Why human security is necessary for peace building

 Why Human Security is Necessary for Peacebuilding 

Human security is essential for peacebuilding because it shifts the focus of peace efforts from merely ending war to creating the conditions necessary for sustainable peace. While traditional security focuses on protecting national borders and sovereignty, human security emphasizes the protection and empowerment of individuals and communities. It is based on the idea that peace cannot exist without the safety, dignity, and well-being of people. Therefore, integrating human security into peacebuilding ensures that the foundations of peace are rooted in justice, inclusion, and development.

Peacebuilding involves a wide range of activities, including rebuilding institutions, promoting reconciliation, supporting economic recovery, and ensuring political stability. However, these processes can only succeed when individuals feel secure in their daily lives—free from fear, want, and humiliation. Human security addresses threats such as violence, poverty, hunger, disease, displacement, inequality, and lack of access to justice. These are often the root causes and consequences of conflict. If these issues are ignored, any peace process becomes fragile and temporary.

Human security also enhances trust between people and the state. In conflict-affected societies, institutions are often weak or discredited. By prioritizing human needs—like access to food, education, health care, and personal safety—peacebuilders can help restore faith in governance systems. This is critical because trust is the glue that holds a society together after conflict. When people believe that their rights are protected and their voices are heard, they are more likely to participate in peace efforts and reject violence.

Another vital role of human security in peacebuilding is promoting inclusion. Conflicts often arise from exclusion—of ethnic groups, minorities, women, youth, or the poor. Human security strategies emphasize inclusive development, justice, and participation. They ensure that marginalized voices are part of the peacebuilding process and that the benefits of peace are shared equally. Without such inclusion, peace may only serve the interests of the powerful, leaving room for future instability.

Moreover, human security supports the healing and recovery process after conflict. People affected by war suffer from trauma, displacement, and loss. Human security frameworks offer support through psychosocial care, rehabilitation, and the rebuilding of livelihoods. This creates an environment where reconciliation and coexistence become possible. It also helps reintegrate former combatants into society, preventing them from returning to violence.

The linkage between peace, development, and human security is also important. Sustainable peace depends on development that reduces inequality, creates opportunities, and ensures environmental sustainability. Human security bridges the gap between peacebuilding and development by integrating basic needs and long-term development goals. It supports education, health care, environmental protection, and economic empowerment—all of which help stabilize post-conflict societies.

Finally, in an increasingly interconnected world, threats to human security—such as pandemics, climate change, food insecurity, and terrorism—do not respect national borders. A local conflict can have global implications. Therefore, investing in human security is not just a moral obligation but also a strategic necessity for global peace and stability.

In conclusion, human security is not an optional add-on to peacebuilding; it is the heart of it. By protecting individuals from violence and deprivation and empowering them to shape their futures, human security lays the foundation for lasting peace. A peace built on fear, inequality, or exclusion is doomed to fail. But a peace grounded in human security offers hope, resilience, and a better future for all.