Human Security In A Global Economy

By Author: Henry Ford
Total Articles: 189
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From late twentieth century to date, issues related to security have taken center stage across the world. Major institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and governments have become more involved in matters of human security. What exactly has human security to do with the economy of the world? Security for some may be loosely defined, but it encompasses all aspects of human existence. Areas that are of a major concern include economy, food, politics, environment, health, personal, and community security. These form the subject of our discussion in this paper. We are concerned with establishing how human security can be improved in a global economy.
Human Security as a Condition for Global Economic Prosperity
As the world progresses towards what has become known as ‘a global village,’ individuals, institutions, and governments agree that human security must be addressed as of necessity before the world can boast of a global economy. This is because the majority of the world’s populations are vulnerable to one thing or another (Human Security Centre, 2008). Before we talk of a successful ...
... global economy, the hungry must be fed, the naked clothed, the sick treated, the terrorists defeated, the environmental destructions stopped, and the political greed controlled. The global economy is largely controlled by the political class, and issues related to human security could be addressed with just a bit of political will. The politicians, especially in the second and third world countries are often riddled with massive corruption. This is a major obstacle to human security. In order to improve human security, several factors that are related to the human person must be put into consideration.
In the year 2008, the economy of the world experienced a 3.2 percent growth, although the economies of individual states declined. Today we are experiencing a kind of a rush by nations to establish economic networks with other nations in an attempt to remain relevant in the global economy. Local trade is being subdued by international trade. One thing most of those involved are not asking themselves is; how is this going to affect human security? Is it doing it any good? A closer look at the global trend, especially considering the second and third world countries reveal that issues related to human security are far from being solved (Calvert and Calvert, 2007). As a matter of fact, human existence is continually threatened. To improve human security, a number of measures should be put in place. First individual nations must ensure that laws are in place to protect their citizens against possible exploitation. This is because the global economy is informed by capitalistic tendencies. The international treaties should be thoroughly scrutinized for possible ambiguities that can create room for exploitation. As more economic alliances come up, for instance the European Union, the member states should consider the effect on the cultural, economic, and political convictions of their people. When the Euro was introduced for instance, considerations should have been made regarding the economic disparities among the members in order to create a level ground for all. To improve human security in a global economy, the following measures should be taken.
There should be a minimum earning for all individuals in the world. This would ensure that everyone is at least on the same basic level. Today most people in the world are either jobless or underpaid. We need an international body whose responsibility is to ensure that everyone gets the minimum earning. In order to address the growing insecurity in the food sector, there should be a commitment by individual nations to ensure all have access to food. The United Nations says that the problems in this area are related to distribution and poverty, not availability. This then should be addressed at both the national and international level.
Currently most of the deaths in the world are caused by infections and parasites, in the developing countries, and the circulation system in the developed countries. These should be addressed by ensuring that people are educated on the proper ways of living in order to reduce the unnatural deaths. More should be done especially in the rural areas.
In order to ensure that communities produce optimally, all communities must be involved in the development of global economy. The vulnerable groups that have in the past been victimized and even abused should be compensated. This should be done at both local and international level.
To ensure security in the political world, the world must push to a more humane, and a more human rights conscious world. This is because there can be no progress where people live in fear. The international community must take a lead role in this area, because it is the most pressing one.
In order to ensure the security of the individual person, each state must do more to protect its own against interference, unless justified, from either the local or foreign states. This should be done in a legal manner. Nations must exercise fairness in this regard. The rush to acquire or produce Nuclear weapons must be stopped, and those already produced destroyed, regardless of who owns them (Paris, 2001).
One area that has become a serious threat to the very existence of the entire human race is the insecurity resulting from environmental changes. This has been witnessed in all forms in literally every country in the world. A lot needs to be done in this area. International laws and treaties should be formulated and signed by all nations in order to save the world from extinction.
Conclusion
As already shown, issues of human security are very complex. The world has today come closer than at any other time in its known history. This closeness is necessitated by the need to survive. Ironically, this very need to survive is itself threatened by these individual nations acquisition of deadly weapons as they prepare themselves to counter perceived threats. There must be the will to stop these trends in order to ensure human security. All the nations of the world must come together and realize the need for a weapon free world. If all human beings are insecure in one way or another, it means that the level of productivity in the global economy is greatly affected.

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