How can the concept of human security be used as a practical device to address armed violence? This paper from the Centre for Policy Studies presents the example of a Brazilian non-governmental organisation (NGO) that uses the human security concept as a tool to formulate policies and execute projects on the ground. The human security concept can be a powerful point of departure to orient governments, international and regional organisations and NGOs towards initiatives that increase personal safety.
Today’s definition of human security has expanded beyond territorial military threats to include threats to the safety of individual human beings. The greatest security threats no longer come from inter-state conflict, but from high-intensity violence in urban centres. While Latin America has the lowest level of armed conflict between states in the world, it has the highest rates of gun violence and gun-related deaths of any region in the world.
Brazil is plagued by rapid urbanisation, unequal distribution of income, lagging education policies and a legacy of political clientism. As a result, it has been unable to achieve a significant reduction in poverty. Due to a recent significant increase in gang-related gun violence in the country insecurity is now one of the top concerns of the Brazilian population.
Viva Rio, a Brazilian NGO, illustrates the effectiveness of use of the human security concept to design practical responses to the problem of armed violence. Founded in 1993, the NGO currently oversees 2,000 local projects in 82 municipalities and works with over 1,400 partner organisations, both locally and regionally. Its main goal is to promote peace and development at the local level by improving human security.
Viva Rio’s work includes:
- research, design and implementation of specific programmes to overcome armed violence and social exclusion
- integrating security, human rights and development goals in collaboration with local and regional partners as a long-term solution to armed violence
- the development of strategies to reduce the supply and demand of small arms and light weapons and to increase police training and reform, income generation and education programmes
- the use of mobilisation and advocacy campaigns to enhance programmes in poor and violent neighbourhoods
- important national and regional interventions that are in tune with the international agenda for the reduction of urban armed violence.
Organisations operating in Latin America and the Caribbean can promote a human security-oriented approach to decrease urban violence by:
- developing an NGO human security agenda aimed at the consolidation and strengthening of democracy
- developing a security perspective that is both consistent with democratic values and operational
- reinforcing and disseminating the conceptual basis of the human security paradigm as the key to developing solutions
- establishing a fruitful dialogue between government and civil society on security issues
- promoting the creation of a forum for human security organisations in the region.
