https://doi.org/10.53656/str2021-5-2-secur

2021/5, стр. 458 - 468

HUMANISTIC PERCEPTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY – A BASIC CONCEPT FOR SECURITY AND DEFENSE EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Резюме: This article considers the humanistic perception of national security as a basic concept for security and defence training and education. The used scientific methodology includes a theoretical overview of the issues, covering a variety of literary sources in combination with the development of elements of practical and applied nature. The object of research is the concept of human security and its inherent elements. The concept of human security is at the heart of security and defence training and education today. The concept is leading in modern paradigms and understandings of security in general and it is intertwined with the statements of traditional security and defence, degree of participation of the army in public life, the art of defending the nation with military means and resources. The main idea of the authors is to highlight the inseparability between security, defence and opportunities for maintenance, training and development of armed forces, as one of the most complex activities known to mankind, with an emphasis on human being and human security.

Ключови думи: defence training; security; armed forces; human security

Introduction

The basis of the humanistic perception of national security is placing the individual as the main object of protection, which makes it possible to identify the threats directed him as accurately as possible. On this basis, what we call a new perception of national security is formed, allowing the parallel solution of the following tasks: prevention of military confrontation and conduct of military action; prevention of conditions and prerequisites for major industrial accidents; limitation of the harmful ecological impact; developed civil society; preventing economically unprofitable processes; preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the nation; preventing the loss of social benefits in education and health; prevention of loss of territory. This perception of security also leads to the formation of different types of security.

1. The humanistic perception of national security

In the era of multiplying and escalating risks, both at national and international level, security of individual – popularly known as human security from pervasive threats and fears become an area of intellectual discourse and policy debate. More recently political theorists tried to develop a concept of human security based on the concept of human development and human rights but the matter is further complicated by the process of globalization and the high social costs associated with it. (Venu Menon, Sudha 2007)

The concept of human security is a new school of thought on international security issues, which emphasizes global threats in today's world, such as poverty, infectious diseases, environmental threats, genocide and other atrocities, different types of violence, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and transnational organized crime replace traditional security threats, such as internal and external conflicts and wars between nations and societies. Human security includes economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, public and political security. (United Nations Development Program, 1994). It is a paradigm focused on understanding global human vulnerabilities, including different scientific areas as security and defence, international relations, strategic management, human resource management, human rights protection. Even in the ancient period of Greek philosophy, the question of security arose with the definition of security given by Epicurus as “the absence of anxiety” – common problem for Epicurean ethics, where violence is commented on, the presence or absence of it is directly related to the idea of happiness and the good life. Security, described as “ataraxia”, has its connotative meaning associated with the battlefield and denotes a person who can control the emotions of fear and anxiety. Epicurus concluded that “ataraxia” is a softer term for security than the word “asphaleia”, which is often used to describe military success. Over time, the security debate from “ataraxia” to “asphaleia” shifted the definition from anxiety to the idea of happiness, emotional harmony to redefinition, interfering with defence and military power to the idea of freedom and good life (Baev 2017).

The concept of human security leads to the emergence of two main scientific directions – “freedom from fear”, which reduces human security to protect individuals from violent acts, conflicts and aggression and recognizes that these threats are related to poverty, economic and social inequality, lack of state capacity for democratic governance and “freedom from scarcity” scientific direction, which advocates a holistic approach in achieving human security and claims that the threats that concern security globally should be extended hunger, food shortages, threats of disease and natural disasters since as they are an integral part of human insecurity.

UNDP human development report stated that more human security means investing in human development peacekeeping and cooperation between countries. According to the report, the scope of global security includes threats in seven areas: (United Nations Development Program 1994)

– Economic security

– Food security

– Health security

– Environmental security

– Personal security

– Community security

– Political security.

In 2001, a report by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty paid attention that addressing the root causes of humanitarian crises – economic, political or social is a more effective way to ensure the long-term security of individuals, the protection of the individual and individual well-being is more important than the protection of the state and a collective perception of the deepest social issues is needed to prevent humanitarian crises1).

Human security also includes human rights and their respect as the right to self-determination, cultural identity, access to education and health care, respect for human dignity, the right to a dignified life. As the goals of humanism expand, humanitarian aid and support are added to human security, as a set of conservation and protection interventions, a means of strengthening peace and a starting point for tackling poverty, conflicts and crises of various kinds. In the modern complex system of international relations, dependencies and alliances, economic security is also a part of national security. Improving the well-being and quality of life of people is a value of national and European importance (Todorova 2019). A country's economic capabilities largely determine its defence capabilities and due to which more economic security means more national security. Economic security, as part of human security, is the ability of the state to guarantee the population a stable income or other resources in order to maintain the necessary standard of living and reproduction of the population, receiving health, educational and social care now and in the future and includes long-term solvency, guarantee and predictability of the future cash flow, job security, cash support for unemployed citizens.

Undoubtedly, the perception of security should be connected with the geographical location of the country or region. This is also indicated in works by Vladko Ivanov, who combining the chronological and the thematic historical traces the course of world events and the work of several generations in Europe in order to highlight and analyse the key moments concerning the security of different countries and regions. Considering geopolitical reorientations in the XX century, a number of positions imposed by the great alliances, which are an instrument for strategic influence and management of global security processes were summarized. (Ivanov 2011)

2. The art of defending a nation by military means and resources

National security is mainly concerned with the management of physical threats and military capabilities, which is why it is often understood as the capacity of a nation to mobilize military resources to secure its borders and deter or successfully protect them against physical threats, including military aggression and attacks by terrorist groups. The security as a fundamental value in our society (Daase 2010). National security includes the protection of human rights and freedom, as well as national values, in peacetime and in time of war. Considering the nature of recent changes in the modern security environment, it can be noted that by applying a balanced combination of military and non-military instruments, the security can be increased.

The word “war” comes from the old German word “werran” – “to confuse or cause confusion” and expresses a state of open armed conflict between political entities such as sovereign states or between rival political or social factions within a state. The term is connected with armed hostilities between two or more states or groups; any situation in which there is strong competition between opposing parties or a struggle against something; a situation in which different systems compete very strongly with each other. (Cambridge Dictionary, 2021) The word comes from the Old English word “wyrre, were” – “large-scale military conflict”, from the Old French word “were” – “war, difficulty, dispute; hostility; battle”, Old German –“werran” – “to confuse”. The modern reference dates to 1775 as a “warpath”, with a reference to the North American Indians (Etymonline Dictionary 2021).

The first armed conflict in the history of the world, recorded by eyewitnesses, was the battle of Megiddo in 1479 BC between Thutmose III (1458 – 1425 BC) from Egypt and a union of former Egyptian territories. The Hebrew name for Megiddo is Armageddon, well known from the biblical Book of Revelation as the site of the last battle between good and evil and began to be used as a general term for a dramatic situation involving the end of the world. (Mark & Joshua 2009). The history of one of the earliest civilizations, that of Mesopotamia, is a chronicle of almost constant strife. Even after Sargon the Great of Akkad united the region under the Akkadian Empire, there was still a war to quell riots or repel invaders. In China, the Zhou dynasty rose through battle in 1046 BC. The same pattern applies to other nations, whether the success of Scipio Africanus (236 – 183 BC), the defeat of Carthage, and the rise of Rome or that of Philip II of Macedon are cited (382 – 336 BC) in the unification of city-states in Greece. Rival armies of opposing nations have historically settled political disputes on the battlefield. (Kaufmann, Walter & Kaufmann, Walter Arnold & Baird, Forrest E., 1996)

In military science, the defence refers to all military resources and the art of defending a nation and territory from external attack, preventing damage to human or resources. Active defence is associated both with the ability of a country's government to form and maintain land forces, naval forces and military aviation to defend a country, and with the ability these forces to be used also in the event of an attack by other countries.

Defence is an action against attack, a set of means of protection from the enemy, actions to ensure the country's defence, system of means and actions for protection of the population in case of disasters, an argument or explanation that we use to prove that we are not guilty of something. (Cambridge Dictionary 2021) The word dates to the early 1300s, meaning “action to guard or prevent attack or injury”; “act of defense by combat”; derived from Old French “defense” and from Latin “defensus”, with meaning – “something protected or forbidden”. The meaning of “science of defense against attack” dates to the mid-1600s. The term was used until 1935 as a euphemism for “national military resources” and like “man of defense”, “warrior” (Etymonline Dictionary, 2021).

The history of modern civilization has proven the need for people to work together, to unite their efforts, which leads to cooperation in achieving common goals. The new century requires organizations with a new vision, mission and a new direction in which to direct people's efforts. The experience of armed conflicts shows that the real balance of forces of the warring parties is determined not so much by the potential as by the realized combat capabilities of the opposing groups (Marinov 2013). Therefore, one of the most significant challenges facing modern society is the uniqueness of training in the field of security and defence and the acquisition of the military profession.

The degree of participation of the army in public life in solving the general tasks of the state is limited by the social nature of the socio-political system and is realized only to the extent that public authority is interested. It is conditioned, by the level of consciousness of the servicemen, by their motives for activity, their political maturity and their responsibility for the development of society; by the ability of the army to position itself as an organized and well-equipped force to help overcome difficulties; from the culture and education of military specialists; from moral and discipline as necessary prerequisites for the successful solution of the tasks; from the level of development of the society, from its potential possibilities, from the difficulties it encounters (Dimitrov 2015).

3. Uniqueness of the military profession and training in the field of security and defence

The uniqueness of the military profession lies in its function of protecting people and peace standing higher than the function of personal safety. The functioning of the army as part of society is realized through certain types of its activities, which are aimed at regulating specific functional relations.

The military profession is a unique one that includes a number of elements of paramount importance in shaping the character of the practitioner (Sarkesian & Connor, Jr. 1999). It is based on expertise and continuing education designed to maintain continuing professional competence; a system of values bound to society, which perpetuate its professional character, and which create and maintain legal relations in society. Beyond war actions, the armed forces are used to help education, health care, utilities, logistics, disasters and accidents, protection of state economic interests, social ceremonies guardians of national honour and dignity. The term “military” is relating to the armed forces meaning “soldiers” from 1757, and “military man” from 1736. (Cambridge Dictionary, 2021) The term appears in the middle of the 15th century, meaning “soldiers”, and comes from the Latin “of soldiers, of war, of military service”, and of the Etruscan – “one who marches in a detachment”, connected with the Sanskrit word “melah” – “assembly”, and the Greek word “homilos” – “assembly, crowd”. From 1737 the word is known for its meaning – “a man who becomes subject to military service” (Etymonline Dictionary, 2021).

Opportunities to maintain, train and develop armed forces is one of the most complex activities known to mankind, as it requires: identifying and developing strategic, operational and tactical capabilities adequate to counter the threats identified globally; conducting strategic, operational and tactical exercises, where the acquired capabilities can be used; identification of concepts, methods and systems for training; creating a military training structure that uses and applies concepts, methods and systems as efficiently and effectively as possible; integrating these concepts, methods and systems by providing military education and training in practice in a simulated combat environment; establishment of military logistics systems, including the provision of health services, rehabilitation of wounded personnel, repair of damaged facilities, demobilization and peacetime activities.

The term “military staff” etymologically derived from Old English “stæf” as “stick used as a weapon, personnel”, probably originally “stæb” from ProtoGermanic and Gothic “staffs” – “element, stem, to support, to place firmly” and the Old Lithuanian “stabas” – “pillar”. The meaning as “a group of military officers assisting a commander” has been attested since 1702 (Etymonline Dictionary, 2021). Military activity is a complex social phenomenon. The content and forms of military activity are constantly changing and evolving. Its analysis includes both the military experience of the past and contemporary military activity. Military activity is carried out in the form of armed struggle, combat duty, combat and moral and psychological training of troops, management activities of headquarters and other bodies of military management, training of military personnel, military research and more. forms of military activity that are inextricably linked (Dimitrov 2015).

Throughout history, the character and organization of armies have changed. Social and political aspects of nations at different periods resulted in revision in the armies. At various times armies have been built around infantry soldiers or mounted warriors or men in machines. They have been made up of professionals or amateurs, of mercenaries fighting for pay or for plunder, or of patriots fighting for a cause. Gerhard von Scharnhorst is Prussian general who developed the modern general staff system in which army recruits were quickly trained and sent into the reserves so that more men could be trained. Germany pursued a similar policy later in response to the military restrictions imposed after World War I2). In 1859, Moltke wrote that in most cases, the leader of the army cannot do without advice. This advice may be the result of discussions by a small number of qualified men. But within this small number, one and only one opinion must prevail. The organization of the military hierarchy must ensure obedience even in thought and give the right and obligation to present a single opinion for consideration by the commander-inchief to only one person. (Moltke 1894). A very important feature of the Scharnhorst system is the periodic return of all officers from the General Staff to regimental duties. This is often considered the main note of effectiveness. The result of the unity of the doctrine is that a suitably qualified officer can act as a substitute for his superior and that the orders he gives in this capacity are obeyed even by officers of higher rank than the creator of the order.

Today's military staff organization with its division and specialization is a modern product. Most NATO countries are accepted into a continental personnel system with three levels of command: strategic, operational and tactical. The Allied Headquarters in Europe is organized using the “J-Structure” organizational approach: “J” means “jointly” and means that within NATO the people of the 3 main types of armies work together. The nine staff branches are:workforce and staff, intelligence, operations, logistics, plans and policies, communication and information systems, training and exercises, budget and finance, civil-military cooperation3).

The aims of education are created by the interests of the state, society and the immediate participants in the educational process. The state objectives are defined in normative documents and adopted standards of education. Military educational objectives reflect the needs of different types and branches of armed forces, answering their needs, values, interests, and demands for professional training. The former activity should be focused on education, which as a process is a purposeful activity of acquisition of knowledge, in harmony with self-education, ensuring the development of skills, and competencies at a level not lower than the state (or European) requirements (the so-called qualifications frameworks) (Gradev 2019).

The process of convergence in security and defense training and education policies stems from the adoption of a new concept for the commissioning of professional military schools - universities and academies, where officers are trained together with civilian and civil servants, whereby they enjoy a socialization experience that is significantly different from that of previous generations of European officers (Libel 2016).

The vitality of the academic institution is the main ingredient for increasing the professional education and competence. Enriching the vitality of teachers in key areas of teaching, assessment, research, professionalism and administration is perceived to improve the educational environment significantly and improve the academic performance of learners. (Bilal, Guraya & Chen 2019) According to Krastev and Angelov, in the essence of the efforts of the educational process is focused on the formation of learners' professional readiness to act in extreme social conditions (Krastev & Angelov 2016).

Initial training for the needs of the army includes adapting to the requirements of military life, acquiring readiness to injure and even kill other people, putting oneself in mortal danger. It is a physically and mentally intensive process that reserializes newcomers in order to serve the unique nature of military requirements, in which:

– individuality is suppressed through the use of uniforms, denial of privacy, and often a ban on the use of first names;

– daily activities are controlled (maintaining order in the room, making the beds, arranging clothes in a certain way);

– continuous stressors are applied, such as food, shelter and sleep deprivation, mistakes are punished;

– penalties serve to condition group cohesion and discourage poor performance.

Military training is a process that aims to establish and improve the abilities of servicemen in the performance of their respective roles, using various techniques for teaching basic military skills and re-socializing trainees to ensure that they will be able to obey all orders without hesitation. Training in its modern form is a complex of teaching by a trainer and the acquisition of skills, knowledge, readiness related to specific competencies, as resocialization requires mental and emotional “retraining” of a person so that he can work in a new environment and includes changes in individual attitudes and behaviour for the needs of the military profession.

Currently, there are various projects and project initiatives regarding training and education in the fields of security and defence in NATO countries. The NATO Defence Education Enhancement Program e-Academy (NATO DEEP e-Academy). The main goal of the e-Academy will be to initiate, coordinate, and implement (in 16 partner countries covered by the NATO DEEP) system solutions that are resulting from the new realm of the learning ecosystem4).

Another example of joint security and defence training between many NATO universities is the European initiative for the exchange of young officers inspired by Erasmus (“Military Erasmus” or EMILYO or the “Initiative”). It aims to enable European Union initial military education and training institutions (Basic Officer Education Institutions – BOEI), to explore possibilities for quantitative and qualitative exchanges of knowledge and know-how through mobility of their students and personnel5).

Conclusion

The problem of changes in the system of education, training and research in security is particularly relevant and at the same time is very complex. This complexity stems from the fact that the main changes take place in all social, economic, political, group, interpersonal and personal processes, phenomena and relations and the external, visible manifestation of these essential changes forms the overall changes in the security system. These changes lead to new expectations and requirements for everyone to adapt to the dynamic changes in the security environment. In this sense, finding effective ways to manage changes in the system of education, training and research in security is crucial not only and not so much for the security of the country, but for the entire further democratic development of each country as a source, not as a consumer of security.

Traditional security policies, often referred to as national or state security, are designed to promote the protection of the borders of the state, people, institutions. While traditional security seeks to protect countries external aggression, and therefore relies on building national military power and defence, human security is people-oriented and human protection. In addition to protecting the state from external aggression, human security expands its scope to include a wider range of threats addressing the causes and consequences of educational, health, social and economic backwardness.

NOTES

1. IDRC (2001). Report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty. The Responsibility to Protect, Publisher: IDRC, https:// www.idrc.ca/en/book/responsibility-protect-report-international- commissionintervention-and-state-sovereignty, available 02.04.2021.

2. Britannica (2021). Biography of Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. https://www.britannica.com/biography/GerhardJohann-David-von-Scharnhorst, available 02.04.2021.

3. NATO SHAPE structure (2010). https://shape.nato.int/structure, available 02.04.2021.

4. NATO DEEP (2021). NATO DEEP e-Academy. The European Security and Defence College. NATO DEEP. https://deepportal.hq.nato.int/ilias.php?ref_ id=2310&bmn=2021-07&blpg=110&cmd=previewFullscreen&cmdClass= ilblogpostinggui&cmdNode=lv:xl:xi&baseClass=ilrepositorygui, available 02.08.2021.

5. European Security and Defence College (2021). The European initiative for the exchange of young officers inspired by Erasmus. The European Security and Defence College. http://www.emilyo.eu/, available 02.08.2021.

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