ascm intro to global conflicts

8/14/2019 ASCM Intro to Global Conflicts

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SOME NOTES ON GLOBALSOME NOTES ON GLOBALCONFLICTSCONFLICTS (draft: for discussion purposes only)(draft: for discussion purposes only)

ASCMASCM

fermin p. manalo, jr.fermin p. manalo, jr.


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Human Rights and Violent ConflictsHuman Rights and Violent Conflicts

Right to life and right to security are amongRight to life and right to security are amongthe most fundamental human rightsthe most fundamental human rights

They are the most widely and systematicallyThey are the most widely and systematicallyviolatedviolatedInsecurity due to armed conflict remains oneInsecurity due to armed conflict remains one

of the leading obstacles to humanof the leading obstacles to humandevelopmentdevelopment


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VIOLENT CONFLICTS TRENDSVIOLENT CONFLICTS TRENDS

20TH Century20TH Century

Produced Two world warsProduced Two world wars

Cold War that brought fear of violent conflicts between twoCold War that brought fear of violent conflicts between twosuperpowers as it led to massive arms build up and proxysuperpowers as it led to massive arms build up and proxywarswars

Post cold war intrastate and regional conflicts within weakPost cold war intrastate and regional conflicts within weakand failed states in predominantly poor countriesand failed states in predominantly poor countries


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Post Cold War ConflictsPost Cold War ConflictsTypes of conflictsTypes of conflicts

Ideology -based conflictsIdeology -based conflictsClan or communal conflictsClan or communal conflictsTerritorial conflictsTerritorial conflictsEthnicity/identity -based conflictsEthnicity/identity -based conflictsNatural resource competition based conflictsNatural resource competition based conflictsSovereignty- based conflictsSovereignty- based conflicts


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Number of social conflicts has decreasedNumber of social conflicts has decreasedsince the 90s but the share of poor since the 90s but the share of poor countries is growingcountries is growing

1999-2003, more than half of the worlds1999-2003, more than half of the worlds

violent conflicts are in poor countriesviolent conflicts are in poor countries


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International drug trafficking and illicit armsInternational drug trafficking and illicit armstransfer fuel violent conflictstransfer fuel violent conflicts


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Infectious diseases, environmentalInfectious diseases, environmental

destruction and hunger are still bigger killersdestruction and hunger are still bigger killersthan armed conflictthan armed conflict

And they could be both cause and effect of And they could be both cause and effect of violent conflictsviolent conflicts


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Causal/Perpetuating FactorsCausal/Perpetuating Factors

Growing poverty and inequalityGrowing poverty and inequalityRise of fundamentalismRise of fundamentalismRise of unilateralismRise of unilateralismInsistence on national security over human securityInsistence on national security over human securityas the paradigm for peace and responding toas the paradigm for peace and responding toconflictsconflictsInability of states to meet human security needsInability of states to meet human security needsUncontrolled arms tradeUncontrolled arms trade

Uncontrolled use of arms and natural resourceUncontrolled use of arms and natural resourceexport earnings for conflictsexport earnings for conflictsMilitarized prioritiesMilitarized priorities


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Militarized PrioritiesMilitarized PrioritiesExtraordinary mismatch between budgets for Extraordinary mismatch between budgets for military and meeting human needs in many richmilitary and meeting human needs in many richcountries (HDR 2005)countries (HDR 2005)

>For every $1 spent on development assistance,>For every $1 spent on development assistance,$10 is spent on military budget$10 is spent on military budget

>$118B military expenditure from 2000-2003>$118B military expenditure from 2000-2003

could finance more than what is needed to upliftcould finance more than what is needed to upliftpoverty of many poor countriespoverty of many poor countriese.g. $4B can prevent deaths of 3 million infants ae.g. $4B can prevent deaths of 3 million infants a

year year


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Proliferation of Small ArmsProliferation of Small Arms

Small arms as major weapons in violent conflictsSmall arms as major weapons in violent conflicts

Deaths to civilians 500,000 casualties /year,Deaths to civilians 500,000 casualties /year,mostly in poor countries) and by anti personnelmostly in poor countries) and by anti personnelland mines at 25,000 people/year land mines at 25,000 people/year

Global production of arms runs at 7-8 million/year,Global production of arms runs at 7-8 million/year,with US, Russia and China as the leadingwith US, Russia and China as the leadingproducersproducers


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Causal/Perpetuating FactorsCausal/Perpetuating Factors

Growing culture of violenceGrowing culture of violenceLack of globally accepted comprehensiveLack of globally accepted comprehensiveframework and practice for addressingframework and practice for addressingviolent conflictsviolent conflictsDominance of global economic andDominance of global economic andmilitary interests in decisions aboutmilitary interests in decisions aboutconflict and peaceconflict and peace


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Perspectives on Social ConflictsPerspectives on Social Conflicts

Dominant PerspectiveDominant Persp ective

images and discourses about wars and conflictsimages and discourses about wars and conflictsare framed from the notion of security of theare framed from the notion of security of thesuperpowerssuperpowers and dominant global or regionaland dominant global or regionaleconomic/political interestseconomic/political interests


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Perspectives on Social ConflictsPerspectives on Social Conflicts Emerging perspectiveEmerg ing perspective

Informed by human development and human securityInformed by human development and human security

Puts the interest/security of affected and vulnerablePuts the interest/security of affected and vulnerablecommunities and groups as reference pointcommunities and groups as reference point

Recognizes the linkage between violent conflicts andRecognizes the linkage between violent conflicts andpoverty, inequality within society and among countriespoverty, inequality within society and among countriesand related structural realities (national and global).and related structural realities (national and global).

Integrated, that is, violent conflicts are seen in terms of Integrated, that is, violent conflicts are seen in terms of the collective security of the international communitythe collective security of the international community


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Emerging PerspectiveEmerg ing Perspective ..

Framing of efforts along peacebuilding and sustainableFraming of efforts along peacebuilding and sustainablepeacepeace

Recognizes the crucial role of the public/civilRecognizes the crucial role of the public/civilsociety/affected communities in addressing socialsociety/affected communities in addressing socialconflicts and building sustainable peaceconflicts and building sustainable peace

Recognizes the role of holistic development andRecognizes the role of holistic development andinstitutional building/transformation in addressinginstitutional building/transformation in addressingconflicts and building sustainable peaceconflicts and building sustainable peace


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COMPETING CONCEPTS OFCOMPETING CONCEPTS OFSECURITY AND PEACESECURITY AND PEACE

Concepts of securityConcepts of security

NorthNorth freedom from threats of terrorism and organized freedom from threats of terrorism and organizedcrimecrime

SouthSouth freedom from fear brought by the interaction freedom from fear brought by the interactionbetween poverty and violence, perspective of justicebetween poverty and violence, perspective of justice

It is in the South where there are massive threats to security,It is in the South where there are massive threats to security,and usually not directly from bullets but from disruptions of and usually not directly from bullets but from disruptions of services, malnutrition, diseases, displacements, destruction of services, malnutrition, diseases, displacements, destruction of livelihoods, human rights violations, etc caused by or relatedlivelihoods, human rights violations, etc caused by or relatedto violent conflictsto violent conflicts


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Net SummaryNet Summary

overdeveloped military strategy andoverdeveloped military strategy andunderdeveloped human security strategyunderdeveloped human security strategy(HDR, 2005)(HDR, 2005)

ascm intro to global conflicts

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