Student Network for Human Security (SNHS) Blog

Thanks to Norihito

American Society of International Law(ASIL) has launched an interesting project for the Presidential Campaign.

It has three component: (1) a collection of the candidates' policy statements and speeches on topics related to international law; (2) candidate responses to an ASIL survey on their views on international law and U.S. foreign policy; and (3) a selection of ASIL Executive Committee members' views on what the “big” international law issues are for the next administration.

It is interesting not only from the perspective of Int'l Law, but also of US foreign policy in general, I suppose.

The following invitation for any of our readers who may be interested. Complete info can be found here.

This symposium will be held in conjunction with the WHO-led 10th meeting of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (SDH) to be held in Kobe from January 16-18, 2008. SDH, which includes income level, position in society, education, labor environment, etc., are considered central factors in solving health-related problems caused by social inequality. The Japanese government, which will serve as host to the upcoming G8 Summit in Toyako, Hokkaido next July and co-host of The 4th Tokyo International Conference on Africa's Development (TICAD IV) next May in Yokohama, has been earnestly tackling global health issues in recent years. The key pillar of this effort has been the concept of “Human Security.” This concept is deeply related to SDH and will be one of the main topics of this symposium.

There is lot of action these days around Human Security in Japan so please do not hesitate to attend to any of the following events.

(If you want to sponsor any event here or even want to feedback the event of your interest, this place is for you)

Human Security in Asia: Challenges and Perspectives
Thursday, January 17, 2008 / 10:00-17:40
Place: Waseda University
(Thanks Mami)

Building Peace - Japan and UN
日　　時：２００８年１月２４日（木）　９：４５～１７：００
(More info in the extended entry, Japanese)
(Thanks Nori)

International Workshop on Environmental and Health Risks for Sustainability in Arid Regions
Date: January 28th, 2008
Place: Aoba Memorial Hall, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
(Thanks Defi)

Workshop on Environment and Development in Asia
Date: Jan 29, 2008
Place 環境科学研究科　大講義室
(Thanks Defi)

Japan's Foreign Policy for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy: Challenges and Prospects
Date: Friday, February 1, 2008, 13:00-17:10 (Registration starts from 12:30)
Place: Tokyo (follow the link)
(Thanks Nori)

NGOによる民主化支援セミナー
参加者募集要項
2008年2月2日（土曜日）　9時45分～17時15分
Place: Tokyo (follow the link)
(Thanks Nori)

A brief report of what is going on around Human Security this month:

1. The fourth Friends of Human Security Meeting on 15 May at UN NYHQ (jointly chaired by Japan and Mexico)

2. The first UN General Assembly Thematic Debate on Human Security on 22 May at UN NYHQ
http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/ThematicDebates/humansecurity.shtml

For this meeting the Friend of Human Security prepared a comprehensive compendium of human security related initiatives and activities by its members and UN agencies. It is available in all the official languages.
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/62/695

Hopefully, we would be there!

The Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project is pleased to announce:

CALL FOR PAPERS AND POSTERS

To the GECHS Synthesis Conference: “HUMAN SECURITY IN AN ERA OF GLOBAL CHANGE” June 22-24, 2009, University of Oslo, Norway

Please see attachment to view the call for papers and posters. The deadline for submitting
abstracts is January 15, 2009.

For submission instructions please visit the Conference web page: www.iss.uio.no/gechs

We apologies for cross-postings.

Kind regards,

Linda Sygna
Executive Officer

Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) Project
Department of Sociology and Human Geography
University of Oslo
PO Box 1096 Blindern
0317 Oslo, Norway

Tel: + 47 228 44 386
Fax: + 47 228 55 253
Email: linda.sygna@sgeo.uio.no
GECHS Synthesis Conference email: gechs-conference@sosgeo.uio.no
GECHS Synthesis Conference web page: www.iss.uio.no/gechs
GECHS homepage: www.gechs.org

_______________________________________________
The Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project is a core project of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Change (IHDP). Our research focuses on the way diverse social processes such as globalization, poverty, disease, and conflict, combine with environmental change to affect human well-being.

The Center for Global Development is a think-tank located in Washington D.C., with prolific work in the areas of improving international aid, poverty reduction strategies and health - among others.

Continuing with year-end indexes, the CGD has just made public its Commitment to Development Index, ranking 22 high-income countries according to how consistent are their actions related to the pleas of support LDC around the world. Then, the evaluation does not relies merely on aid efforts, but takes a wider view including rates on trade, investment, migration, environment, security and technology.

Japan has usually been at the bottom of the chart, well behind western peers, although with the inclusion of South Korea to the group of countries this year, the situation changed. Criticism points principally at the small share of income that is used in ODA, as well as the high barriers to exports from developing countries. The authors coincide with DARA report on the issue of refugees and NGO weakness - the latter in terms of small amount of private charitable giving attributable to tax policy. Conversely, it is to be revised whether valuation of parameters such as security and environment overlook country's historical developments that may condemned it to low scores.

On the theoretical ground of security, let's observe that the parameter of security seems to make exclusive reference to violence issues - or freedom from fear. However, other researchers in the CGD sustain security connections with global poverty and disease, among others.

In a recent post, Owen blog recalls and amplifies Alanna Shaikh list of some situations on which NGO can unintentionally do harm to the community it’s trying to serve. A summary to invite you to read the original post:

1. Initiate projects with little chance of success.
2. Make communities outsider-dependents.
3. Destabilize community power structures (reinforcing inequitable existent power structures or creating internal tensions)
4. Build and leave without money for maintenance or staff.
5. Take the best people out of the country's system (so they do good in your project but then become unwelcome in the government)
6. Getting personally too influential, so leaders become accountable to the organization, not to the population.

The author claims that these are equally applicable to donors as well as multilateral organizations.

What do you think?

THE 24TH CONFERENCE OF THE JAPAN ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTH is about human security!

You are all very welcome to participate in the meeting. The call of abstracts is until May 15th, and the meeting coincides with Tohoku region festivals. A great opportunity - Please pass the news.