Human Security versus National Security in Africa: Developmental versus Failed Sates among 'The Rest'

Book Title: 
Routledge Handbook of African Security
Author(s): 
Editor(s): 
Publication Year: 
2014
Publication Place: 
Abingdon
Publisher: 
Routledge
ISBN: 
9780415682145
Pages: 
33-42
Abstract: 

This new Handbook examines the issues, challenges, and debates surrounding the problem of security in Africa. Africa is home to most of the world's current conflicts, and security is a key issue. However, African security can only be understood by employing different levels of analysis: the individual (human security), the state (national/state security), and the region (regional/international security). Each of these levels provides analytical tools for understanding what could be called the "African security predicament" and these debates are animated by the "new security" issues: immigration, small arms transfers, gangs and domestic crime, HIV/AIDS, transnational crime, poverty, and environmental degradation. African security therefore not only presents concrete challenges for international security but provides a real-world context for challenging conventional conceptions of security. Drawing together contributions from a wide range of key thinkers in the field, the Routledge Handbook of African Security engages with these debates, and is organized into four parts: Part I: The African security predicament in the twenty-first century; Part II: Understanding conflict in Africa; Part III: Regionalism and Africa; Part IV: External influences. This Handbook will be of great interest to students of African politics, human security, global security, war and conflict studies, peacebuilding, and IR in general.

Keywords: 
Military & Strategic Studies; African & Third World Politics; Security Studies - Pol & Intl Relns; War & Conflict Studies; African Studies; Conflict Resolution; Peace Studies; Civil Wars & Ethnic Conflict