Human Security in the 21st Century Conference

Human security, a movement that calls upon global actors to rethink existing security, development and social politics, has become a crucial component to policy making and academia since its inception in the mid 1990s. However, no consensus exists on how the concept should be used, or translated into policy, let alone on the nature of its impacts on academia and policy making. Instead, its use has evolved independently in different academic disciplines and policy circles, resulting in a range of meanings and applications. A glance at the policy and academic literature shows that there is a lack of communication across these various divides, with few inter-disciplinary conversations taking place (let alone dialogues between academics and policy makers). As such human security advocates and critics are missing important opportunities to learn from one another.

This conference is seeking to initiate a comprehensive conversation between non-state policy makers (IOs, NGOs, and local community representatives), state policy makers (foreign affairs and military personnel), and academics on human security. In this way, stakeholders working within academia will be better placed to understand its appeal (or limitations) to policy makers, and those working in the field will learn how it is related to larger trends in development and security theories and practices. At the same time, lessons from different levels of actors, those working at the international, state and local levels will be shared, as will those across geographic regions.