Human Security

When dealing with International Security, people used to think in terms of threats of states vs. states. To put it simply, as if states were in a football league. When a crisis occurred, the incident could be monitored and studied like a game. For example, WWII could be studied as a match between two teams ("The Axis" vs. "The Allies"), or for instance the Cold War as a typical blue vs. red match between rivals.
Others have preferred to look at International Security from a broader perspective, (and if we were to apply the same sports analogy) the focus would not be so much in the teams, but actually studying the nature of the sport, which would symbolize the system or general conditions in which the states dwell. By applying this analogy we could pose questions like: Is a terrorist attack on the US delegation in Syria a single event sport like 100 meters or part of a combined discipline like decathlon that involves many other fields? OK, this last example is bit of a stretch and a bit overbearing, but my point is that there are different ways to look at international security, and each way will provide different insights on global threats.

Having said this, there are some of us who like to look at these issues not at the state or systemic level, but at a more Human Level. From this perspective, the one that counts the most is the individual; so if we were to follow the same sports theme, the main focus of this level would be not in the sport, nor in the teams, but in the athletes, even if they are engaged in a match or not. A Human Security approach would look at the threats that each member of the team face and try to find ways to eradicate them. In other words, the human lens on security would help us see how threats affect individuals within states and across the world directly. This emphasis allows us to see more clearly what we can do to help other humans build a wholesome life full of dignity and freedom, and hopefully help us become one great team instead of just simple spectators.

The purpose of this blog is to show the world how looking at security from the individual level can actually make a meaningful impact in the lives of others. To those of you that find this type of focus in security interesting or fascinating, I simply say...

Welcome!

I humbly invite you to share your comments and experience in Human Security initiatives around the world, and to also adopt this type of initiative on your own.

Sincerely,

Gonzalo