Lawson and Human Security Issues 4, 5, 6 and 7

We began by looking at human security issues 1, 2 and 3. In this post we will look at the other 4 human security issues. These 7 human security issues outlined by Lawson are connected to the 4 major theories of international relations in one way or another.

The fourth issue is environmental security. Lawson (2012) states that the protection against pollution and depletion is the essence of environmental security.

Pollution of our atmosphere, fresh waterways, sea and land is considered a threat to human survival. Pollution has a chain reaction feature, causing the depletion of other resources.

People living along the Ramu river and its tributaries located near the nickel and cobalt mine are scared of poisonous chemicals in the waterways. The various tributaries and the big Ramu river are a vital source of food for the people. These fresh waterways contain fish and prawns which are important sources of protein. If the waterways are polluted, then the chemicals will reduce the fish and prawns.

Goal 6 shares an interesting fact that:

“more than 80% of wastewater resulting from human activity is discharged into rivers or sea without any pollution removal.”

In addition, Goal 12 gives a very interesting fact, man is polluting water faster than nature can recycle and purify water in rivers and lakes. While a target for Goal 14 is to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution by 2025.

For depletion, a target in Goal 15 is to take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products. Goal 13 mentions a very significant fact, as much as 40% of the world oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats.

Lawson (ibid.) states that the fifth issue is personal security. This issue refers to safety from war, torture, and sexual and other forms of assault, such as domestic violence.

We talked about the Kantian logic of regime change which is the reason for war in one or two of those countries where asylum seekers on Manus Island come from. The West, in their bid to make countries like Iraq a republican democracy got rid of the so called dictator Saddam Hussein. This event destabilized the country by causing the rise of different militant groups fighting for control of Iraq.

This endless war and torture of people groups by different militant groups like ISIS or ISIL is a threat to personal security. That is why many Iraqis have fled their country in search of peace and a better life.

ISIL militants have also kidnapped, sold as sex slaves and raped many women since the conflict started. There have been many horrific accounts of the ordeal told by survivors reflecting a serious breach of personal security.

A target of Goal 16 is to end the abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against the torture of children. Most children are trafficked for sexual exploitation, especially girls trafficked for forced labour or domestic work often end up sexually exploited by their employers.

Community security is the sixth issue according to Lawson (ibid.). This particular issue refers to the integrity and survival of traditional cultures and minorities.

From my understanding, language is a pivotal part of culture. The threat of languages dying out because of the frequent use of introduced languages like Tok Pidgin and English questions the survival of traditional cultures.

A minority group is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their lives than members of a dominant or majority group. The Aborigines of Australia are minorities on their own land. They lived on the land for at least 50,000 years but became minorities when white settlers move to Australia. They have a lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality rates.

A target in Goal 10 talks about empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status by 2030. Hopefully, this target will help those who are considered minorities because of race, ethnicity, religion and so on.

The protection of civil and political rights is the seventh issue called political security by Lawson (ibid.). As citizens, we all have certain civil and political rights that must be protected.

Freedom of expression is one civil right that we possess which is outlined in the Constitution (Section 46). A target of Goal 16 is to ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements. For international agreements, we have the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.

I for one feel that we need some form of criteria to determine who should stand for public office in order to select credible candidates. However, this cannot be, because Section 50 of the Constitution says that all citizens above the voting age has the right to vote and stand for public office.

To protect your civil and political rights all of you need to read the constitution of PNG. Especially, Division 3 on Basic Rights from Section 32 to 56. Once you know you civil and political rights then you can protect yourselves from the government, other individuals or groups.

Reference:
Lawson, S. (2012). International relations (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Polity Press.