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Security Realism

1267 Words6 Pages

“…the world is entering a new era in which the very concept of security will change and change dramatically. Security will be interpreted as: security of people, not just territory. Security of individuals, not just nations. Security through development, not through arms. Security of all the people everywhere – in their homes, in their jobs, in their streets, in their communities, in their environment.” (Axworthy, 2001). There is no all-encompassing, succinct, conclusive definition of security as while scholars of International Relations recognize its existence on the agenda of states they are unable to agree as to what its definition should be. Various theoretical paradigms present varying arguments for the definition of security, who it …show more content…

It denies that the security of individuals in modern times is threatened, not by military forces, but by criminals and terrorists, the forces of nature, disease, and poverty. The traditional interstate security paradigm has no place for most of these threats, and considers many of them to fall under low politics, issues to be examined when there is time to spare. Thus when discussing issues of security realism becomes a very narrow and constricting concept as most security issues now occur within states instead of between states. This essay posits that while realism is valuable in many aspects of understanding security it falls short in its conceptual and practical application due to its rigidity and longevity amidst a global political arena that is seeing a rapid change in the origin of security threats. It seeks to highlight the realist theory, recognize that human security is a viable option in security analysis and present human security as a new era of security …show more content…

Freedom from want refers to threats that have now been brought to the forefront such as poverty, environmental degradation and disease. Freedom of fear refers to the more traditional types of insecurity like that of armed conflicts. Within these conflicts the insecurity of child soldiers, landmines, or any other violence against the

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