ABSTRACT
For much of the twentieth century, security was considered to be the primacy of the states. Owing to several developments, however, traditional notions of security have become contested. First, aiming for a broader agenda, the Brandt and Brundtland Commissions developed alternative definitions of security (Wyn-Jones 1999).1 Second, the end of the Cold War set in motion a systemic shift leading to, among other things, the eruption of numerous violent intra-state conflicts (Kaldor 1997). And third, there are newly emerging security threats such as environmental degradation, poverty, malnutrition, and diseases. All of these developments have led to a more individualized security concept which appeared under the label of “human security.” By linking people’s security with development perspectives, it was intended to address the root causes of intra-state conflicts (MacFarlane and Khong 2006).
