WHY INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY STUDIES?

By

Jacob Waiswa
Peace and Conflict Center
P.O. Box 7062,
Kampala-Uganda
jwaiswa@arts.mak.ac.ug

The worst leaderships in Africa obtain 98% of votes as they are known to rig elections and render the dreams of change unattainable. People in Uganda, like many African countries need power that is translated from them to those become symbols of their power.

There is need to transform society from one that is abused by leaders to one that demands basic human rights and accountability. To achieve these civil society organizations and private individuals need to invest resources in civic action education countrywide, so that the population can be enlightened, and useful to themselves and the country.

By exploring more the heights in the discipline of peace and security, one attains a firm ground for not only local consulting works but global –as well in different aspects of achieving peace. Besides, with a MA in International Peace and Security Studies one can have much credibility in practices and works in aspects of peace studies and promotions.

With it, also, candidates will be in position to invent systems for socioeconomic, spiritual, cultural and political structural transformation towards a better world for everyone to live in. That shall be strengthened by an establishment of a global foundation for human and ecological wellbeing to monitor such progress.

Issues of peace and security in Africa are a robust requirement; unfortunately, we have very far professional experts in peace and security development. Lack of human resource necessary to avert conflict and redefine security in line with contemporary challenges remains a challenge –which by me adding to the existing numbers of peace experts in Africa, will be able to fill the void not only for the good of the greats lakes region but the world at large.

This year a peace and security study constitutes my current graduate program (peace and conflict studies) as a course-unit. This now gives me an opportunity to join King’s College, London to explore much aspects of security critical to my country’s needs and that of the region. Security issues are indeed very relevant to African context –where almost military approach is 100% the means of changing leadership and transforming society while security is ‘understood as possessions of arms to oppress nations as state legitimacy.’

These are critical issues one might love to see addressed –through redefinition of the state as legitimate instrument with the sole ownership of the means of violence. We need to begin looking at environmental security –from which life systems are sustained; food security, health security, education security, employment security, and revenue security dimensions –here their mismanagement can cause worst violence compared to one the state would if it failed to grasp different aspects of insecurity. Peace and development studies will help advance these notions forward for policy conceptualization, analysis, development and implementation.

Peace and security studies gives the depth of security content as pathway to peace beyond the current position where in the general studies of peace and conflict studies it is undertaken as a four months course unit. Delving greater into it obvious increases more understanding and relevant of peace studies with an African perspective with the biggest burden of primary security concerns as economic insecurity (poverty), educational insecurities and health insecurities.

By developing my peace and security mental faculty, I will be in position to argue out my cases right from an expert view point in my advocacy work, journaling moments and in an expert’s future dispensation of services in conflict management.

And coming from background of community mental health, at any level and situations a feeling of security and in control is vital for sanity to prevail among individuals –an element I could add on the discipline. Lack of control and feeling of insecurity within individuals is regulated by most African states to render citizens ‘governable’ –only dependent on the state for survival –a point where the state will be supported to reign and continue ‘helping’ those people to survive.

The growing rise of educated Africans and elitism demand operational democracy: not just theories and their manipulations by African prototype governance systems. The sense of security and certainty of the future is thus deem as security focus remains control of the wealth of those of have away from those who do not have. Under such circumstances revolutions will be part and parcel of the search for security and peace –united.

At any level security and peace must be sought through action when entire population is let to know and practice their rights –which on the other hand compel governments to act responsibly. The people must give direction to myopic leaders as a means to achieve security and peace.

African universities need to invest much in them as change agents that will transform Africa from the field of battles, disease, ignorance, manipulation, docility, intimidation and deaths from liberation struggles –to a prosperous yet secure and harmonious continent. In achieving that harmony peace and security experts will be in position to successfully study the cracks in foreign affairs responsible for the insecurities in Africa, or any other angle the will be explored and blocked from causing regional and global catastrophes. They can be such challenges as global warming, war economy or unfair global economic policies, gender concerns during conflict times, unfair diplomatic underplays and selfish foreign policies.

Peace and security studies will help us dig deep in the various forms of insecurity that take toll on individuals and soon affect families, nation, regions and the world. In the same way it will help the state identify and understand the primary insecurities –both perceived and manifested ones that will cost it a fortune once it fails to deliver people expectations. Once people and the state are made aware of the real legitimacy of citizenship and leadership, then civility in both will reign. Because the gun has been tested and nullified as a means to achieve security beyond the people power; peace and security studies help to elevate that understanding for which the state could invest in most.