ASEAN and the Human Security Index

On Apr 17, 2009, at 4:17 PM, david hastings wrote:

Dear Khun Dr. Surin,

I hope that, despite recent incidents, this message finds you in the best of health and spirits. I appreciate that you may be focused on next steps after these recent events. Thus I have copied Khun Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap on this message. Perhaps he can revisit the issue with you at an appropriate time, if you/he consider it worthwhile.

This message is intended to be upbeat, imagining a possible win-win by ASEAN (and perhaps yourself?) and ASEAN Members in an area which apparently interests you:
Human Security, and strengthening communities to meet their challenges.

Re-introduction:

If you recall the meeting in Noumea last March which you and Khun Dr. Termsak participated in, you may remember my report (http://www.unescap.org/icstd/research/pacific-connectivity.asp) and oral presentation on Pacific Connectivity. I was the author and speaker – so that may refresh the context of our previous meeting. I also met Dr. Termsak later, at last year's ESCAP Commission session.

A Human Security Index was released in Vietnam late last year

Late last year, I spoke at a meeting in Hanoi: “Towards and Sustainable and Creative Humanosphere”. That event became the release of arguably the first attempt at a comprehensive Human Security Index:
http://wgrass.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/gisideas08/viewabstract.php?id=313
(There are three links from that page: one to the article, and two to appendices.)
Outcomes from that presentation have been exciting. I'll get to them in 2 paragraphs.

Thank you for your Chula presentation in October 2007

I recently came across your eloquent and valuable address to the “Mainstreaming Human Security: the Asian Contribution” Conference held in October, 2007, at Chulalongkorn University.
http://humansecurityconf.polsci.chula.ac.th/Documents/Transcriptions/Keynote%20Speech%20on%20Regional%20Cooperation%20for%20Human%20Security.pdf
I see from other Web content that the fundamental issue revived by the term “Human Security” is of interest to you – particularly in your current situation – with respect to regional cooperation. Your point then, that “human security is the primary purpose of organizing a state in the beginning” seems to be an often-overlooked fundamental point of government (and governance). I personally gained valuable insights from your presentation. I hope that

Possible benefits to ASEAN Members (and benefits from ASEAN to other countries) from convergences?

In that context – back to outcomes from the Hanoi meeting:
1. After the meeting, delegates from one ASEAN Member (I won't name it as I have not sought permission – though I am sure that the country would be interested in networking with the ASEAN Secretariat on this) requested permission to use the report and verbal presentation in developing national strategies. How could someone not be honoured by such a request?
2. Another keynote speaker at that meeting in Hanoi was Dr. Nguyen Huu Ninh, copied on this message. His presentation is summarized at http://wgrass.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/gisideas08/viewabstract.php?id=313 He is part of a global network of visionary leaders on strategies to improve community well-being and resilience (e.g. in the face of health-care or environmental challenges). The first Resilience Summit in an ASEAN Member State is being planned for Hanoi, fairly soon. That effort is also interested in the concept of human security, and in the Human Security Index – as possible tools for developing strategies to strengthen communities in countries, and around the world. If there is an opportunity to network with the organizers about possible inputs from yourself, or someone else from the ASEAN Secretariat – I wonder about the considerable good potential. It appears that Vietnam is a leader in pursuing strategic improvements to human security at the community level. With your interest in such issues, perhaps there is an opportunity for the ASEAN region to likewise become a/the regional leader in such issue(s)?
3. Several of us are working on a new Website HumanSecurityIndex.org. Although not quite ready to go public, the main goal of that Website is to encourage an increase in stakeholders in enhancing the discussion, design, implementation, and positive use of a Human Security Index – and ultimately as you said – the primary purpose of the nation state – a better situation and life for people and communities. I hope you don't mind if humansecurityindex.org cites your Chula talk from: http://humansecurityconf.polsci.chula.ac.th/Documents/Transcriptions/Keynote%20Speech%20on%20Regional%20Cooperation%20for%20Human%20Security.pdf
4. I hope that you don't mind if I also edit the Wikipedia page on Human Security to cite that presentation. (And I hope that Chula can keep that valuable conference on its Website.)
5. I'm happy to inform you that ESCAP recently published another study which might interest ASEAN and yourself. That study sketches the methodology by which I extended the geographic coverage of the Human Development Index from 177 to 230+ “economies.” I needed to produce such an extension, in order to be able to have an HDI for all Asian and Pacific states. This was not particularly difficult for me, as I have working with the HDI since 1987 – before there was such a name (though raw input data were available to anyone). That study also presents a simple methodology for using the HDI to help countries to strategize approaches to development. A link to that work is at: http://www.unescap.org/publications/detail.asp?id=1308

I hope that these materials and contacts can be useful to you, ASEAN and its Members.

With best regards,

David Hastings

Copies:
Michael D. McDonald, leader, Global Resilience Network/Summits
Nguyen Huu Ninh, leader, Vietnam Resilience NetworkSummit
Venkatesh Raghavan, Organizing Co-Secretary, GIS-IDEAS 2008, Hanoi; Co-curator HumanSecurityIndex.org
Chantana Banpasirichote, Chulalongkorn University