Research Paper Review

MHSR 690 Graduate Capstone Paper

Proposal

Topic: Human Resilience: Building Mental and Emotional Strength

Adetolani Adeosun

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Submitted to the Worldwide Campus

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

Master of Science in Human Security and Resilience

03/29/2020

Abstract Comment by Hans-Joachim Ruff-Stahl: On new page please.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the fight for survival and major traumatic events shape us humans, mentally, psychologically and emotionally. Human Resilience and Security focuses on our basic needs as humans and what we need to feel secure and live our day to day lives. It also deals with how external factors like the federal government, NGOs, NPOs and Organizations like WHO have roles to play in this process by providing the necessary resources to help people to work to achieve the ultimate goal of food security, job security, economic security, health security and so on. This goal is a teamwork effort: everyone has to play their part. This paper’s research methodology would be based on discussions and lessons learnt from research conducted from past classes and papers in relation to this course and new material or events that have happened in the world today to give an overall summary of Human Resilience and Security.

I will look at the abstract after the rest of your proposal is acceptable.

Comment by Hans-Joachim Ruff-Stahl: bold Comment by Adetolani Adeosun: I don’t know what you mean by bold, it is bold

Statement of the Paper

The road to resilience is a tenacious one. Human security was quickly mainstreamed throughout much of the world. Human security successfully made people the referent object of the security paradigm. By 1994, the world’s peak supranational body, the United Nations (UN), had accepted human security as the driving force behind all of its work. The UN’s Development Programme’s (1994), Human Development Report defined Human Security as , Page 3 of 11 ‘sSafety from chronic threats such as hunger, disease, and repression as well as protection from sudden and harmful disruptions in the pattern of daily life.’ It was quickly accepted that human security is influenced by environmental degradation, pandemics, economic disruption, population displacements, urbanization, famine, energy shortages, human rights, cultural diversity, nationality identification and recognition.

Burma today, which is known Myanmar, is currently undergoing transition and reform, human security needs and challenges are severe, as they strive for an inclusive and equitable social and economic development in hand with political stability and national reconciliation. Trust among the different interest and ethnic groups is crucial for moving forward with human security issues. There is a chance for inclusivity and participatory practices to be achieved in Myanmar’s pursuit of human security in the national development plans. The human security and development approach to assistance programs in Myanmar is thus worth consideration. ASEAN and development partners can help build constructive engagement plan and provide resources in helping Myanmar through recovery.

The goal of the paper is to compare Burma’s state of human security to an acceptable human security model thats is more comprehensive and preventive responses by the United Nations, cutting across sectors, developing contextually relevant solutions, and adopting partnerships to help realizse a world free from fear, want and indignity. By applying the human security approach model approved by the UN, which has a well-established track record and proven value. The Burmese government can strengthen resilience to climate change and natural disasters; promote peaceful and inclusive societies; address the underlying causes of persistent poverty; and bolster the transition from humanitarian crisis to longer term sustainable development. 

’ Corrie Ten Boom, a dutch native who survived the survived the Ravensbrück concentration camp, just to turn around to become the epitome of forgiveness which followed with acts of kindness by creating rehabilitation centers for former guards. Others who went through a similar or even worse experience who got separated from family members died broken and bitter over insignificant or even imagined slights. It always come down to the individual to decide who you want to be. We as humans react to such circumstances with a surge of strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty. The human mind is a very fragile and powerful instrument. It can also be one of the most persistent tools ever used depending on the user. While being an unpredictable and powerful tool, it is also capable of creating unimaginable things such as ideas, beauty, and acts of genius acts. The point I am trying to make is stressing the capability what our minds are capable of, it all comes down to the will of us whether as individuals or as a team.

Corrie Ten Boom is one of many stories of people who has triumphed through adversity. The Rohingya people of Myanmar (Burma) are generations of stories of refugees who have been afflicted with high level of trauma and remain resilient despite little access to special mental health services or other basic human needs to live a healthy life, many of the refugees are very anxious about the future, the ongoing crisis merits a robust response from the local level all the way to a global level, to exert pressure on the Myanmar (Burma) government to to stop its campaign against the Rohingya.

Topic of Focus

I Intend to focus my paper on the Communal Conflict in Burma, and why I think the government and its people should follow the example set by the people of Sri Lanka in ceasing communal conflict, rebuilding and working together to achieve peace and grow as one country.

The question I want to ask and as I work on this paper, I hope to answer, is that Why hasn’t Burmese government adopted Sri Lanka’s route of ceasing communal conflict, since the situation is similar?

Program Outcomes

that you will address. The MHSR program Learning Outcomes are as follows:

PO-01 Concept of Human Security – Identify the concept of human security, its development, theoretical underpinnings, key measurements, and contrast to state-centered security models.

The concept of Human Security revolves around 6 top priorities for every human to feel safe and secure to go about their day to day lives away from the government. The concept of human security is to protect people from threats both traditional (the military, the government) and the non-traditional threats like food security, medical security, economic security, environmental security and social security. Human security like I mentioned means safety from chronic threats such as hunger, disease, and repression, and it meant protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of daily life. The development of human security emphasizes the sustainability of the concept of human development is greater than it was before in areas that were lacking, by improving, only then can one create improvement plans and opportunities for growth. Key measurements to the concept of human security would be a change in the preexisting condition showing improvement by measuring the variables and the condition that these indicators portray; the variables in this case would be by measuring the changes in the economic, food, environmental, health, personal, community and political security of Burma. State centered security models causes the Burmese government to step with constructive and democratizing methods that would cause government regulation to prevent the dominant social class from having a monopoly on power, which would protect vulnerable populations and ensure access to vital infrastructure.

PO-02 Human Security and Governance – Assess the relationship between human security and governance at various levels.

Our Expectations of our leaders is to govern those governed with their best interest in mind, by providing or giving access to services that the people need in order to lead a safe and healthy life. Governance is an ongoing relationship between individuals and insitutionsinstitutions, whether private or public which looks to reconcile conflicting interests in order to protect the weak, through the rule of law, from unjust exploitation, and introduce security for all. Governance is also a process through which collective good and goods (including security) are generated, or their production facilitated, so that all are better off than they would be acting individually. In other to have human security, there has to be unbiased governance at all levels of government. The best way to assess this relationship is by understanding how human security is affected by governance at every level of government, which involves research into how the Burmese government has been unsuccessful and with that, we can provide a solution to the problems and threats that human security is faced with by the lack of government involvement or ineffective government leadership.

For Example: Hurricane Maria had a devasting effect on Puerto Rico, the United States government which is responsible for all 50 states and its surrounding lands didn’t responding promptly and didn’t provide the necessary response and over a year later the Island still hasn’t recovered and still don’t have full power restored to the residents and last I heard the body count is still climbing. This is an example of how we must find ways to be self sufficient of the government because they won’t be able to always provide the support needed to help provide human security, in my experience, national security works hand in hand with Human Security but always takes precedent.

PO-03 Human Security and Conflict – Analyze the relationship between human security and conflict and its impact on the stability of the international system.

In countries like Burma, Sri Lanka, countries like those have had ongoing on unrest between ethnic groups which has caused instability in the socio-economic welfare of these countries, which is not good for economic, social and national security because ethic groups don’t feel safe, they would act in defense or attack first to protect themselves. Human security in Burma is concerned with safeguarding and expanding people’s vital freedoms. It requires both shielding people from acute threats and empowering people to take charge of their own lives. Needed are integrated policies that focus on people’s survival, livelihood, and dignity during downturns as well as in prosperity. Everyone is affected when there is civil unrest., depending on which countries have economic/security interest in the region, they tend to interveneWhile the country’s Burma’s elites are enjoying the benefits of profitable oil, gas, mining and timber exports, the population’s economic security is still very poor because of an insufficient national infrastructure and framework, unpredictable government trade policies, health structures that are becoming progressively worse, low levels of literacy and general education and corruption that appears to all observers to be systemic. Due to State’s failure to provide better levels of human security for its population is resulting in the smuggling of people for sexual exploitation, forced labour and child soldiering. The population’s security is being repeatedly abused by the Burmese Military who routinely force villagers to participate in labor projects without pay’ including the use of children, from constant abuse, stems revolution and civil wars which leads to destruction of properties and everyone’s safety is at risk which finally leads to instability in the region, as an oil rich region, it disrupts the rest of the worldstability of the international system that reliesy on the oil.

6. PO-06 Cause of Communal Conflict – Demonstrate the ability to synthesize, analyze and evaluate the causes of organized communal conflict.

Communal Conflict is a conflict between one-state groups that are organized along a shared communal identity. To analyzeunderstand the causes of communal conflict in Burma, we have to evaluate understand the reasons behind them like what the community is low on as far as resources and that gives us who wants to control the resources. Then next would be the Government’s iInvolvement, which we all know is biased always biased, as they would favor one political fraction over the other based on influence and contributions to society. Cooperation could also be a factor, as it is based on the community’s involvement and the conditions for the involvement of cooperation. By understanding and synthesizing the causes of the reasons for ongoing communal conflict and the reasons for the Burmese government’s lack or inability to bring stability to the region, we can recommend solutions and support from the outside like the west, NGOs, WHO and and the UN.

7. PO-07 Conflict Resolution Mechanisms – Understand, evaluate, and analyze the availability and effectiveness of mechanisms for resolving communal conflicts, including diplomatic, economic, legal, military, and nation-building measures.

There are several modes of resolving communal conflicts, but before any methods of resolving conflict is applied, we have to understand the nature of the communal conflict in Burma. , Bby better understanding and analyzing this conflict, we can evaluate what both sides need to come to a truce and, a beginning ato healing process. Next, then we can analyze sysnthesize how to which diplomatic modesthe various measures we canusually go about to resume peace- keeping and nation rebuilding measures. In Burma, tTthe arbitration route while uses two appointed officials from both sides to parley, mediate, adjudicate. Another method would be the use of military as an actual use of force or a show of force, there is difference as one involves the use of actual violence as a war or battle and the other as a warning, to warn and intimidate that it would act only if provoked. So one promotes actual intention and one only intimidates. Legal and eEconomic kind of work hand in hand as it all depends on if a treaty exist between both communities, countries, or continents and if broken could lead to sanctions either way. All of these methods are evaluated and analyzed for the best possible outcome without making matters even worse and to ensure that both sides adhere to the agreement.

9. PO-09 Concept of Environmental Security – Develop a working definition of environmental security.

Environmental Security is a connection between the environment and the security of humans and nature, on one hand it discusses how natural events like hurricane, tornadoes, storms affect human security. Which creates a domino effect that affects the livelihood of people as now they have to recover, now depending on the assessment of damages, it could deplete their natural resources or taint their existing resources. Based on how much impact or damage is done, it could be a threat to national security because the government and its citizens depends on resources to functions and those resources could affect human security which would lead to panic, mass hysteria and also create an opportunity for another country or organization to carry out its agenda. If resources are abundant then the threats are less but if they are scarce, they start to exist. Natural disasters also threaten our way of life, these disasters damage properties, our source of food, clean air, clean water, infrastructure and natural resources. A perfect example is the recent Australian fires, that affected the Australian economy, homes were destroyed and Australian wildlife were destroyed as well. Myanmar has reliesd heavily on natural resource exploitation to sustain economic growth, and serious environmental issues are emerging, underlying the importance of transparent and robust Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system. Air quality is also increasingly compromised, as industrial and mining discharge, and urban waste bring new and increasing environmental health issues. Rapid urban growth in Myanmar generates additional pressures linked to solid waste generation. All of those things affect environmental security as those to live in the country depend on each of those things to feed their families and live a healthy life. The concept of environmental security is tethered to basic human needs to survive as the world relies on the environment for basic needs such as healthy food, clean water, clean air to breath to get by everyday, we are going to find solutions to how to sustain economic growth with its natural resources without compromising the people’s basic needs and also improve environmental assessment.

10. PO-10 Environmental Security-Related Effects – Identify the ways that the natural environment and trends such as global climate change and population growth contribute to political and economic destabilization within a country or region, and how such destabilization can lead to security concerns for the United States.

Climate change leads to global infectious disease outbreaks also causes major energy market disruptions, global economic crisis. Most of us are familiar with the direct and indirect consequences of these risks, such as rising sea levels, increased frequency of severe weather events and global pandemics that take human lives. Climate change has created an ongoing threat that is contributing to natural disasters, conflicts over basic resources, and refugee movements. Climate change is more like a threat multiplier, interacting with other factors like disease, food security, water security and poverty. Burma is inherently prone to extreme weather events, including floods, cyclones, tsunamis, heavy monsoon rains, floods, storm surges and drought. Climate change, compounded by high levels of poverty, high exposure to natural hazards, and low capacity to respond to those hazards, could undermine the country’s development efforts and economic progress if not addressed. Major health risks in Burma include limited access to clean drinking water, poor sanitation services and widespread food insecurity. Poor living standards aid the spread of vector- and waterborne diseases (e.g., diarrhea, cholera, malaria, dengue and yellow fever). Climate change will create favorable conditions for increased spread of these diseases. Destabilization in Burma would affect the United States goal of limiting China’s ability to impose its will on neighboring states.

11. PO-11 Sources of Resilience – Evaluate several definitions and sources of resilience in both more and less developed countries.

Everyone finds resilience through some outlet, there are different sources in my opinion to find resilience or stay resilient, some find it through internal or external factors.

When family and friends are together trying to get through hard times or in the process of resettling, the process tends to be more bearable and successful with the help of a support system, as family is a big deal in the Burmese culture, having someone to rely on has always been a source of resilience for both developed and under developed countries. Institutional support including access to supports/resources, the extent to which we have opportunities to participate in diverse groups/roles in our community and the extent to which our contributions are recognized and valued. Interpersonal factors involves the quality of our relationships with family, friends, mentors, teachers and peers; Having family and a supportive community is a huge source of resilience for the people of Burma who have been resilient. Based on research, giving people a sense of purpose has proven to provide os sense of direction which is needed to be resilient. Understanding how to provide these sources of resilience to the people of Burma in a way such as an employment and educational program would be a step in the right direction.

Based on research, i

Intrapersonal factors such as self-efficacy, autonomy, sense of purpose, goal orientation, faith, sense of humor, creativity, persistence and flexibility;

Coping/Social skills including active skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, consequential thinking, impulse control.

Interpersonal factors involves the quality of our relationships with family, friends, mentors, teachers and peers; Having family and a supportive community is a huge source of resilience for the people of Burma who have been resilient. When family and friends are together trying to get through hard times or in the process of resettling, the process tends to be more bearable and successful with the help of a support system, as family is a big deal in the Burmese culture, having someone to rely on has always been a source of resilience for both developed and under developed countries.

Institutional supports including access to supports/resources, the extent to which we have opportunities to participate in diverse groups/roles in our community and the extent to which our contributions are recognized and valued. Having family and a supportive community is a huge source of resilience for the people of Burma who have been resilient.was mentioned the most when discussing reasons for success in refugee individuals (Choummanivong et al., 2014; Betancourt et al., 2014). When the family and friends are together trying to get through hard times or in the process of resettling, the process tends to be more bearable and successful, as family is a big deal in the Burmese culture.is focused on by both the refugees and by resettlement services, it leads to a better experience of resettlement (Weine, 2008). It is a source of comfort for refugee families to move into a community and neighborhood that has others that speak the same language (Mitschke et al., 2011) as well as to have those families who have been there longer assist them in navigating the systems present in the United States

12. PO-12 Resilience and Security – Describe why resilience should be integral to U.S. national security strategy.

Resilience and Security is integral to our national security strategy because it gives us the ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. Resilience includes the ability to withstand and recover from deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally occurring threats or incidents and it works hand in hand with security as it reduces the risk to critical infrastructure by physical means or defense cyber measures to intrusions, attacks, or the effects of natural or manmade disasters. When I started learning about Burma, It really put things into perspective and it helped me appreciate how we deal with adversities as Americans, 9/11 brought us together as Americans, it made us stronger., Devasting Hurricane Katrina did the same, it turned strangers into friends, we started rebuilding and we recovered and remained resilient. The people of Burma do notn’t have that, we need to show them that, we need resilience and security to be strong and show the world that no matter what, we can bounce back, but we can also be an example to others.

17. PO-17 Independent Research Skills – Show familiarity with research literature and analytical techniques, and conduct research independently on one or more aspects of human security and resilience.

The research will conducted based on my previous peer- reviewed papers, news articles, published research along with scholarly articles that I have read, that covering human security and resilience. By surveying scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to the dire circumstance of human security in Burma, the area of research, or theory, and by so doing, providing a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works. The literature reviews I will be using are designed to provide an overview of sources I will explore while researching human security in Burma and will be used to demonstrate to my readers how my research fits into the larger field of Human Security. Majority of the population living within the borders of the Burmese State suffer from low levels of human security. The moTo understand what a ‘low level’ of human security is, we must first understand what human security means. A discussion of the most important aspects of this concept, as it applies in practice within Burma, will then be considered. We will be doing a deep dive into the history of Burma, how it went from a prosperous country to the state of suffering that it is right now, with the goal of turning back around into a prosperous country in the world today.. Several Countries have been victims of conflicts, natural disasters, like Sri Lanka who recently ended a communal conflict while Burma is still fighting a communal war. How Puerto Rico is still recovering are topics I would continue to discuss in this paper, with every paper, volunteer trip and understanding of Human Resilience and Security, the more I feel like I understand the topic more. Knowledge is power and knowledge is beneficial to a rebuilding nation. Comment by Hans-Joachim Ruff-Stahl: You need to be more specific than that. Relate to your topic.