Capstone Paper

Abstract

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.

Statement of the Paper

The road to resilience is a tenacious one. To understand transforms our mindsets to be able to face the unthinkable and to come out on top all comes down to perception and circumstance. Many people 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. But in my experience, it all comes down to the will and motivation of the individual on how fearsome this weapon can become. Corrie Ten Boom survived the death camps 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. That is what I look to discuss even further as I take you through this discovery with me.

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:

1. 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.

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

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.

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 understand the causes of communal conflict, we have to 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 Involvement, which we all know is always biased, as they would favor one 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.

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, diplomatic modes usually go about the arbitration route while uses two appointed officials 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 Economic 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.

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, one hand it discusses how natural events like hurricane, tornadoes, storms. 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 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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.

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, along with scholarly article that I have read, that cover human security and resilience. 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.