are distinct from each other?
    6. Over time, Geneva Law or the Law of War has changed to deal with changing technology and the circumstances surrounding war. What additions or changes would you make for current times? What changes would you predict in the next 50 years?
    7. Imagine a future 10 years hence, where there are no international instruments or treaties covering international humanitarian law, human rights law, and Geneva law. What 10 documents would you want to create to define international rules? Discuss a rank order with colleagues.
    8. What is the most persuasive motivation that would cause a country or region to ban certain methods of warfare (e.g. flame, chemical, nuclear, land mines, bombing, biologic, improvised explosives, psychological, rape, starvation, siege, other)?
    9. What should be basic humanitarian rights for civilians in conflict areas?
    10. How might social or culture issues affect the way in which one interprets international humanitarian law, human rights law and Geneva law?
    11. Article XIX of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights notes that:
      • Everyone shall have a right to hold opinions without interference.
      • Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

      The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

      • For respect of the rights or reputations of others
      • For the protection of national security or public order, or public health or morals.

      This was written at a high level and does not necessarily embrace recent advances in electronic media (i.e. Internet).

      Should the Declaration of Human Rights specifically address the Internet and future changes? Is access to the internet a “right”? Should it be recognized as a “utility” such as electric power or water? Should governments restrict communicators from use of the Internet? Is it fair to look at the status quo from a previous time as the baseline? For example, in 1985 the Internet was a concept, but not in existence and people did “fine.”

    .Extension Activities & Further Research

    1. Concerning Food Security: What are some of the second and third order effects of bringing food into an area suffering from famine? Specifically, what are the potential impacts on local security, economy, farmer incentives, debt, possible diversion, etc.?
    2. Concerning Environmental Security: Some areas of the world are used to dispose of technological or other waste for the developed world. What can be done with international instruments to maximize safety and address local concerns about safety and sustainability issues?
    3. Regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:Article 6 states that “Everyone has the right to recognition as a person before the law.” How could local culture change this?
    4. An iconic photo of an execution during the Vietnam War was taken on February 1, 1968. It shows South Vietnamese National Police Chief General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong officer in Saigon during the Tet Offensive.[9] Lém was captured and brought to General Loan, who then summarily executed him because, it was contended that, Lém commanded a Viet Cong death squad. On this day, 34 murdered South Vietnamese National Police officers and their families were found in a ditch. They had all been bound and shot, and Lém was captured near the site of the ditch. Some of the executed belonged to the family of General Nguyen’s deputy and close friend; six were General Nguyen’s godchildren. Given this situation: are summary executions justified? What is the status of the Geneva Conventions regarding wars of national liberation?
    5. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that:
      • Everyone has the right to a nationality, and that
      • No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality

      In the last quarter of the 20th century many nations have come into existence and many currently have internal strife that may cause the trend of fragmentation to continue. How is the right to a nationality identity protected? Should nationality be determined by original, current, or choice? How might this affect dual nationality?

    6. Concerning the Convention Against Torture: How does one define torture? In its extreme forms it is easy to identify; try to focus on “threshold effects,” that is, the point at which one would begin to question specific techniques or circumstances.

    List of Terms

    See Glossary for full list of terms and definitions.

    • conventions
    • declarations
    • hors de combat

    Suggested Reading

    Section 2.1

    Asara, V., Otero, I., Demaria, F., & Corbera, E. (2015). Socially sustainable degrowth as a social–ecological transformation: Repoliticizing sustainability. Sustainability Science, 10(3), 375–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-015-0321-9[10]

    Chugh, A. (2018, September 19). How to build a model for human security in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum. Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/...al-revolution/

    Durch, W., Larik, J., & Ponzio, R. (Eds.). (2018). Just security in an undergoverned world. Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/prod...cc=us&lang=en&[11]

    Shaw, D. M., & Rich, L. E. (Eds.). (2015). Intergenerational global health. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 12(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-015-9629-5[12]

    Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J., Cornell, S. E., Fetzer, I., Bennett, E. M., Biggs, R., Carpenter, S. R., de Vries, W., de Wit, C. A., Folke, C., Gerten, D., Heinke, J., Mace, G. M., Persson, L. M., Ramanathan, V., Reyers, B., & Sörlin, S. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science, 347(6223), 736–746. dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855[13]

    United Nations Office. Genocide prevention and the responsibility to protect. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2019, from https://www.un.org/en/genocidepreven...-protect.shtml

    Weekes, B., & Stauffacher, D. (2018, December 20). Digital human security 2020 – Human security in the age of AI: Securing and empowering individuals. ICT4Peace Foundation. https://ict4peace.org/wp-content/upl...n-Security.pdf

    Woodbury, Z. (2019). Climate trauma: Toward a new taxonomy of trauma. Ecopsychology, 11(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2018.0021

    Back to Section 2.1

    Section 2.2

    Bosselmann, K. (2018). Global governance in the Anthropocene. In D. A. Dellasala & M. I. Goldstein (Eds.), Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene, 4, (pp. 265–269). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809665-9.10465-3

    Costaniza, R., & Kubiszewski, I. (Eds.). (2014). Creating a sustainable and desirable future: Insights from 45 global thought leaders. World Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1142/8922

    Gore, A. (2013). The future: Six drivers of global change. Random House.[14]

    Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut economics: Seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist. Chelsea Green Publishing.[15]

    United Nations. (2007, September 2013). United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples. https://www.un.org/development/desa/...s-peoples.html

    Back to Section 2.2

    General

    Barlow. M. (2016). Boiling point: Government neglect, corporate abuse, and Canada’s water crisis. ECW Press.

    Centre for Global Health Research. (2014). Million death study (MDS). Retrieved July 18, 2019, from www.cghr.org/index.php/projects/million-death-study-project/

    Freedom House. (2018). Freedom in the world 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2019, from https://freedomhouse.org/sites/defau...SinglePage.pdf

    Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (2019). World happiness report 2019. Sustainable Development Solutions Network. https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/[16]

    International Social Science Council and UNESCO. (2013). World social science report 2013:Changing global environments. OECD Publishing and UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000224677[17]

    Landrigan, P. J., Fuller, R., Acosta, N. J. R., Adeyi, O., Arnold, R., Basu, N., Baldé, A. B., Bertollini, R., Bose-O’Reilly, S., Boufford, J. I., Breysse, P. N., Chiles, T., Mahidol, C., Coll-Seck, A. M., Cropper, M. L., Fobil, J., Fuster, V., Greenstone, M., Haines, A., … Zhong, M. (2017). The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. The Lancet, 391(10119), 462–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32345-0[18]

    Martin, M., & Owen, T. (Eds.). (2015). Routledge handbook of human security. Routledge.

    Philbeck, T., Davis, N., & Larsen, A. E. (2018). Values, ethics and innovation: Rethinking technological development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum. Retrieved July 18, 2019, from https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/...ial-revolution

    Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., & Fuller, G. (2018). 2018 SDG index and dashboards report. https://www.sdgindex.org/reports/sdg...shboards-2018/.[19]

    Social Progressive Imperative. (2018). 2018 Social Progress Index: Executive summary. https://www.socialprogress.org/asset...ec-Summary.pdf[20]

    United Nations. 2015. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: 17 goals to transform our world. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelo...lopment-goals/

    United Nations Population Fund. (2019). State of the World Report 2019 – Unfinished business: The pursuit of rights and choices for all. https://www.unfpa.org/swop-2019

    World Health Organization. (2018). World health statistics 2018: Monitoring health for the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/...565585-eng.pdf

    World Economic Forum. (2019). The global risks report 2019. www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2019

    View a current collection of publications on human security on the UN Trust Fund for Human Security website.

    View a current collection of UN resolutions, debates and reports of the UN Secretary-General on human security online.

    References

    Alkire, S. (2003). Concepts of human security. In L. C. Chen, S. Fukuda-Parr, & E. Seidensticker (Eds.), Human insecurity in a global world (pp. 15–40). Harvard University Press.

    Baccino-Astrada, A. (1982). Manual on the rights and duties of medical personnel in armed conflicts. League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

    Food and Agriculture Organization. (2020). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved July 5, 2020, from https://www.fao.org/index_en.htm

    International Committee of the Red Cross. (2014). The Geneva Conventions and their commentaries. Retrieved July 5, 2020, from http://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/...ions/index.jsp[21]

    International Committee of the Red Cross. (2017, June 1). The Additional Protocols at 40. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/the...rotocols-at-40

    International Labour Organization. (2020). International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm[22]

    International Recovery Platform. (2019). International Recovery Platform. https://www.recoveryplatform.org/res...s/publications

    Jolly, R., & Ray, D.B. (2006). National human development reports and the human security framework: A review of analysis and experience. NHDR Occasional Paper 5. United Nations Development Programme: National Human Development Report Unit. http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd32/jolly.pdf

    Noda, P.J. (Ed.) (2002). Evolution of the human security concept, health and human security: Moving from concept to action. Tokyo, Japan: Center for International Exchange, pp. 42-51. www.jcie.org/researchpdfs/HealthHumSec/health_takemi.pdf

    OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). (n.d.) Congressional Record, 1941, 87 (I). The Commission on Human Security may be found on the UNTFHS webpage. http://ochaonline.un.org/Home/tabid/2097/Default.aspx (5 July 2020)

    Sphere Association. (2018). The sphere handbook: Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response. Practical Action Publishing. https://www.spherestandards.org/handbook-2018/

    United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.un.org/en/universal-decl...hts/index.html[23]

    UN. (1997). Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. https://www.ohchr.org/en/professiona...pages/cat.aspx

    UN. (2020). Website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/Home.aspx

    United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (1966). International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/professiona...ages/ccpr.aspx

    UNOHCHR. (1966). International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Professiona...ges/CESCR.aspx

    World Food Programme. (2020). World Food Programme. http://www.wfp.org/

    World Health Organization. (2013). World health report 2013. https://www.who.int/whr/en/

    Footnote

    1. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/intro.shtml on 31 August 2011
    2. For additional information on child rights and violent conflicts, visit the website of The Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) at: http://www.crin.org/ (accessed 18 July 2019)
    3. The Guiding Principles are presented at: https://www.unocha.org/themes/internal-displacement/resources. Additional resources are available at https://www.unocha.org/themes/internal-displacement (accessed 18 July 2019)
    4. Available at: https://css.ethz.ch/en/services/css-partners/partner.html/13296 (18 July 2019)
    5. Available at: https://css.ethz.ch/en/services/digital-library/publications/publication.html/92708 (18/07/19)
    6. Available at: https://www.gichd.org (18/07/19)
    7. Available at: http://reliefweb.int/node/372437 The two associated reports are at http://www.ifrc.org/en/publications-and-reports/world-disasters-report/ and http://www.ifrc.org/global/publications/disasters/disaster-response-en.pdf
    8. Available at: http://ictj.org/sites/default/files/ICTJ-Global-Making-Impact-2011-English.pdf (18 July 2019)
    9. http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Ngoc_Loan; Eddie Adams won a 1969 Pulitzer Prize for this photograph
    10. These authors won the 2017 Springer survey for most influential (i.e. ‘most clicked’) paper in environmental science 2016. They present the conceptual origins of de-growth, systemic social and ecological limits, and the contribution of de-growth to the transformation.
    11. International relations focus but also includes climate change. Focus on global governance.
    12. Extends justice over time and space.
    13. Updates and strengthens the scientific underpinnings of the Planetary Boundaries framework, and denies any prescription about ‘how societies should develop.’
    14. Economic globalisation, digital communication, shifts of economic/political/military power, economic growth, science revolutions, detachment from ecosystems. Detailed concept maps summarise the contents of the book for graphically inclined readers.
    15. Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University. The seven ways are: 1. From GDP to the donut space; 2. Placing the economy within the biosphere; 3. From rational actors to social & adaptable individuals; 4. From a mechanical equilibrium to the dynamic complexity of systems; 5. From growth orientation to redistribution; 6. From growth to regenerative priorities; 7. From addiction to growth to addiction to holistic welfare.
    16. The site summarises metric, policy, subjective/objective benefits, virtue ethics.
    17. The 2016 Report can be downloaded from http://en.unesco.org/wssr2016 - executive summary at http://www.worldsocialscience.org/activities/world-social-science-report/2016-report-inequality/ (accessed 18 July 2019)
    18. ‘Pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease and premature death in the world today. Diseases caused by pollution were responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths in 2015—16% of all deaths worldwide—three times more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined and 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence. In the most severely affected countries, pollution-related disease is responsible for more than one death in four.’
    19. Reports country by country performance on the SDGs.
    20. The Social Progress Index is an aggregate index of social and environmental indicators that capture three dimensions of social progress: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity. The 2018 Social Progress Index includes data from 146 countries on 12 components and 51 indicators (https://www.socialprogress.org/assets/downloads/resources/2018/2018-Social-Progress-Index-Exec-Summary.pdf ). See http://www.socialprogressindex.com/ for the world map and country profiles. http://www.socialprogressimperative.org (significance of global average index). More information is available through http://www.socialprogress.org.
    21. The treaty database with full texts, commentaries, and State Parties (signatories).
    22. Of special interest is the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), found at http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?..._ILO_CODE:C182
    23. Find the UN translation project of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights online.

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