How Might a Human Security Framework Increase the Probability of Resolving the Conflict in Afghanistan?
Date
2015-02-02
Authors
Yaqub, Homayun
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Abstract
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Afghanistan has seen an unprecedented level of intervention and assistance from the international community. This diverse set of actors that included foreign states, international organizations, and thousands of nongovernmental organizations brought with them often competing and conflicting agendas that sought to concurrently address nation building, counterterrorism, development and reconstruction issues. At the center of such activities were the Afghan people, who had already endured over 30 years of protracted conflict that began first with the invasion of the Soviet Union, a subsequent civil war, and control by the Taliban regime. An already war and conflict weary Afghanistan was now the site of an array of external objectives and initiatives that did not necessarily achieve their desired outcomes. Despite these significant resource investments, Afghanistan remains in conflict and its people still face acts of violence from an active insurgency. As individuals, and in this case the people of Afghanistan are at the center of concern, this thesis examines human security theory as a potential framework for resolving the conflict in Afghanistan. It is an analysis of this concept first popularized by the United Nations in 1994, and using Afghanistan as a case study, will seek to develop a conceptual framework that assesses actions in the country since 9/11 and determine their effectiveness if they could be modified under a more holistic human security strategy.
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Keywords
Human security, Conflict, Afghanistan