POLICY BRIEFS ON THE TRANSCULTURAL ASPECTS OF SECURITY AND STABILITY

POLICY BRIEFS ON THE TRANSCULTURAL ASPECTS OF SECURITY AND STABILITY

CHAPTER 1

THE TRANSCULTURAL POLICY BRIEF SERIES
NAYEF R.F. AL-RODHAN
Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan is Senior Scholar in Geostrategy and Director of the Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Geneva, Switzerland

Introduction
The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) policy brief series was created in order to assess the challenges, dilemmas, implications, and future trends of various policies related to globalization and security. The Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security, which publishes the series, is based on both a thematic and a policy perspective. This series represents an analysis and assessment of current issues that are either presently being discussed as part of policy-making agendas, or will be increasingly important issues in the future.
The subjects discussed have been selected for the way in which they illustrate the links between globalization and security. The authors come from diverse backgrounds and offer unique expertise as well as a dynamic approach to the topics discussed.
The topics discussed and approach used in each of these briefs represent the personal perspectives of the authors and do not necessarily represent the perspective of GSCP or of the editors. Rather, each brief has been produced at the sole discretion of the authors. Consequently, it has become necessary to add the perspectives and opinions of the program as well as my own. Therefore, each brief is followed by an editorial based on the brief and the ideas and arguments put forth within it.
The papers have undergone the usual academic peer review process. We feel that they have taken on a unique shape that illuminates a unified and consistent link between the various policy issues and recommendations. Each editorial outlines eight problems and recommendations on how to resolve them or adapt to the constraints they create.
While some of the problems may seem rather obvious and the recommendations in some instances unrealistic, we have proposed them in order to state what needs to be done and to point out the issues that do exist, rather than to work within a framework of assumptions. By eliminating necessary courses of action because they are unrealistic due to certain political, social, or economic restraints, we might suppress discussions and decisions that would prove useful for promoting further security and stability. In this way, recommendations that are essential for international and national systems are put forth for further discussion and analysis.
The formal presentation of the editorial pieces is also very illustrative. The editorial circle vividly expresses that each of these dilemmas and recommendations exists within the realm of other dilemmas and recommendations. The circle attempts to demonstrate the connections between the various dilemmas as well as their relationship to the subsequent recommendations. Visually, the circle provides the template to communicate this aspect of the policymaking process while illustrating a number of dilemmas and recommendations simultaneously. The diagram creates a concise and specific conceptualization of the policies being assessed and can serve as a guide for lecturing, discussions, and analysis well beyond this publication.
Policy Briefs on the Transcultural Aspects of Security and Stability
This edition of the policy brief series specifically focuses on the transcultural aspects of policy making for greater security and stability. The chapters of this volume will explore topics such as migration, ethics and civil liberties, peace operations, and the role of the United Nations (UN). These topics can all be seen as pieces of the human aspect of globalization, either through the direct impact of the subject (migration, for instance) or by virtue of their development and influence (the UN). The focus in each of these briefs is on the human security perspective, highlighting problems of culture, ethnic tensions, and the resulting potential for insecurity and instability.
As illustrated in the briefs dealing with the printing of the Mohammed cartoons, United States hegemony, remittances, and the potential accession of Turkey to the European Union, as well as in a
POLICY BRIEFS ON THE TRANSCULTURAL ASPECTS OF SECURITY AND STABILITY
number of others, the significance of human development, cultural clashes, political partisanship and potential racially motivated decisions and policies is becoming more clearly evident. Throughout these briefs, the issues that are found at the individual and societal levels are clearly identified as historical, current, or future sources of insecurity and instability. Each brief addresses these problems differently, but all conclude with recommendations that states may follow in order to minimize the deleterious impact of any of these factors on transnational security.
The implications for the security and stability of nation-states, cultures, and the idea of creating avenues towards peace and understanding are given prominence in each of these briefs. The dynamism and information found throughout this publication will provide the reader with a unique perspective on each of these topics, with concrete solutions for individual states as well as regions and the entire international system.