Human Security
Chapter 28
Human security amitav acharya
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• Introduction ·······································································································································492
• What is human security? ················································································································492
• Debates about human security······································································································494
• Dimensions of human security ······································································································496
• Promoting human security ·············································································································502
• Conclusion ··········································································································································504
Reader’s Guide
This chapter examines the origins of the concept of human security, debates surrounding its definition and scope, some of the threats to human security in the world today, and international efforts to promote human security. It proceeds in four parts. The section, ‘What is human security?’, traces the origin and evolution of the concept, and examines competing definitions offered by scholars and policy-makers.
The next section reviews debates and controversies about human security, especially over the analytic and policy relevance of the notion, and the broad and
Chap28.indd Spec:491
narrow meanings of the concept (‘freedom from fear’ versus ‘freedom from want’). The third section examines some of the threats to human security today.
While the concept of human security encompasses a wide range of threats, due to lack of space, this section will focus on the trends in armed conflicts as well as the interrelationship between conflict and other nonviolent threats to human security, such as poverty, disease, and
Human security amitav acharya
Chap28.indd Spec:490
8/21/07 2:03:53 PM
• Introduction ·······································································································································492
• What is human security? ················································································································492
• Debates about human security······································································································494
• Dimensions of human security ······································································································496
• Promoting human security ·············································································································502
• Conclusion ··········································································································································504
Reader’s Guide
This chapter examines the origins of the concept of human security, debates surrounding its definition and scope, some of the threats to human security in the world today, and international efforts to promote human security. It proceeds in four parts. The section, ‘What is human security?’, traces the origin and evolution of the concept, and examines competing definitions offered by scholars and policy-makers.
The next section reviews debates and controversies about human security, especially over the analytic and policy relevance of the notion, and the broad and
Chap28.indd Spec:491
narrow meanings of the concept (‘freedom from fear’ versus ‘freedom from want’). The third section examines some of the threats to human security today.
While the concept of human security encompasses a wide range of threats, due to lack of space, this section will focus on the trends in armed conflicts as well as the interrelationship between conflict and other nonviolent threats to human security, such as poverty, disease, and