Promotion Of Human Security In Africa

In Africa, various conditions pose pervasive threats to human security. Addressing these threats and promoting human security therefore constitute formidable challenges. As the paradigmatic shift in the discourse on and practice of human security has led to a change in the normative emphasis from sovereignty and non-intervention to responsibility and international humanitarian and human rights norms, questions arise not only as to the relationship between human security and human rights but also as to the contribution of the human rights system in addressing human security threats and promoting human freedom. What tools does the African human rights system have at its disposal that can be used in the promotion of human security on the continent? What are the roles of the African Commission and the AHRC in this regard? What are the potentials and the challenges? How best can these human rights bodies be employed to optimise their contributions to addressing the pervasive human security threats and to promoting the well-being of individuals and communities on the continent? This monograph investigates these and similar issues, including the basic one of the interface between human rights and human security.

Protecting Human Security in Africa discusses some of the most potent threats to human security in Africa. It deals especially with those threats to the security of African people which are least understood or explored. In themes varying from corruption, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, food security, the devastation of internal displacement in Africa, the link between natural resources and human security, to the problems of forced labour, threats to women's security, and environmental security, the book examines the legal and policy challenges of protecting human security in Africa. This work also analyses the role of NGOs and the civil society in advocating human security issues in Africa. It considers the role of regional human rights mechanisms and judicial bodies, such as the African Commission for Human Rights and the African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights, in seeking to guarantee human security in Africa. Finally, with particular reference to the Somalia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Darfur crises, the book studies the role of African regional organizations, especially the African Union, in protecting the human security of Africans. Written by leading experts on its various themes, this is an indispensable book for all those seeking to learn more about the real challenges facing Africans and African organizations.

Eleven contributions explore security from a human rather than a state perspective and illustrate this by drawing on case material from sub-Saharan Africa. They offer an alternative to the realist, state centered, militaristic, male-dominated terrain of orthodox security and strategic studies, and study such issues as feminist perspectives, justice, economic genocide in Rwanda, security in the new world order, and the erosion of the state and the decline of race. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Africas dynamic security environment is characterized by great diversityfrom conventional challenges such as insurgencies, resource and identity conflicts, and post-conflict stabilization to growing threats from piracy, narcotics trafficking, violent extremism, and organized crime taking root in urban slums, among others. This precarious environment jeopardizes security at the societal, community and individual levels. In a globalized and interconnected world, millions of people worldwide are affected by some form of human insecurity. Infectious and parasitic diseases annually kill millions. Internally displaced persons number millions, including 5 million in Sudan alone. In Zambia 1 million people in a population of 11 million are reported to be HIV-positive, a situation much worse in other countries. Potable water crisis looms almost everywhere. In this book Tatah Mentan points out the need to shift the focus away from a state-centric and military-strategic emphasis on security to an interdisciplinary and people-centric approach that embraces notions like global citizenship, empowerment and participation. The primary elements of economic, food, health, environment, personal, community and political security all comprise the broader understanding of human security in an intricately interconnected world.

Across diverse countries and contexts in Africa, religion has direct implications for human security. While some individuals and groups seek to manipulate and control through the deployment of religion, religious belief is also a common facet of those working towards peace and reconciliation. Despite the strategic importance of religion to human security in Africa, there are few contemporary publications that explore this issue on an international scale. This volume redresses that imbalance by examining religion’s impact on human security across Africa. Written by an international team of contributors, this book looks in detail at the intersection of religion and security in a variety of African contexts. Case studies from a diverse set of countries including Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Burkina Faso, and more, are used to illustrate wider trends across the continent. Acknowledging that religion can be used to incite violence as well as encourage peace, the chapters employ an interdisciplinary exploration of the ethics, sociology, and politics around these issues. This is much needed volume on religion’s capacity to effect human security. It will, therefore, be of significant interest to any scholar of religious studies, African studies, political science, the sociology of religion, and anthropology, as well as peace, conflict, and reconciliation studies.

Many new development initiatives have been introduced in Africa over the past few decades. Each of these has been heralded as marking a new era in the continent‘s development. However, many of these initiatives have failed to produce sustained results due to numerous challenges, including, most importantly, the lack of good governance. The Africa P

Environmental and human security issues are vital national security interests in African states because most citizens are engaged in daily struggles to survive. Chronic resource scarcities and degradations fuel individual struggles, along with political conflicts among different groups vying to control and benefit from scarce resources. Observers agree on importance of expanding national security in African states, but without consensus on optimal approach for studying or improving environmental and human security problems. Although the military is an influential institution in African countries, no work has addressed how, or if national and foreign militaries should be involved in promoting human and environmental security. This book combines ten original studies to discuss important non-traditional security issues facing countries located in each region of Africa. This volume reflects an assumption that one must have case-specific knowledge, use multidisciplinary and multi-level conceptual frameworks, and have appreciation of feasible and desirable public policies to understand and address complex non-traditional security concerns. Part One has three essays based on papers presented at 49th International Studies Association meeting in March 2008, plus two additional studies. Part Two focuses on understanding emerging transcontinental issues using interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks. Part Three has recommendations, remediation and conclusions via mini-case studies. The final chapter ties ten studies together and gives ideas about future role of US military forces in Africa non-traditional security areas--Publisher's description.