Posted by cakfu @ 11:44 on January 21st 2008

Framework Analysis of Comprehensive Security

There are two approaches used in the analytical framework of Comprehensive Security, based on the strategic interaction among the actors – the Normative Approach and the Subjective Approach . The Normative (Top-Down) point of view is based on the ideal of achieving universal values like human rights, freedom from fear and freedom from wants. The problem here is that sometimes the universal values such as human rights, civil society, etc are not applicable to every culture. Taking an example from human security using the normative point of view, the value of human rights which is based on Western culture focuses more on respect for the individual freedom, while in Eastern culture, collectivity is taken to be the main value in the most social activities. Thus, cultural respect should be taken into account in applying the normative model of comprehensive security.
The second approach is the subjective (bottom-up) point of view that is established on the objective condition of society. This model defines that comprehensive security as the main goal can only be reached if the basic needs of society are fulfilled. This concept generates a question: in what ways can the basic needs (human security) of society be fulfilled when the state security is absent, since state security such as stability of the state is required to ensure human security.
Comprehensive Security comprises two inter-related components: five core concepts and six core dimensions. These components help in analysing complex situations of comprehensive security. This framework analyses the disaster situation in two ways – by looking at the diagnostic problem and the intervention problem. In both cases, it has to be clarified as to who or what exactly is affected by the disaster or the intervention at a particular moment. Further, the framework elaborates five core concepts (actor, goals, resources, interactions, and institutions) with six dimensions of comprehensive security (political security, economic security, environmental security, heath security, food security, and social security) to answer these questions.

Five concept of Comprehensive Security
Actor
It is necessary to analyse the different kinds of actors who are involved in the intervention process of disasters. Identification of the different actors is important because each of them can have different goals and resources. Related to this pilot project, it can be outlined that disabled survivors can be considered as the natural actor, while NGOs, IGOs and the state or local government are the corporate actors who may have different goals in their programmes. Additionally, the third actor can be a multinational corporation that is supplier of the humanitarian organisation. This third actor can be a company that produces and provides materials or equipments which are needed by humanitarian organisations in conducting their programmes.

Goals
Analysing goals is also very important because goals generate drive the actions of each actor in a certain situation. In addition, achieving comprehensive security is considered to be the highest goal in the framework. Measurement of a goal is also vital to understand a complex situation. It is obvious that each actor has a different goal that may lead to a complex situation. Most humanitarian organisations set their goals from a Top-Down perspective. Consequently, problems will emerge due to the measurable indicators being drawn up according to the biases of policy makers, and they often do not meet the real needs of beneficiaries in the field.

Resources
The December, 26 Tsunami has taken away almost all sources of life of the Aceh people. They lost all their properties such as houses, farmlands, etc. Even worse, disabled survivors not only lost their properties but also a part of their body which can be considered as a main economic resource. This condition has put disabled survivors in the lowest position among the actors in responding to the Tsunami in Aceh. Resources can be seen as means for the realisation of (lost) physical and social well-being and, ultimately, comprehensive security. The interaction among involved actors in Aceh seems to be imbalance because humanitarian organisations and multinational actors have control over most of the resources e.g. aids and money.
Nowadays, many humanitarian actors adopt a profit-oriented attitude (like a multinational organisation) in their project management. Consequently, the humanitarian organisations always deal with ideas of efficiency and effectiveness. Taking care of disabled survivors, to some organisation, can mean that they have to put an additional budget and efforts in the project. Therefore, it becomes the reason that not so many humanitarian organisations are willing to take into consideration the needs of the disabled survivors in disaster situations.
Establishing an interaction system among involved actors in responding to a disaster is needed because each has interest to exchange the resources. A good interaction system can lead to an optimal outcome in reconstructing the affected disaster area. Interaction can also lead to conflicts among the actors because there is miscommunication resulting from different cultures where the actors come from. Cultural understanding is very important to maintain the interaction among involved actors.

Institution
Institutions can be defined as system of rules. In the comprehensive security framework proposed by Herman and Wittek, institutions can be distinguished as four classes in general: markets, primordial social orders, the state, and the organisation. Therefore, the interaction among the institutions in the context of a disaster is multi-functional where each can substitute the other in terms of achieving comprehensive security. In the context of responding to Tsunami in Aceh, the local resources e.g. local customs, cannot be neglected because it may be useful in achieving general outcomes. In the case of Mr. Zaini where the humanitarian organisations are falling to take into consideration disabled survivors’ needs, the local social institution e.g. family or relative can substitute this problem by helping the disabled survivors to get their basic needs. However, the disabled survivors cannot achieve their maximal needs due to their dependence on the help of the family and relatives.

Six Dimensions of Comprehensive Security
Definition of each component of the six dimensions of comprehensive security will be explained here to help in the analysis of the problems.
Political Security concerns the organisational stability of states, system of government and ideologies that give them legitimacy. Political security can also be understood as the relationship between the state and its citizens. Further, the state is responsible to provide security for its citizens in terms of safety and social welfare. The politics of disability arises as the sociological approach was used to analyse the issue of disability. This approach brings two dimensions of politics: disabled people’s relationship to ‘conventional’ political institution and processes, and the emergence of a ‘politics of disability’. The first dimension explains the role of formal institutions of the state in exercising varying degrees of power on interpreting laws and regulations which affect aspects of a disabled people’s life. In contrast, the politics of disability concentrates on social position of disabled people and their power as citizen of the state. Therefore, political security for the disabled people can be understood as having equal access to social and political activities.
Economic Security concerns access to the resources, finance, and markets necessary to sustain acceptable levels of welfare and state power. Economic security is the main focus in the disability issue because most disabled people in developing countries are living in poverty. This condition is mostly caused by the lack of access to employment as industrial societies tend to look at disabled people as an ineffective and inefficient group. In Indonesia, disabled people are commonly put in the lowest positions in workplaces with a very limited salary or are even jobless in many instances. The economic position of disabled people is always caused by their physical status of being disabled.
Social security concerns the sustainability, within acceptable conditions for evolution, of traditional pattern of language, culture and religious and national identity and custom. Social security of disabled people can be seen in two positions; position as members of society which is related to social welfare provided by the state, and position of disabled people in social interactions with other members of society.
Environmental Security concerns the maintenance of the local and planetary biosphere as the essential support system on which all other human enterprises depend. Disability related to environmental security can be explained in the way that some disabilities are caused indirectly by damages to the environment.
Food security is an access by all people at all times to enough food for an active and healthy life. Disabled people are the most vulnerable group both in crisis and normal situations. Access to food is the main problem of disabled people in crisis situation where food is normally distributed in the standard ways which are not easily accessible to disabled people. In addition, under normal circumstances, most disabled people are also not able to access food directly. Most of them depend on other family members and relatives to help.
Health Security is defined as incorporating clean water supply, sanitation, food, nutrition, shelter, site planning, and health services. Disability is very closely related to health security in that improper conditions of health are suspected to be causes of disability. The traditional view of disability always refers to diseases as causes of disability. In addition, the medical model is still often used to analyse and solve the disability problem.

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment