5.6: Resources and References

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Review

Key Points

Although proponents of human security agree that its primary goal is the protection of individuals, the debate continues over the priorities among specific threats.
Proponents of the ‘narrow’ concept of human security focus on violent threats to individuals. They acknowledge that such threats are strongly associated with poverty, lack of state capacity and different forms of socio-economic and political inequity.
Proponents of the ‘broad’ concept believe that the range of threats should be widened to include hunger, disease, natural disasters and loss of ecological integrity.
Violent conflicts, especially of an intrastate nature, are a major threat to human security because of their impact. Both ‘narrow’ and ‘broad’ concept proponents agree that such conflict is not the only threat to the security of individuals.
The health, and ultimately the lives of individuals can be threatened by a state’s inadequate infrastructure.
Crime, especially of a serious nature, and terrorism in its various forms, threaten lives and thus human security.
State, social and economic problems threaten livelihoods and can cause grievances, while issues like global warming affect the environment, biodiversity and ultimately people. Multiple interactions between those factors exist.
The components of security and its threats can be better understood if the diverse range of conflicts and their causes is taken into account. This will further the development and effective use of tools to counter such threats.

.Extension Activities & Further Research

There is debate over defining human security along the narrow and broader conceptualisations. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each definition?
The assessment of the human security of specific countries by the UNDP as described in the overview section is not universally accepted. What potential future problems can you identify with the criteria employed by the UNDP, particularly life expectancy and income? Which criterion might be least problematic and why?
Who benefits from assessments of threats to human security? In whose interest might it be to lower an assessment, or to exaggerate it?
How can the assessment of a security threat lead to improvement of the security situation? Explain the requirements using a case study.
All the major sources of human insecurity as discussed in this chapter tend to affect each other. Give some examples of such relationships, and explain how they work.
What threats are particularly serious in your country or region, and what factors contribute to their strength?
What threats do you perceive will be especially serious for your region in the future, and why?

List of Terms

See Glossary for full list of terms and definitions.

biodiversity
Brexit
DALY
ecosystem
Environmental Performance Index (EPI)
Fragile States Index (FSI)
Global Peace Index (GPI)
Human Development Index (HDI)
intentional homicide
terrorism

References

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Footnote

Please note that the views expressed in this chapter are not necessarily those of the author’s employer.
State-based armed conflict involves violence where at least one of the parties is the government of a state. Thus, violence occurs between two states or violence between the government and a rebel group.
See British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news stories: 4 August 2018: North Korea continuing nuclear programme – UN report’ and 26 April 2019: ‘North Korea profile – Timeline.’
See Krishnadev Calamur's 31 August 2018 piece in The Atlantic: ISIS Never Went Away in Iraq.
See BBC News from 5 June 2018: Ukraine profile – Timeline.
See Thaier Al-Sudani's 19 July 2017 story in The Guardian: Islamic State’s customised car bombs – in pictures.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 18 November 2015: Metrojet Flight 9268: Russia confirms bomb destroyed plane in Egypt.
BBC, 27 October 2017: ‘Assad forces behind deadly Syria sarin attack – UN and BBC, 27 September 2018: Russian spy poisoning: UK warns Russia over chemical weapons.
BBC, 23 March 2019: IS ‘caliphate’ defeated but jihadist group remains a threat.
The Economist. 7 September 2019. ‘Wings over prayers’. Page 20.
See Adam Vaughan's 17 May 2018 article in The Guardian: What are the factors driving up the price of crude oil?
BBC, 16 September 2019: Saudi oil attacks: US says intelligence shows Iran involved.
BBC, 3 September 2018: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: Facing down rebellion; BBC, 9 October 2018: Sense of an ending for Syria’s war on Idlib front line; and BBC, 30 August 2019: Syria war: Russia announces ceasefire in Idlib rebel stronghold.
Editors’ note: Sometimes violence erupts as soon as external powers urge the implementation of Western-style democratic reforms; the disenfranchised majority will feel empowered and violence is likely to erupt against the hegemonic group (Chua, 2003).
See Michael Schuman's 14 July 2011 Time article: A Future of Price Spikes.
BBC, 31 May 2018: Haiti Timeline.
Kwasi Kpodo's 8 May 2018 Reuters article: IMF warns of rising African debt despite faster economic growth.
BBC, 3 September 2018: Should Africa be wary of Chinese debt?
See footnote 18.
See Kate Lyons's 12 October 2017 article in The Guardian: Yemen’s cholera outbreak now the worst in history as millionth case looms and Alanna Shaikh,'s 8 May 2018 piece in the UN Dispatch: Yemen is currently facing the largest documented cholera epidemic in modern times. A new report warns it could get worse.
BBC, 2 August 2019: Ebola outbreak in five graphics.
BBC, 2 August 2018: Colombia’s battle with cocaine traffickers.
BBC, 9 September 2010: Clinton says Mexico drug crime like an insurgency.
BBC, 14 March 2018. Philippines drugs war: Duterte to withdraw from ICC.
See New York Times piece by Eric Schmitt, Alissa J. Rubin and Thomas Gibbons-Neff from 19 August 2019: ISIS Is Regaining Strength in Iraq and Syria.
BBC, 31 January 2018: Taliban threaten 70% of Afghanistan, BBC finds and BBC, 3 September 2019: Afghanistan war: US-Taliban deal would see 5,400 troops withdraw .
BBC, 23 March 2019: IS ‘caliphate’ defeated but jihadist group remains a threat and BBC, 30 April 2019: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: IS leader appears in first video in five years.
The Economist, 23 May 2019: How climate change can fuel wars.
The Telegraph, 10 August 2010: Pakistan floods: Climate change experts say global warming could be the cause.
Deutsche Welle, 24 August 2018: Climate change sets the world on fire.