Videos


In this video, we look at security and the state. We see that- surprisingly perhaps - for most of human history the state has not provided security for ordinary people, but has been a predatory and repressive force, often herding them into larger communities for economic reasons. Even today, the police cannot be everywhere. This has obvious implications for building security systems in countries without a strong centralising tradition.
In this video we look at the complicated question of the relationship between security and development. Development turns out to be another slippery and ill-defined concept, understood in radically different ways by different organisations. A simple and common-sense definition of development is offered, based on the increasing complexity of formal systems, which enables us to conclude that, under some circumstances, development can threaten security.
In this video we look at stability and instability, and we see that attempts to define each are, once more, highly subjective and contested. There is the paradox that stability implies the absence of change, whereas donors and others actively seek change, even though change can actually produce instability. But rather than get involved in theoretical arguments, it’s better to concentrate on what can be practically done to make states more stable.

Individual Sections:

Governance and Reform of the Security Sector France and French Security Policy
The Rule of Law Security and Development
War Crimes and International Justice Other issues, including Africa and the Middle East