Suchergebnisse

National security has been a preserve of the State to the detriment of the welfare of the masses. Human security on the other hand incorporates the basic security elements that are globally recognized and touch on the daily lives of the masses. The Ten Household Cluster Initiatives that have been practiced in East Asia, Caribbean and parts of Western Europe and adapted in Eastern Africa are an avenue through which human security can be addressed though they are tightly controlled by the state and characterized by human rights flaws. Their rationalization is anchored in theories of individualism and communitarianism that locate the roles of individuals and groups in power relations. Kenya's Nyumba Kumi initiative should be redesigned and implemented with hindsight onto the global and continental initiatives. It is imperative to hybridize the initiative with elements from East Asia, Western Europe and Africa for it to make impact on human security. An ideological backup is also needed to entrench it in the population that has been convinced that the initiative is basically a socialist strategy to control the masses. Yet this strategy can be modernized to address not only security but also social, economic and enviornmnetal concerns in neighborhoods and communities.

"Conflicts in Africa, interstate wars, civil wars, and protracted social conflicts, have increasingly spilled over national borders to become regional conflicts. In response, the international community has offered regional solutions. But will these conflicts be regionally contained? Onditi and his co-authors have taken up the challenge of rethinking regional security communities from a holistic approach. Building upon the foundations of scholars such as Barry Buzan and Karl Deutsch, this volume (de) constructs the AU's emerging peace and security architecture, to promote African centered solutions to problems of conflict that transcend the legacy of post-colonial boundaries denoted by the 'Curse of Berlin.'" — Douglas A. Yates, Professor of Political Science, American Graduate School in Paris, France "In a continent replete with a plethora of security challenges, the roles played by actors such as regional organizations in security community consolidation, enlargement and institutionalization are critical for Africa. This timely book is a masterpiece that broadens the epistemological debate on security communities and is a must for scholars, students and policy makers." — Korwa Gombe Adar, Professor of International Studies, University of Botswana This book utilizes a systems thinking perspective to propose a holistic framework of analysis and practice for the regional security community ("RSC") arrangement in Africa. In responding to the challenge of improving effectiveness of response to peace and security threats, African states tend to rely on ad hoc mechanisms. However, this approach has been mired with a myriad of structural limitations. The holistic framework reconfigures the traditional "RSC" into a simplified tool kit of "resources", making this text book ideal for students and advanced researchers in international relations, and all those concerned with regional security and strategic studies. Francis Onditi heads the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Riara University, Kenya. Gilad Ben-Nun is Senior Lecturer at Leipzig University's Research Centre Global Dynamics, Germany. Edmond M. Were is Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kisii University, Kenya. Israel Nyaburi Nyadera is a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Government and Public Administration at the University of Macau. .