GOVERNANCE FOR SECURITY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

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Governance for security in the world, With the inception of the 21st century, the international arena has been introduced to many new notions and among them, the most significant and one of the most critical is the security situation. In general terms, there is a prevalence of anarchy and lack of status quo that creates a chaotic situation where internal and external factors commingle to raise the security factor that results in a security dilemma.

The question that arises here is that what exactly is the root cause of the heightened security dilemma among the states and what are the other elements that contribute in aggravating this very situation.
Before addressing the topic at hand, it is pertinent to address the question raised above so that a clear image of the entire situation can be presented and the entire argument can be based on that proposition.

Now, the most prominent factor that can be considered as internal and as well as an external element and intensifies the security situation is globalization. Here, the question put forward demands the explanation of this concept and its implications. For that matter, it must be take into account that it is a form of international integration where various aspects of a state are shared with the other states and there is an inflow along with an outflow of new phenomenon that are later internationally recognized. Globalization has provided the international politics, a new dimension and has made the world appear as a global village that is open to new notions.

The link between the heightened security situation and globalization gets clear when the light is shed on the negative impacts of globalization. We recognize the fact that globalization has provided the world with a modernized and a more advanced concepts that are applicable and implemented in various scenarios but the other dimension of globalization cannot be over looked as it argues that this very phenomenon has led to excessive sharing of ideas that has resulted in the emergence of terms such as terrorism. And the “plague” of terrorism has been threatening the security of the developing states in particular.
As far as the external elements are concerned, it is submitted that a concept termed as balance of power exists in the international political game where each state is determined to shift the balance of power in its favor in order to maintain its survival. This statement is backed by the theory of realism where realists propose that the international politics is all about the struggle for survival where the might is always right. The powerful states thus have a strong hold over the weaker ones and the entire game us created and manipulated by these “big brothers”. So, as the balance of power is in the favor of the major powers such as the United States, the other states, including the developing states feel threatened at the hands of the powerful ones which lead to another complex security dilemma. This argument is supported by an incident of 1944 that explains the link between the security dilemma among the states and its effects on the population of these states. The world, in 1944 observed one of the most unforgettable yet devastating examples of what happens when a state rises and challenges the other states when Japan was hit by nuclear bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during a clash with the United States. The consequences, however, were suffered by the local population and it was security that was not only threatened but minimized to the least possible level resulting in serious consequences that can be seen till date.
As we delve deeper and discuss one of the very important aspects of the topic at hand, i.e. the governance in the developing world, we find out that governance is one of the major root causes in the rise and the prevalence of the heightened security situation because at the end of the day it is the policies and the strategies that are the major contributors that preserve the status quo. Now these policies and strategies are an outcome of effective governance that aims to curb the issues that give birth to the security related issues. Thus, analyzing the security situation in the developing world entails a thorough examination of the type of governance in various states because the loop holes in the governance accelerate the level of security problems.
Even in the countries that are on their road to success are reported to be suffering from governance related issues that challenge the stability and the security of the states. The top position among these issues is secured by the absence of democracy since when a state lacks this very feature, it enters a chaotic situation where domestic politics gets out of control and is characterized by anarchy. As already mentioned that anarchy threatens and undermines the security of the citizens of a state since absence of democracy is the sole reason for resentment among the people which turn may lead to an uprising which would definitely directly affect the security and stability. A country like Pakistan serves to be as a perfect example that fits the scenario since Pakistan is still considered as a developing state but it lacks democracy as the regimes of various leaders are not the result of the choice of the local population but a result of the power politics so naturally, Governance for security in the world an element of resentment exists which is the driving force of anarchy.
Lack of accountability is also one of the major barriers in the effective governance and this very feature of poor governance is directly linked to corruption since when the leaders are not held accountable by the people, the level and extent of corruption magnifies and it leads to poor strategies for curbing the threats to stability of the state. In this case, India may be taken as an example since it is also a developing state where the level of corruption is clearly evident and the local population is vulnerable so despite all the policies and the strategies drawn by the government, a risk factor is ever present.
Now, the basic reason to discuss the governance and present appropriate example of the level of governance in the developing states is to indicate the level of efforts these states can make to strengthen their security and provide their citizens with a secure environment along with the extent to which they can prevent clashes with the developed or other developing states for that matter, to ensure the security of their state. With the arguments stated above, it is quite clear that the developing countries are, though paving their way to success but their security policies are still into question and thus a greater amount of attention is needed to curb this issue.
The question at hand now demands an examination of the security challenges to the developing world because that is how the comparison between the developed and the developing world can be drawn and the distinction between their policies will get further get clear.
As already discussed that terrorism is one of the plagues that is affecting the security and has a strong impact on the economy as well as politics so here, Governance for security in the world it should be taken into account that this is the greatest security challenge that is faced by the developing states and if curbed properly and timely, these states can overcome this obstacle.

The question here arises that how exactly does terrorism influence the security mechanism of these states? To answer this question, Governance for security in the world  it should be brought into notice that terrorism does not necessarily entail violence, there are also other means that are used to project violence and not only target specific population groups physically and psychologically but also damage the image of these states.

The basic propaganda behind the entire notion of terrorism is to hinder the progress of the developing states at the expense of their security and to attack their economies. The implications of the threats to security, however, will be discussed in the later section. The point relevant here is that there are organizations that are appointed to carry out activities that is mostly violent in nature.
There are many prominent organizations that are made to carry out these activities, for example, according to Forbes; these organizations include Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, Hezbollah in Iran, Hamas in Palestine, Eastern Turkistan movement in Central Asia and Al-Shabab in the areas of Somalia, Kenya and Uganda. These are just a few examples of such organizations, at this point in time there are thousands or even more such organizations that are carrying out different missions that are a hindrance in the process of governance in the developing regions. However, it is also significant to take into consideration that the acts of terrorism that these organizations carry out are deadly in nature. For example the famous and the one of the most significant and devastating incidents is the world trade center bombings in 2001 by Al-Qaeda.

This incident also proved to be a turning point in the world politics especially for the states that were developing and Islamic in particular. United States, from that point in time, started the operations against the terrorism especially in Afghanistan, which at that time was considered as a developing state but after the operations, it is heavily dependent on the United States for economic and military support. If analyzed closely, it is clearly evident that the loop holes and the flaws in the governance of Afghanistan provided a space for United States to intervene and take the matter under its control. Had the governance of Afghanistan been strong enough to curb the issue of terrorism, the security of the state along with the world would have never been threatened. Another example of such incident is the attack at a university in Kenya by a terrorist organization that took the lives of hundreds of students yet the security of the local citizens is still under doubt because of the inefficiencies in the process of governance and lack of security policies.
Another threat that threatens the security mechanisms is the political instability due to absence of good governance. Whenever there are gaps in the governance of a state, it is prone to a chaotic and an instable environment where law and order is sidelined and the security of the citizens is the lowest priority because of the vacuum in the leadership and the power struggles that gain prominence over all other important issues.

This argument is backed by a solid evidence in the form of the revolution that occurred in Egypt during the period of Arab spring where the gap in the leadership created an environment where the local population was forced to get out on roads and demand their basic right of a democratic state where dictatorship would no longer be tolerated and thus, Governance for security in the world the leader Hosni Mubarak was overthrown. The point here is that absence of democracy was the reason of compromised security of the people and it cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Why are the developing countries facing these challenges? The answer to this question lies in the structure of the government and the organizations that are formulated to deal with the security threats. Firstly, despite all the developments, the structures of the governments are weak, corrupt an unable to handle the security situation, for instance, in 2014, a political party in Pakistan, called Tahreek-e-Insaaf carried out rallies and it was the ineffectiveness of the government that it could not handle the security situation.
Now, discussing the organizations for instance the United Nations Security Council which is a peace keeping force and all security related matters are presented on this very platform in order to decide them internationally but the issue here is that even though the purpose of this very organization is to deal with the security issues but since it is dominated by the major powers such as United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom so little attention is paid to the security situation in the developing countries unless these states can find their own national interest in the resolution of the security issues in the developing states.

Also, according to many of the theorists and scholars, it is in the interest of the major powers to keep the developing states entangled in issues such as the security issues because that is how these states would stay behind. Also, prevalence of such issues among the developing states, also known as the semi-periphery states would keep the role of the major powers prominent and they would get to intervene in these states, establishing and maintaining their influence. For instance, United States have been deeply involved in the South Asian and the Middle Eastern region, using the security issues as an excuse and claiming that the security situation in these areas such as the after effects of Arab spring and the political instability in the various areas of South Asia would influence other regions of the world as the spill-over effects. From these cases it is clear that United States takes advantage of all the gaps that are left by the governments of these regions.
As the argument proceeds, the focus of the debate shifts to the security situation in the developed states because the models that are followed in the core states, i.e. the developed states are a guideline for the semi peripheries. In this case, states such as United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia and all other developed areas depict a perfect example since these states are often considered as “threat free” by the citizens of the developing states. Now, the point is that why is that so? The answer to this question is hidden in the weakness and the gaps in the structures of the semi periphery states.

These states have strong security structures and their governing mechanism deals with all the challenges that are posed to their states. Not only this, the citizens of these states are well aware of the significance of security and thus, they also play their roles by accepting the authority of the government and by co-operating with them when it comes to the policies of the governments regarding security. What happens in the developing states is that the local population is ignorant of the government security policies mainly because the governments do not share the rules and regulations with the public at large and so when co-operation is demanded, there is no response from the public.
Also, one of the strengths in the governance of the developed states is that even if an act that promotes instability occurs or a terrorist attack for that matter, there are organizations that are formed to deal with emergency situations. The role of the non-state actors is much more positive and influential in these states.

Apart from that the media of these states is mostly state controlled, meaning there by that it covers the events and displays a fact in a controlled way without an element of exaggeration and the attention seeking approach. This prevents the situations from getting worse and it maintains the peaceful image of the developed states. An example of this case is the Charlie Hebdo attack in France that gained much of the media attention but only to aware the public regarding the incident and not to exaggerate the extent of the damage which would have destroyed the image of the state.

Such accurate projection of the threats and the risk factors also helps in educating the public and creating a general awareness which proves to be beneficial in a long term.
Furthermore, the leaders of such states are influential and foresighted enough to represent the states and their concerns on the international platforms and to make sure that their concerns and issues are not only discuss but addressed. Such states adopt the policy of diplomacy and a cost benefit analysis where they rationally judge the implications and costs of their policies and then take their decisions rationally. For instance, Governance for security in the world if a certain security policy is a liability rather than an asset that provides greater benefits, they would not adopt it. However, on the other hand the policies of the developing states reflect the mind sets of the amateur leaders and policy makers. In addition, the issues of the developing states are usually not properly addressed because mostly they are in conflict with the developed states and it is not in the interest of the developed states to resolve these issues. Apart from this, it is less often that these states adopt a diplomatic stance like the core states that leaves their concerns into question. For example, India has been trying to secure a seat for it in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) but due to its hard power stance in the area of Kashmir and the threat that it has been posing to the citizens of Kashmir, till date India has been making failed attempts to gain its motives. Achieving a seat in the council would grant India with a greater status and would enhance the security. Had it been a developed state, it would have attained its goal by adopting diplomatic policies. This clearly reflects the flaws in the policies that indirectly points out the issues in the governance. How can a state guarantee security to its population when it fails in representing its stance internationally?
Moreover, the developed states do not face as much social issue as the developing states which is one of the most important factors that saves their citizens from facing security issues. In order to portray an accurate picture, it is important to highlight the social issues that are faced by the developing states.
One of the most prominent and critical issues faced by the most of the countries of the world is unemployment as pointed out by Wouter van Ginneken in an article named as “Extension of social security”. One must wonder that how does unemployment threaten the security of the citizens of the state? As we delve deeper and trace out the impacts of unemployment, it is found out that the prevalence of unemployment directly affects the crime rate as the unemployed citizens ensure their survival by theft, stealing or even by putting the lives of the other citizens in danger. People belonging to this very group get their necessities by carrying out street crimes or even getting associated with terrorist organization that provide a safe haven to the unemployed people by guaranteeing them financial security. Security is provided to these people at the expense of the social and physical security of the other citizens.
Poverty is another great social issue that is even faced by the states that are on their road to development. In every state there are factions that living below the poverty line, meaning there by that they earn less than a dollar per day. So, these groups are mentally frustrated and are striving to live. The only option they are then left with is crime. Countries like India, that are competing for regional hegemony in the short term and the global hegemony in a longer run are a victim of this very social ill. The census of July 2014 reveals that 25.7 % people in the rural areas of India still suffer from the issue of poverty and even in the urban areas where there is rapid industrialization; poverty still prevails up to 13.7%.
Illiteracy though does not directly threaten the security of any state but it represents the lack of awareness among the people which leads them towards crimes, hence, putting other citizens at risk.
The three social ills described above show how social issues can also be a source of the threat to the security. From these arguments, it is evident that the governments of such states do not focus on proper planning and reforms that could eradicate these issues from the society and help in creating a threat free environment where security of all types is guaranteed. What the governments can do here is create more job opportunities by promoting industrialization and the initiation of other sectors that could help increase the economic activity. Also, there is a need for greater awareness programs where the citizens could be taught the significance of security and how to promote a secure environment because no matter to what extent is the government alert, there still are disturbances in the system and to eliminate those, the co-operation of the members of the state is greatly required. And to carry out all these initiatives, there is a need of a strong governance system.
Discussing further and addressing the question that was posed earlier in the argument regarding the implications of the threat to security, it is submitted that whenever a state fails to address the security needs of the people, it damages the image of that very state and especially when it is a developing state, the set-backs are greater as that deteriorated image is projected on international platforms which in turn serves as a barrier in development. As in the case of Pakistan, where due to the terrorist activities and attacks on various international cricket teams, matches are not held.
Moreover, the absence of basic security mechanism originates psychological pressure on the local population and that very factor often plays as the root cause for the disturbance in the social activities.
These security threats also draw away the tourists which hits the economy of the state dramatically since especially, when it comes to the developing states that are still struggling to boost their economy and to make a space for themselves in the leadership, there is a need to grab as much economic opportunities as possible. In the 21st century, tourism is a full fledge industry which has certain pre-requisites and among them is the security, so states that fail to provide security to their own citizens will automatically fail to provide security to the tourists too, hence the economy will be affected. Here too, it is the responsibility of the governments to look after this very issue.
After outlining some of the very basic yet significant implications of the absence of security, the question arises that how will this very issue be tackled? Do the developing states need to adopt the policy models of the developed states to provide security to their citizens? The latter answers the first but that too needs to be carefully analyzed. It is established that the security situation in the developed states is in a much better position than that of the developing states and so there must be certain characteristics that are a root cause to this very “achievement”. The strengths of the policies of the developed nations have already been highlighted above and thus only the question, that why do these policies need to be followed, has to be addressed here. The answer to this question is the fact that in the international arena, there is a rule established that is known as “might is right” which clearly indicates that the power states are always right and thus the policies they follow are considered as the most suitable, no matter how absurd they may sound at times. Not only this, but also, the developed states have proved to be the role models when it comes to…