The role of international education in the issue of human security

Before I begin, it is essential to comprehend what a globalized society means. One of the vast ways to define it is that the globalized society is to consider be: “El escenario histórico donde las condiciones de integración y antagonismo, alienación y emancipación se desarrollan en escala amplia, acelerada, influyendo individuos, grupos, clases, etnias, minorías, sociedades y continentes”. [The historical scenario where conditions of integration and antagonism, alienation and emancipation unfold on a broad and accelerated scale, influencing individuals, groups, classes, ethnicities, minorities, societies, and continents.] (Ianni, 1996, p.7). From this quote, a globalized society can be interpreted both negatively and positively. Globalization itself promotes integration and interdependence among different global actors due to the constant flow of people, goods, services, information, and culture. However, globalization can also lead to economic and social inequalities and exclusion, potentially causing conflicts.

Once we have clarity about the potential negative effects of globalization, it is crucial to consider that these consequences may impact human security. But first, what could be considered as human security? The term is quite broad since: “It has been referred to in various terms: as a new theory or concept, as a starting point for analysis, a world view, a political agenda, or as a policy framework” (Tadjbakhsh, 2005, p.5). That is why the definition of human security that I like the most is: “to protect the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment” (Commission on Human Security, 2003, p.4 quoted in Ohta, 2009, p. 23). This is because this definition highlights the human freedom and human fulfillment that every human being has and that these ones are important to protect.

According to the United Nations, there are seven pillars of human security: Economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, community security, political security (n.d). In relation to political insecurity, there are ongoing conflicts between countries such as Ukraine and Russia, Israel, and Palestine, or even internal conflicts like the recent armed conflict in Ecuador. These conflicts endanger the safety and lives of both citizens and soldiers. Regarding environmental insecurity, climate change affects populations residing in rural areas, exerting a detrimental impact on their lands and livelihoods. The products they cultivate are affected, leading to economic repercussions. In other words: “By hitting the poorest the hardest, climate change increases existing economic inequalities and causes more people to fall into poverty” (United Nations, n.d). As a result, people who fall into poverty are exposed to an environment full of dangers due to the insecurity that is generated mostly in these economic contexts.

At the same time, environmental insecurity has repercussions on the food security pillar as well as on the health security pillar since environmental degradation reduces food production which leads to malnutrition. Malnutrition has negative consequences in people’s health such as:

Loss of functional capacity and a brittle, but stable, metabolic state. […] Poor diaphragmatic and respiratory muscle function reduces cough pressure and expectoration of secretions, delaying recovery from respiratory tract infections. […] changes in pancreatic exocrine function, intestinal blood flow, villous architecture, and intestinal permeability […] malnutrition also results in psychosocial effects such as apathy, depression, anxiety, and self-neglect

                                                                                                                                                                                                         (Saunders, 2010).

As a result, this weakens the immune system, increases susceptibility to diseases, and hinders cognitive development. On the other hand, the economic insecurity is shown through: “Unemployment, or an expectation of a worsening financial situation. As employment relationships change, with precarious contract arrangements […] the recent and increasing use of ‘zero-hours contracts’, which provide employees with no guarantee of income or continuing employment” (Kopasker, Montagna, Bender, 2018). It is interesting to analyze that all the pillars are related to each other since some are the causes of the consequences of one. However, personal and community security are what determine at what level the insecurities are affecting since human security can be seen at an individual or community security level.

Nelson Mandela, an activist against the apartheid in South Africa, once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, which represents what I think about education. I believe that several problems that threaten human security today can be solved through education since education lays the foundations of people’s lives with the purpose of forming citizens for society and the world. For this reason, I think that international education can take an active role in terms of the problems that attack human security. And human security, being a concept that is not only of a country or a specific place, but is a concept present globally, can involve international education as a means to guarantee and promote human security both individually and as a group of people.

Through international schools, for example the ones with International Bachelor (IB), a culture of peace and understanding towards other people can be promoted. This is possible because students, who have an international education, are accustomed to interacting with people from different social, economic, and cultural contexts, which results in a constant cultural exchange that promotes empathy and respect for others. This cultural exchange can help people to break down their stereotypes and prejudices that could lead to conflicts.

Likewise, we must take advantage of the fact that international education goes beyond just the context where the educational institution is located to begin teaching students to be global citizens. What do I mean by this? The concept of global citizenship proposed by the UN is a term that represents the: “Belief that individuals are members of multiple, diverse, local and non-local networks rather than single actors affecting isolated societies” (n.d). However, it is important that the concept of global citizenship is implemented from educational policy to the classroom. In educational policy, both global and local problems must be recognized from the perspective of interculturality to ensure that students cultivate empathy.

When it comes to combat environmental insecurity, educational programs in schools can address environmental problems that occur throughout the world, whether topics such as the deforestation of the Amazon or the melting of glaciers. In this case, students learn the causes and consequences of each environmental problem so that they themselves can think of viable solutions through sustainability; how to continue raising awareness of these problems so that it does not just remain as another class topic; the ways in which these environmental problems can have negative impacts on human security.

For conflict resolution, international education can offer a wide variety of perspectives, ways of thinking and analyzing different people with the aim of finding diverse solutions to the same problem. This is because not all people think the same, on the contrary, each one comes from a different context in which culture, economic assets and social class influence the way people resolve conflicts. Within international education, personal and community security can be defended through human rights education. We must remember that human rights are universal and inalienable, which is why the topic of human rights is talked about in most of the world. Without a doubt, this education in human rights will serve a lot to alleviate personal and community insecurities. Likewise, students who know well what their human rights are will learn to defend them, respect them, and help ensure that they are fulfilled in order to eradicate conflicts such as educational exclusion, since this violates the human right to education.

However, although we want to use international education to combat threats to human security, we must consider that international education is not so accessible to everyone. This is because people do not come from the same social or economic context, so people who lack economic resources will hardly have access to an international education compared to people who are able to pay for it. As a result, access and equal opportunities are not the same for everyone, which increases educational inequalities and exclusion. For example, in Mexico, a student from an upper-middle social class family in Mexico City is more likely to enter a private school that provides international education, as opposed to a student who comes from a lower social class family in the rural areas of the country. Here the difference is great since it stands out in the possession of economic resources.

In conclusion, international education must take an active role to combat the problems that threaten human security from the different pillars as listed above. Furthermore, it must be recognized that international education is a privilege that only people with sufficient financial resources can pay for since private educational institutions are normally the ones that  rovide international education. However, through the government, I think it is possible to include international education as mandatory regardless of whether it is private or public education so that economic inequalities are not a barrier to having access to a global and quality education.

Although it may be considered a utopia to provide international education in all schools in the world, this is the opportunity for new generations to contribute to protecting economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, community security and political security with the purpose of protecting the human security of everyone, since it is not a concept that only represents a single person, but rather it is a concept that encompasses and concerns everyone. And, as I had said previously, accessible international education will provide the opportunity for new generations of students to know, question, and think about relevant and viable solutions to problems that threaten human security.