A

Project report
On
Human Security
By
Gagandeep kaur (BA-LLB VIth sem)
Under the guidance
Of
Dr.Sudhir Singh Gaur

SCHOOL OF LAW
GURU GHASIDAS UNVIERSITY
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this project entitled “Human Security” is completed under the
supervision of Dr.Sudhir Singh Gaur and is the original piece of work of undersigned.

All information provided here are to the best of my knowledge.

All information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic
rules and conduct. It is not submitted to any other organization for any other purpose.

I am indebted to the authors of the books I referred for the project and the writers of the articles
of websites I relied upon.

Name- Gagandeep Kaur Faculty signature:

Roll no. - 16001114
BA-LLB VIth sem
 CERTIFICATE

I am glad to submit this project as a part of my academic assignment. It is to certify that,

the original and genuine research work is carried out to investigate about the subject matter
and the related data collection.

I have taken proper care and shown utmost sincereness in this project.

Hereby I hope the project proves satisfactory to authorities and informative to readers.

Further, hoping that it up to the expectation of people in concern and is according to the
prescribed guidelines.

Name- Gagandeep Kaur Faculty signature:

Roll no. - 16001114
BA-LLB VIth sem
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Primarily, it would be my pleasure to express my sincere thanks to Dr.Sudhir Singh Gaur

for his helping hand. His guidance and constant supervision for project are responsible for
attaining its present form. I am grateful to him for extension of her helping hand towards
me.

Then, I would like to express my gratitude to my seniors and my fellow classmates for their
whole hearted cooperation and support.

I would also thank my parents for their constant motVIation and shall remain indebted to
them.

Lastly, I am thankful to each and every person who has contributed towards this project.

Name- Gagandeep Kaur Faculty signature:

Roll no. - 16001114
BA-LLB VIth sem
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Meaning of Human security
3. Background of Human security
4. Concept of Human security
5. Types of Human security and related threats
6. Challenges to Human security
7. Ensuring Human security
8. Human security and Indian scenario
9. Conclusion
10.Bibliography

Name- Gagandeep Kaur Faculty signature:

Roll no. - 16001114
BA-LLB VIth sem
 Human Security

Introduction:

"The world can never be at peace unless people have security in their daily lives."

‘Human security’ is one of the more salient neologisms that arose from the ashes of the Cold
War. The logic behind its introduction and avocation was clear: the realist, state-centric
paradigm of security that championed the primacy of territorial integrity over that of the
individual, seemed increasingly anachronistic in a world where states no longer faced the
existential threat that nuclear stand-off had perpetuated.

Human security, approach to national and international security that gives primacy to human
beings and their complex social and economic interactions. The concept of human security
represents a departure from orthodox security studies, which focus on the security of the state.
The subjects of the human security approach are individuals, and its end goal is the protection
of people from traditional (i.e., military) and non-traditional threats such as poverty and
disease. Moving the security agenda beyond state security does not mean replacing it but rather
involves complementing and building on it. Central to this approach is the understanding that
human security deprivations can undermine peace and stability within and between states,
whereas an overemphasis on state security can be detrimental to human welfare. The state
remains a central provider of security, but state security is not a sufficient condition for human
welfare.
Human security fully entered the policy and academic debates in the early 1990s. Nevertheless,
despite its widespread usage within national and international policy circles, its definition
remains highly contested. The holistic vision of protecting the security of people lends itself to
a variety of interpretations shaped by relative understandings of what constitutes a threat to the
security of individuals, how the intensity and repercussion of any given threat can be measured
(i.e., historical data or forward-looking forecasts), and by what possible means the threat can
be prevented or removed. The coalition of states and supranational organizations that have
supported the approach can count numerous accomplishments, such as the Ottawa Convention
(i.e., Mine Ban Treaty), the establishment of the International Criminal Court, and the
Optional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Meaning of Human security:

For many people, today’s world is an insecure place, full of threats on many fronts. Protracted
crises, violent conflicts, natural disasters, persistent poverty, epidemics and economic
downturns impose hardships and undercut prospects for peace, stability, and sustainable
development. Such crises are complex, entailing multiple forms of human insecurity. When
they overlap, they can grow exponentially, spilling into all aspects of people’s lives, destroying
entire communities and crossing national borders.

As noted in General Assembly resolution 66/290, “Human security is an approach to assist

Member States in identifying and addressing widespread and cross-cutting challenges to the
survival, livelihood and dignity of their people.” It calls for “people-centred, comprehensive,
context-specific and prevention-oriented responses that strengthen the protection and
empowerment of all people.”

Human security has been defined as “freedom from fear and freedom from want”. It is a
prerequisite for human development, which is the goal of development cooperation. The aim
of development is to ensure that people have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life
(health), continually acquire knowledge (education) and have access to resources so that they
can have a decent standard of living (material well-being). If human development works toward
expansion of opportunities – then human security looks at ways of dealing with avoiding,
mitigating and coping with threats.

Background of Human Security:

Prior to the creation of the United Nations, the dominant concept of security was centred on
the State and the principle of State sovereignty, as was set out in the Treaty of Westphalia in
1648 and whose influence continues.

Security centred on territorial integrity, political stability, military and defence arrangements
and economic and financial activities. It was understood that States would pursue power, which
implied that the gains of one side would come as a result of the losses of the other. According
to these traditional ideas, the State monopolized the rights and means to protect its citizens and
the power of the State and its security were established and broadened in order to maintain
order and peace. History has demonstrated that the security of the State is not necessarily the
security of the people, a clear example of which are the two World Wars.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that “recognition of the inherent
dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,” which clearly establishes the centrality
of the human being. In addition, the Declaration affirms that the “disregard and contempt for
human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind,
and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and
freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common
people.”

The phrase “freedom from fear and want” incorporated into the Declaration was first used by
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt of the United States in his speech to Congress on January
6, 1941, in which he enumerated the four freedoms designed to bring his country closer to the
world: freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.
Freedom from want and fear were later mentioned in the Atlantic Charter, signed on August
14, 1941 by Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and President Roosevelt.
These concepts, in the opinion of Edward Stettinius, then US Secretary of State, would be the
integral components of the strategy of peace of the UN: “The battle of peace must be fought
on two fronts. The first is the security front where victory spells freedom from fear. The second
is the economic and social front where victory spells freedom from want. Only victory on both
fronts can assure the world of an enduring peace.”

These are the bases for rethinking the concept of security, which is no longer based on the
traditional ideas of sovereignty, territory or military power, but rather on achieving freedom
from fear and freedom from want. These are also the bases that establish the right to human
rights: they all have the search for human dignity as a common root.
Nevertheless, the Cold War, the period that followed the Second World War, reinforced the
concept of State-centric security, with the further difficulty of the threat of a nuclear attack by
any of the contending powers.

The doctrine of national security was imposed in Latin America and the countries of the region,
with some exceptions, underwent the most difficult moments of their history, with bloody
dictatorships, a lack of respect for human rights and the imposition of totalitarian systems. The
concept of security was associated with this idea of national security.

However, a series of reports produced by the UN attempted to conceptualize a broader idea of

security:

 In the mid-1970s, the G77 established links between underdevelopment and security;

 In 1980, the Independent Commission on International Development Issues (known as

the Brandt Commission) was established. It argued that peace included the eradication
of hunger and inequality;

 In 1982, the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security (Palme

Commission) referred to morality in international affairs;

 In 1987, the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brunt
land Commission) focussed on the relationship between the environment and conflicts;

 In 1990, the South Commission (chaired by Julius Nyerere) listed poverty,

environmental dangers, the deficiencies of democracy and deindustrialization as some
of the causes of insecurity.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been joined by nine universal
instruments that cement the juridical-conceptual framework of human rights: universal,
transnational, irreversible, and indivisible and progressive. These instruments are:

 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

(1965);

 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966);

 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966);

  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979);

 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or

Punishment (1984);

 Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989);

 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of Their Families (1990);

 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced

Disappearances (2006);

 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).

During the 1990s, the UN, given the impetus of the first seven instruments cited, which had
been adopted by that time, laid the foundation for the conceptualization of human security.

The Report on Human Development of 1994

The 1994 Report on Human Development pointed out the need of a profound transition in
thinking -from nuclear security to human security. "The concept of security has for too long
been interpreted narrowly: as security of territory from external aggression, or as protection of
national interests in foreign policy or as global security from the threat of a nuclear holocaust.
It has been related more to nation-states than to people forgotten were the legitimate concerns
of ordinary people who sought security in their daily lives".

The Report defined human security based on two principal aspects: "It means, first, safety from
such chronic threats as hunger, disease and repression. And second, it means protection from
sudden and hatful disruptions in the patterns of daily life -whether in homes, in jobs or in
communities".” The Report establishes the following essential characteristics:

 Human security is a universal concern. It is relevant to people everywhere, both in rich

countries and in poor countries. The degree of the threats may vary from one place to
another, but they are real.
  The components of human security are interdependent. When the security of a people
is endangered anywhere in the world, all nations are likely to get involved.

 Human security is easier to ensure through early prevention than late intervention.

 Human security is people-centred. "It is concerned with how people live and breathe in
a society, how freely they exercise their many choices, how much access they have they
have to market and social opportunities -and whether the live in conflict or in peace".

According to this Report, the threats to human security may be classified into the following
seven categories:

 Economic security

 Food security

 Health security

 Environmental security

 Personal security

 Community security

 Political security

Human Security Now

Subsequent to the Millennium Summit, held in September 2002, and at the initiative of Japan,
the UN Commission on Human Security (CHS) was created, co-chaired by Sadako Ogata,
former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize laureate. In 2003
the CHS published its report “Human Security Now.” The report defined human security in the
following manner: “human security means protecting the vital core of all human lives in ways
that enhance human freedoms and human fulfilment. Human security means protecting people
from critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations. It means using
processes that build on people’s strengths and aspirations. It means creating political, social,
environmental, economic, military and cultural systems that together give people the building
blocks of survival, livelihood and dignity.”

Concept of Human security:

As the Commission on Human Security stated "Human security is to protect the vital core of
all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfilment. Human security
means protecting fundamental freedoms - freedoms that are the essence of life. It means
protecting people from critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations".

Human security integrates three freedoms: freedom from fear, freedom from want and the
freedom from indignity.

(i) Freedom from fear refers to protecting individuals from threats directed at their
security and physical integrity and includes various forms of violence that may arise
from external States, the acts of a State against its citizens, the acts of one group against
others and the acts of individuals against other individuals.
(ii) Freedom from want refers to the protection of individuals so that they might satisfy
their basic needs and the economic, social and environmental aspects of life and
livelihoods.
(iii)Freedom from indignity refers to the promotion of an improved quality of life and
enhancement of human welfare that permits people to make choices and seek
opportunities for that empower them.

Strategies

Human security has two strategies of action: protection and empowerment.

 Protection is defined by the Commission on Human Security as “strategies set up by

states, international agencies, NGOs and the private sector, (to) shield people from
menaces.” It implies establishing “top-down” measures, recognizing that people face
threats that are beyond their control (natural disasters, financial crises, conflicts).
Human security requires systematic, comprehensive and preventive protection. States
 have primary responsibility to implement such protection, while other actors such as
international bodies, civil society and NGOs play a pivotal role.

 Empowerment is the “strategies (that) enable people to develop their resilience to

difficult situations” and implies “bottom-up” measures that aim to develop the capacity
of individuals and communities to make informed choices and to act on their own
behalf. Empowerment not only enables people to develop their full potential but also
permits them to participate in the design and implementation of solutions to ensure
human security for themselves and others.

Principles

Human security is based on the following principles:

 People-centred- Human security places the individual at the centre of the analysis and,
therefore, considers conditions that threaten their survival, livelihood and dignity.

 Multi-sectorial- Human security is based on a multi-sectorial understanding of

insecurities and, therefore, in addition to national security it entails a broadened
understanding of threats and their possible causes related to economic, food, health,
environmental, personal, community and political security.

 Comprehensive- Human security implies a comprehensive focus that emphasizes the

need for cooperative and multi-sectorial responses that bring together agendas on
security, development and human rights.

 Context-specific- Human security acknowledges that insecurities vary considerably

across different settings and, therefore, promotes the search for contextualized solutions
that appropriately respond to each particular situation.

 Prevention-oriented- In reaching the risks and root causes of insecurities, human

security is aimed at prevention and introducing strategies of protection and
empowerment.
Types of Human Security and related threats:

Human security emphasizes the interconnectedness of threats and responses to them in two
ways. "First, they are interlinked in a domino effect in the sense that each threat feeds on the
other. For example, violent conflicts can lead to deprivation and poverty which in turn could
lead to resource depletion, infectious diseases, education deficits, etc. Second, threats in a given
country or area can spread into a wider region and have negative externalities for regional or
international security".
Challenges to Human Security:
In the changing international scenario, the threat perception to human security has also
undergone a marked change. The diffused nature of conflicts the rise of market-oriented society
in most part of the world and the uneven distribution of technological resources pose new
challenges. In 1945, almost every nation on the planet made a commitment to eradicate severe
poverty. Though such a goal may seem Utopian consider the progress made up till today. The
momentum in poverty eradication can, however, be maintained only if political, social and
economic institutions are guides by the goals of human development.

According to Oscar Arias, in the new era, “human security – in contrast to the traditional
concept of security linked to military capacity and economic power – must be the ultimate goal
of our development policies. In qualitative terms, human security represents the degree to
which human beings are protected from ignorance, sickness, hunger, neglect, and persecution.
It is the standard that dignifies human life – It is a child who is saved, a disease that is cured,
an ethnic tension that is soothed, a dissident who speaks freely, and human spirit that has hope.”

Despite our achievements over the past few decades, it is crucial and calls for immediate
action in the view of the following disturbing facts:

(i) 40000 children die each day from malnutrition and disease.
(ii) Water contaminated by sewage is estimated to kill two million children every year.
 (iii)Some 840 million go hungry or face food insecurity.
(iv) 1.3 billion People live on income less than one dollar per day.
(v) 1.5 billion People lack access to health services.
(vi) 1.3 billion People lack access to potable water.

Ensuring Human Security:

Many believe that globalization is the real magic, which will ensure human security. The
following measures could be conceived for ensuring a safer world for humanity –

First, security policies must be integrated much more closely with strategies for promoting
human right, democracy, and development. Human rights, humanitarian and refugee law
provide the normative fame work on which a human security approach is based. Development
strategies offer broad based means of addressing many long-term human security challenges.

Second, due to the complexity of contemporary challenges to the security of the people,
effective intervention involves a diverse range of actors including state, multilateral
organization, and civil society. As the challenges to the safety of people are transnational,
effective responses can only be achieved through multilateral cooperation.

This is evident in the array of new international instruments developed in the last decade to
address transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, and environmental
degradation. These threats link the interest of the citizens in countries which enjoy a high level
of human security with the interest of people in much poorer nations, who face the wider range
of threats to their safety.

Third, effective responses will depend on greater operational coordination. For example,
successful peace-support operations are multi-dimensional, and depend on the close
coordination of political negotiators, peacekeepers, human right monitors, humanitarian aid
personal among others. Furthermore, development agencies are now engaged in promoting
security sector reform, while security organizations have helped channel development
assistance in post-conflict countries. Managing these overlapping mandates and objectives is
one of the principal challenges of a human security agenda.
Fourth, civil society organizations are seeking greater opportunity and greater responsibility in
promoting human security. In many cases, non-governmental organizations have proven to be
extremely effective partners in advocating the security of people. At the same time, the business
sector, potentially a key factor in enhancing human security could be more effectively engaged.

Fifth, human security is enhanced by reducing people’s vulnerability and by preventing the
conditions which make them vulnerable in the first place. Assisting people in highly insecure
situations, particularly in the midst of violent conflict, is a central objective of the human
security agenda. Building human security, therefore, requires both short-term humanitarian
action and long- term strategies for building peace and promoting sustainable development.

Finally, strengthening legal norms and building the capacity to enforce them with equal vigor
are the two fundamental strategies for enhancing human security.

Human Security and Indian scenario:

‘There is little doubt that many of the security threats facing the world in the 21st century
revolve around issues such as poverty, underdevelopment, inequality, environmental
degradation, climate change, pandemics, illegal migration, people smuggling, drug trafficking
and conflicts arising from poor governance leading to state failure. While these threats are198
Human Security not new, in an era of advancing globalization, they are increasingly
transnational and interlinked in nature. Moreover, these threats directly and deeply affect the
safety and well-being of people, even when the system of states that comprise the contemporary
international order may remain superficially stable. The international community therefore
needs to rethink the concept of what security means and how best to realize it. A comprehensive
people-centric understanding of security is warranted, as a more appropriate framework of
reference and action for today’s world than the traditional notion of national security’. Human
security has thus assumed a completely different dimension as opposed to the traditional
concept or pattern of security that is in vogue in various nations.

As has already been mentioned, India is a diverse state characterised by different ethnic groups.
India is unique case where, different communities live and have been consistently managing to
retain their identity. Many a time, this has given scope for inequalities to great extent; there are
divisions in society based on caste, creed, class, religion, community, and so on. Time and
again, some groups feel marginalised and perceive themselves as being at the receiving end of
the society. Though it has been a fact that such discrimination exists even today, it is also
notable that these groups too have become assertive in voicing their protests and sending
elected representatives to present their cases at the highest legislative bodies. Similarly, on the
economic front, various welfare schemes are being implemented to mete out economic and
social justice to the downtrodden and deprived in the society. There is now an increasing
awareness among various groups about their legitimate rights and claims that make it easier to
demand the provision of human security. Simultaneously, the state is also cautious in giving
the citizens their due share through the implementation of various policies and programmes. It
is now engaged in the task of taking care of its citizens on all fronts.

The human security dimensions, though not exhaustive, cover the following areas: political,
economic, social, cultural, communitarian and environmental security. These will be dealt with
in precise manner so as to appraise the learner regarding these dimensions-

Political Security: The state is primarily responsible for ensuring the security and make sure
that the apparatus is well equipped to deal with any kind of eventuality. India’s territorial
integrity has been closely guarded ever since its independence. The strategic position of India
has made it vulnerable to threats from many quarters. The challenges of keeping the nation
integrated have been numerous and have been put to test from time to time. India’s northern
side and north-eastern side have been particularly vulnerable and the insurgent and militant
groups have been consistently making attempts to destabilise the nation. The challenges are
many in this task: The state’s capacity to cope up with untoward incidents often breaks down;
Government officials infrequently perform their duties; Law and order enforcing agencies often
face hurdles in the remote areas from where the insurgent/ militant groups operate; parallel
governments are run especially in the Naxalite (Maoists) violence prone areas; further there are
challenges relating to the preventing the proliferation of small arms, drugs and trafficking.
Many experts propound human development as a prerequisite for human security as the
inequalities tend to take a downward turn due to enhanced development levels and the
availability of basic needs. The availability induces a security factor that prevents crime rates
from soaring. It is, therefore, necessary that the policy makers keep in mind those measures
that ensure welfare of all.

Economic Security: While the economic disparities continue to exist, the measures undertaken
to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor have been rather inadequate.

Poverty is one of the problems that have been stalling the growth of India. With the introduction
of economic liberalisation, it has been expected that the impending economic problems would
be resolved. But India’s liberalisation policy and its consequent measures have left the nation
in further widening the gap between the rich and the poor. In fact economic disparities and
discrimination have led to the spread of Left-wing radical ideology and subsequently to
violence. These have assumed unlimited proportions as the state failed to control this menace.
The root cause of this violence is basically economic in nature and is likely to further increase
in frequency and range. Economic empowerment is a major factor that contributes to economic
security. Tadjbakhsh and Chenoy state that ‘progress in economic development and especially
in human development (growth with equity) reduces the risk of conflict situations and the
temptation to wage war for greed.

When a population is empowered and has opportunities for its own personal and human
development, then reasons to go to war can no longer play on the greed or economics model,
this applying especially within states, and being particularly relevant in times where conflicts
are mostly intra-state and no longer opposing states’. Wars place further stress on the economy
of the nation thereby multiplying the losses and decreasing the gains.

Food Security: Food security is one of the most crucial aspects related to human survival. The
absence of this has disastrous consequences for those who are deprived of the basic need in the
society. Poverty, hunger and food security are closely interrelated. The deprivation of food
leads to starvation and subsequently to ill-health. It also leads to the impairment of one’s ability
to work and career. Malnutrition reduces one’s immunity to diseases and affects one’s health
negatively the whole lifetime. It adds up to hunger, poverty and disease and makes people frail
and unproductive. The provision of food constitutes an important element of human
development and the deprivation of the same means a stunted human growth. The denial of
this makes the concept of development meaningless because food is a basic necessity for
human survival and when the very question of survival is at peril, the plans for meaningful
development take a retreat. It also questions the very capability of the state wherein it fails to
provide basic necessities to its citizens. Food security is of great importance in a society.
Attempts are being made to bring in legislation that ensures this basic right for all but we need
to remember that this is a gigantic task and needs immense determination to make it possible.
India is home to millions of malnourished and undernourished population.

Therefore, the task becomes all the more important because of the high levels of targets to
mitigate hunger and poverty.
Health Security: Health is an important component of human development and survival. It
needs the assurance from the state as well as local communities so that the health of all
members of society is taken care of. In India, there are primary health centres in most of the
villages but they are least equipped to tackle even minor health problems. The public access to
health in many places is rather dismal and the situation in rural areas is all the more pathetic.
The urban areas also suffer as most of the people living in slums and unhygienic conditions
cannot afford adequate health facilities. The private sector is more commercial in nature and
does not cater to the health needs of the poor. Though there is a provision of the private
hospitals extending health care to the poor, the implementation of this scheme is rather tardy.
The general trend that has been in vogue includes lack of awareness among the rural population
regarding popular measures like immunisation of mother and child, maternal health care, and
infant mortality rates. This sector needs reforms that would ensure health for one and all.

Environmental Security: Environmental security has been gaining importance because of the
very evident degradation of the environment, climate change, depletion of ozone layers, and
massive industrial pollution. There has been an increasing awareness regarding the impact of
developmental policies on the natural environment. With more and more industrial, mining,
and developmental projects getting clearance from the governmental authorities for industrial/
commercial purposes, it has now assumed significance at the local, national, regional and
global levels. The undue exploitation of the natural resources has led many nations to come
together on a global platform and undertake measures to reduce environmental degradation.
Various International Conventions have been brought into policy frameworks so as to enable
the nations to adhere to these conventions. This is an important dimension of human security
for it enables one to live in pollution-free environment and also sustain our natural resources
for our future generations. Some of the important conventions like the one related to climate
change need to be addressed and discussed thoroughly so that the future generations are safe
from increasing climatic variations and their negative effects. There should be a binding
commitment on the part of all nations to implement it sincerely. India too has its share of
legislation on environment and the most telling feature is its judicial activism in the arena of
environmental protection.

Since India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, its development efforts are
likely to disturb its ecological balance. It needs to work harder on this aspect keeping in view
its traditional knowledge and wisdom that depended more on fine balance of nature-man
relationship.
Individual and Community Security: It is widely accepted by one and all that human security
and its prime goal is the protection of the individual. This means protection from any form of
violence that threatens the security of the individual. This not only means protection from any
kind of violence that erupts in situations like terrorist attacks or wars but also from other non-
traditional security threats like hunger, poverty, displacement and so on. The concept of human
security, as has been mentioned in the previous Units, is closely related to the concepts of
human rights and human development. It also deals with community security apart from
individual security. It is the communities that collectively face the threats in most of the
situations. These threats emanate from day-to-day events, threatening the safety of daily life
and dignity of individuals/ communities.

In India, the list of susceptible groups is broadly classified into minorities and specifically, all
the more deprived people from different sections of society. These include caste and tribal
groups, women and children. While the issues relating to women, children and minorities (be
it religious or linguistic) is more universal in nature, the issues pertaining to the tribal and
people from lower strata of society is more India-centric. These groups are part of the system
and are prone to structural violence. Further, when it comes to poverty and hunger, it afflicts
all the poor and makes them the most vulnerable in society, fighting against their own systems
that have created imbalances at various stages. Further, there is a major delineation and is
manifested mostly in rural areas. The backward communities often face social differentiation
and inequality and are the most deprived sections in the society. These groups do not have
access to essential social and economic goods and the discrimination towards them is mostly
due to the imbalanced stratification of society that is based on caste, class and religion. Their
isolation from the mainstream for ages has made them vulnerable to the core. Violence against
women is a common feature in all societies; it is a transnational issue.

The crimes against women take place in both rural and urban areas and these are the most
vulnerable groups in society. In any kind of violent situation, it is the women who suffer the
most. Children too have become the most vulnerable section as they are often forced into
domestic work, as labour and are also the victims of human trafficking. In India, the condition
of women presents a contrasting picture: on one hand, we have women progressing towards
betterment as professional executives, political leaders, environmental activists, social workers
and pioneering reformers and business leaders. On the other hand, the condition of women in
rural India is not very promising, primarily owing to lack of education and awareness regarding
their rights and duties. Though laws are being enacted to improve their lot, the efforts are yet
to take off. Children too have been at the receiving end with massive levels of low education,
employment as child labour in industries, hotels and so on. The Right to Education law aims at
providing them equal rights to education and working towards their betterment. The domestic
helpers too come under the category of people who do not have access to right education,
employment and security. These are the pertinent issues that need to be redressed and resolved
thereof.

Conclusion:

The term ‘human security’ recognizes the linkages between environment and society. It also
recognizes two other features of the link between environment and security. First, that feedback
exists between environment and security; for example, environmental degradation may result
in population movement, which, in turn prose a threat to the environment.

The human development approach and the development of the human development index
(HID) was a major step forward in reorienting development for improvement of the lives of
the people and not merely economic growth.

Human development is expansionist in nature and deal with increasing social services along
with economic development to increase opportunities. Human security provided an enabling
environment for human development. Where violence or the threat of violence makes
meaningful progress on the development agenda impossible, enhancing safety for people is a
prerequisite.

Civil wars and riots depict such situations. Promoting human development can also be an
important strategy for furthering human security. By addressing inequalities that are often the
root causes of violent conflict, strengthening governance structures, complementing political,
economic, and legal initiatives, can be enhanced human security.

The diversity of threats facing the world today cannot be met merely on the strength of national
and international efforts. Response to the problems requires the gathering of information, the
prompt and efficient mustering of human and material resources and sure development and
execution in the field. In each of these phases, various non-governmental actors in ever
increasing diversity such as international agencies, NGOs, and multinational corporations, are
playing bigger roles.
It would also be effective to construct intellectual networks that are interdisciplinary and enable
a smooth sharing and organic utilization of knowledge in all fields. The effect of these networks
of knowledge will go beyond the realm of traditional concepts of human security and become
the single greatest driving force of 21st century’s international order.

Finally, human security must also gather a broadly based understanding and support, inclusive
of developing countries, in the United Nations, a universal organization with 188 member
countries. Moreover, the United Nations is probably the sole entity capable of playing a central
role in coordinating the execution of measures needed for human security.
 Bibliography

Referred sites:
1) http://www.sociologydiscussion.com/human-security/human-security-concept-and-
challenges-sociology/13517
2) http://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/20433/1/Unit-16.pdf
3) http://www.sociologydiscussion.com/human-security/human-security-concept-and-
challenges-sociology/13517
4) https://www.unocha.org/sites/dms/HSU/Publications%20and%20Products/Human%20Securit
y%20Tools/Human%20Security%20in%20Theory%20and%20Practice%20English.pdf
5) http://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/husec/z-categories.html
6) http://walterdorn.net/23-human-security-an-overview
7) https://www.iidh.ed.cr/multic/default_12.aspx?contenidoid=ea75e2b1-9265-4296-9d8c-
3391de83fb42&Portal=IIDHSeguridadEN