ABSTRACT
Policies that seek security primarily by military means but fail to address underlying factors of instability will likely trigger a downward spiral of violence and instability, and quite possibly a collapse of international rules and norms. Terrorism is a path chosen by protagonists who tend to be politically desperate and militarily weak. Awareness of the threats and challenges that cannot be resolved within the traditional framework of national security led a wide range of nongovernmental organizations, scholars, and others to refine and redefine our understanding of security over the past two decades. The pressures facing societies and people everywhere do not automatically or necessarily trigger violence. Insecurity can manifest itself in ways other than violent conflict. From the perspective of a broader conception of security, the war on terror threatens to sideline the struggle against poverty, health epidemics, and environmental degradation, drawing scarce financial resources and political capital away from the root causes of insecurity.
