NETWORK ON COLLABORATIVE PEACEBUILDINGSIERRA LEONE NCPSL WANEPSIERRA LEONE Achieving Human Security

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NETWORK ON COLLABORATIVE PEACEBUILDING-SIERRA
LEONE(NCP-SL) (WANEP-SIERRA LEONE)Achieving
Human Security In The Midst of Poverty A
Collective Responsibility.

• Presented at DPI/NGO Conference 2006, New York,
  USA
• By Edward Kingston Jombla
• National Network Coordinator

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Outline

• Conceptual background/Definition
• Civil Society Perception on Human Security
• Analysis of the Sierra Leone Situation
• Who should protect who?
• Opportunities
• Challenges
• Conclusion

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DEFINITIONS

• Operational Definitions
• The UNDPs 1994 Human Development Report states
  that Human Security consists of two basic
  pillars the freedom from want and the freedom
  from fear. This means the absence of hunger and
  illness as well as of violence and war.
• To protect the vital core of all human lives in
  ways that enhance human freedoms and human
  fulfillment. H.E Yukio Takasu, Ambassador of
  Japan in charge of Human Security, in a speech
  delivered at the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the
  Human Security Network in Bangkok 2006.
• Ken Booth has argued that redefining security
  requires broadening the concept both
  horizontally and vertically. Expanding the
  concept horizontally involves creating an agenda
  that recognises security as being as dependent on
  factors such as political democracy, human
  rights, social and economic development, and
  environmental sustainability.
• Human Security must become the tool and
  instrument to advance the interest of humanity
  centered on the peoples participation and
  ownership... This understanding does not in
  anyway erode the function of the state with the
  security of the people. Both should be seen as
  mutual dependent.

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Civil Society Perception of Human Security

• From the above definitions given, we
  learnt that human security should not be
  exclusively concerned with the security of the
  state but to a large extent concern with the
  security of the people.
• In this regard, how do civil society
  perceive human security
• Freedom from fear and Freedom from wants As
  Amartya Sen (2000) observed, Development is not
  only about the growth of GNP per head, but also
  about the expansion of human freedom and
  dignity, The development aspects of human
  security include risk, vulnerability, and
  insecurity resulting from poverty especially
  poor access to productive assets (land, capital
  and technology knowledge) and basic services
  (health, education and clean water), gender
  disparities and other forms of inequality. These
  aspects constitute what is commonly referred to
  in the human security and human development
  literature as freedom from want.
• Effort to combat discrimination (UDHR, CEDAW,
  CRC UN SC. Res. 1325)

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• Conflict prevention For the United Nations,
  there is no larger goal, no deeper commitment and
  no greater ambition than preventing armed
  conflict. The prevention of conflict begins and
  ends with the protection of human life and the
  promotion of human development. Ensuring human
  security is, in the broadest sense, the United
  Nations cardinal mission. Genuine and lasting
  prevention is the means to achieve that mission
  

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• Improved civic responsibilities (political
  participation, participatory democracy, active
  protection of civil and political liberties,
  broad participation in policy design and
  implementation)
• Poverty Reduction (Economic revitalization,
  corrupt free society, job creation, improve
  living standards) Long term development plans
  like PRSP, MDGs, social and political reforms,
  peace consolidation strategies.
• Hence, in these ways security becomes an
  all-encompassing condition in which individual
  citizens live in Freedom, Peace and safety and
  participate fully in the process of governance.
  They enjoy the protection of fundamental rights,
  have access to resources and the basic
  necessities of life including health and
  education, and inhabit an environment that is not
  injurious to their health and well-being.
  Indication of poverty is thus central to ensuring
  the security of all people, as well as the
  security of the state.

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• Analysis of the Sierra Leone Situation Human
  Security the Sierra Leone Experience (Thematic
  Focus)
• The Security Sector
• The Security Sector Reforms (RSLAF, SLP, Office
  of National Security)
• The Judicial Sector
• Judicial Reforms (Law Reform Commission, IMC Act
  2000, ACC Act 2000, Procurement Act, RSLAF Act,
  Review of the 1991 Constitution, Justice Sector
  development Programme etc.)
• Food Security
• (Sustainability, Accessibility, Affordability. In
  this vein Government supplies machines and
  tractors to farmers to increase food security by
  2007)

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• Corruption
• (Recent date of the 2004 and 2005 transparency
  International Corruption Perception Indices,
  Sierra Leone is ranked an unenviable 118 of a
  total of 146 and 129 of a total of 156 countries,
  respectively). President Kabbah of Sierra Leone
  says corruption is a threat to security, peace
  and development in the country.
• Youth Unemployment (The youths are ready
  constituency of disgruntled people who might be
  mobilized for political violence. What needs to
  be done here is to expand development of the
  local economy in order to create jobs and food
  production).
• Poverty Alleviation
• Government developed the Poverty Reduction
  Strategy as a way to cushion the plight of the
  average Sierra Leoneans). Eugene ONeill called
  poverty the most deadly and prevalent of all
  diseases.
• Pathway to the MDGs (Girl child education,
  health, poverty alleviation, investment,
  decentralization). Government need to focus on
  good governance, accountability, transparency,
  respect of human right, rule of law and
  incorporating civil society in decision making
  policies and plans.
• Strengthening Civil Society (Very low.
  Strengthen the capacities of civil society
  groups, including womens groups, working to
  promote a culture of peace, and to mobilize
  donors to support these efforts)

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• Who Protects Who?
• The responsibility to protect lives and property
  lies in the hands of all state and non-state
  actors (Government, Civil Society and the
  International Community).
• The Think Tank Relationship-Human Security in
  Sierra Leone

Small Arms Proliferation
International Community
Large Presence of Mercenaries
State Actors (Government)
Dysfunctional state institutions (State Failure)
Flawed Elections
Non-State Actors (Civil Society)
Youth unemployment, Poverty and Militarization,
Endemic corruption
Lawlessness, violence, Gender discrimination,
human right abuses
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The Role of State Actors

• To secure the borders from external aggressions
  (Sovereignty of the state)
• To protect lives and properties
• Protect and promote human rights
• Improve the economic, social and political
  well-being of its citizens
• Create an enabling environment for the smooth
  conduct of elections
• Be accountable to the people
• Commitment to combat corruption
• Create the political space for active civil
  society participation in governance
• Enhance the ability of policy and decision makers
  to make strategic decisions on the basis of
  improved knowledge of the environment of
  operations, options available for response or
  action and finally, the implications of each
  decision or option made
• Strengthen regional and sub-regional
  collaboration
• Mainstream gender parity
• Embark on reforms that positively impact peace,
  security and development

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• The Role of Non-State Actors
• Engage Government on policy formulation and
  advocacy for peace
• Collaborate with other state actors including the
  international community on issues of national
  interest
• Promote reforms and social change
• Protect and promote human rights and disability
  issues
• Provide a space for interaction and interface
  between the political establishment and the
  citizenry
• Hold Government accountable for their
  responsibilities (Resources time)
• Create an enabling environment for the smooth
  conduct of elections
• Encourages and facilitates direct citizen
  participation in public affairs
• Monitoring the practices of the Government in
  particular and the public in general including
  public spending and tracking of resources
• Ensure active participation in governance
• Follow up policy and decision made to ensure that
  they are implemented
• Engage in baseline surveys/research
• Mainstream gender parity
• Embark on programs and activities that positively
  impact peace, security and development

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The Role of the International Community

• Sustained and substantial support from the
  International Community (build the capacity of
  Government and CSOs on emerging development
  issues)
• Ensure both internal and regional efforts to
  establish and maintain good governance,
  democratic processes, and accountable leadership
  
• Providing the resources for the formulation and
  implementation of issues of national interest
• Ensure the domestication of international human
  rights instruments, conventions and treaties
• Offer relevant advice on reforms and social
  change
• Protect and promote human rights and disability
  issues
• Create an enabling environment for the smooth
  conduct of elections

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Opportunities

• Donor support
• The presence of UNIOSIL, UN Agencies and the UN
  Country Team
• The MDGs
• Presence of other inter-governmental agencies
  like IMMAT, DFID, USAID
• Government structures such as SLP, RSLAF, ONS,
  NFF, ENCISS, ACC
• Government medium and long-term plans like the
  PRS, SSR, Social Security Nets, Vision 2025
  (Sweet Salone), Peace Consolidation Strategy
  (PCS), the TRC Recommendations
• Decentralization process (local and district
  councils instituted across the country
• Media pluralism (34 community radio stations 40
  newspapers)
• Existence of Vibrant Civil Society networks and
  coalitions (NCP-SL, NMJD, CSM, CSAP, CSHRC, NFHR,
  LAWCLA

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Challenges

• Inadequate resources to fully implement long-term
  development plans
• Sharp economic downturns
• The fight against corruption
• Border insecurity (Porous borders with Guinea and
  Liberia (Guinean Troops occupation of Yenga
  Gbalahuyah)
• Regional instability (Ivory Coast, Guinea)
• Environmental/Resource based conflicts,
  lawlessness, youth unemployment
• Environmental hazards (Mining activities)
• Gross human rights violations (Rape, ritual
  killing, marginalization of women) in rural
  communities
• Child miners, street children, increase in
  prostitution, drug addiction, armed robbery
• Lack of electricity and safe drinking water
• Lack of national infrastructure for peace
  consolidation process
• Implementation of the TRC Report (national
  dynamic of reconciliation)

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CONCLUSION

• We can act quickly and flexibly, but we
  most remember to maintain a long-term
  perspective. In order to be effective and
  efficient in this human security drive, we must
  be more strategic. We must take advantage of
  experience in order to focus on the goal. To
  contribute to lasting peace and human security,
  we must improve our performance and develop a
  road map to do the right things the right way.
• John F. Kennedy once said, Mankind must
  put and end to war, or war will put an end to
  mankind. The quest for peace and human security
  involves us all. In this quest, we need alliances
  and partners. No country is strong enough to
  bring about peace and human security alone. By
  working together we can be stronger more
  persuasive and more successful.
• In the words of Kofi Annan, Let us make
  this endeavour a testament to future generations
  that our generation had a political vision and
  will to transform our perception of a just
  international order from a vision of the absence
  of war to a vision of sustainable peace and
  development for all.

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• THANKS FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION
• ---END---