Human Security in an Insecure World

This study—based in part on an Interactive Dialogue held at the University of Maryland—addresses the emergence of a new doctrine of international relations known as “human security.” Whereas traditional concepts of national security focus on the safety of states, human security is concerned with the wellbeing of individuals. The United Nations, for example, defines human security as encompassing human rights, good governance, economic opportunity, education, and healthcare. The panelists featured in Human Security in an Insecure World offer diverse perspectives and analyses, but they agree that achieving human security is a long-term process, that the international community needs to develop an appropriate institutional architecture, that collaborative approaches are paramount to achieving security beyond a mere “absence of violent conflict,” that understandings of sovereignty need significant rethinking and adaptation, and that principles and spiritual beliefs are important foundations for achieving meaningful progress on these goals. The Interactive Dialogue transcript is presented together with an Introduction, explanatory notes, appendices, and an extensive annotated bibliography.

Author biography: John Grayzel held the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland from 2006 to 2011. Previously, he served for almost three decades as a Senior Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Currently, he is an Adjunct Faculty member with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Maryland. Editor biography: Michael Dravis is a writer/editor with the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland.