In their new book, Wreckonomics, David Keen and Ruben Andersson explore the Cold War, and the fights against terrorism, migration and drugs, analysing why disastrous policies live on even when it has become apparent that they do not work. In this written interview, Larry Attree asks the authors to share key insights from this new work.
The State of Human Security in the UK
Rethinking Security hosted a series of roundtable discussions with civil society groups throughout 2022. We shared some reflections on the blog during the discussions and we are now publishing the full report. It is available to download and here Joanna Frew share a summary of the discussions.
Ukraine and Costa Rica: A tale of two futures?
As Europe divided into armed camps in the late 1940s, Costa Rica decisively rejected the military that had long undermined its democracy, becoming the most peaceful, prosperous and healthy state in Central America. Sean Howard believes that Europe must learn from it to achieve the unrealised dream of a “Europe whole and free”. Responding to … Continue reading Ukraine and Costa Rica: A tale of two futures?
Playing the Pools: Omicron and Common Security
With the ultra-infectious Omicron variant looking set to sweep the world, Paul Rogers argues that the greatest global security challenge facing us is to heed WHO advice and ensure rapid world-wide vaccination against COVID to reduce the risk of new, more lethal variants of the virus emerging in future.
Making a Noise about the Quiet Return of Arms Fairs
After a year of cancellations due to the COVID pandemic, thousands of arms dealers and military representatives from across the world once again travelled to the UK to attend a string of arms fairs in the autumn. Kirsten Bayes from CAAT, was part of supporting the resistance to them and argues that now more than ever we need to highlight the insecurity they breed.
Vaccine Inequality: We are not all safe
The unfolding tragedy of Afghanistan has eclipsed reporting of the COVID pandemic while a fourth wave of infections is sweeping the Earth. Paul Rogers argues that global vaccine inequality risks those in all countries as the Delta variant tests the limits of current vaccines.
Pandemic and Protest: The Evolution of Covid Politics
Many rich states believe they are finally getting COVID-19 under control but with new viral variants, most of the world’s population far from being vaccinated, and local tensions building over impact on livelihoods and liberties, the political impact of the pandemic is far from played out.
Third Wave Nationalism: The Case against COVID Complacency
Eighteen months into the pandemic, Paul Rogers sees a stark contrast between the complacency setting in among countries with successful rapid vaccination programmes and large areas of the world experiencing a devastating third wave. Vaccine nationalism, hoarding and export controls threaten not just the unvaccinated as dangerous new viral mutations develop.
COVID-19 and the Structures of Human Insecurity
Fifteen months on, the COVID-19 pandemic is showing few signs of abating, and is even accelerating in parts of Europe, South America and Asia. In the first of a new series of regular briefings for Rethinking Security, Paul Rogers argues that massive increases in global inequality are as central to this human security crisis as the immediate health impacts.
The Case for a Human Security Strategy
Between Covid and climate catastrophe, 2021 is a time of intense human insecurity. With neither Government nor Opposition likely to develop a strategy that addresses this, Richard Reeve argues that it's high time the UK had a human security strategy.
Seeds of Hope: Self-interest Might Save Us!
In a month of dire warnings of our potential to destroy our civilisation and planet, Andrew Rigby draws hope from the self-interested mobilisation that moved Victorian Britain beyond a public health crisis comparable to Covid-19.
Peace and Pandemic: Creating a digital exhibition in a global crisis
Shannen Johnson of the Peace Museum reflects on the challenges of curating a digital exhibition devoted to documenting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on peace and protest in the UK.