Sustainable Common Security

Abstract

To date, concepts of cooperative security – whether “collective security,” “comprehensive security,” “common security” or “human security” – have been helpful but insufficient. e emancipatory potential  of each was evident early on, just not agreeable to the most powerful. As a result, our key systems and institutions did not shift as hoped. Within a few years it was back to national security, preparing for war and business as usual. Despite a rapidly globalizing world, transformational change continues to be resisted in all the state-centric institutions. This raises a fundamental question: how do we break from this pattern to do better?