People, Poverty and Peace: Human Security in Southern Africa

This monograph introduces the Human Security Project (HSP) launched by the Institute for Defence Policy (IDP), which seeks to redefine security in Southern Africa by shifting focus from state-centric military strength to human-centric threats. The project examines the socio-economic, political, and environmental drivers of regional insecurity, with a specific emphasis on population movement and the necessity of regional integration to address transnational challenges.

• The document advocates for a shift in security paradigms from a 'Clausewitzian view' focused on state military strength and Cold War concepts like the 'balance of power' toward a human security framework. This new approach expands security 'horizontally' to include political democracy, human rights, social and economic development, and environmental sustainability, and 'vertically' by establishing people as the 'primary referent of security'.
• Southern Africa faces a diverse array of contemporary human security threats that transcend traditional military concerns. These include mass migrations, disease, poverty, the proliferation of small arms, a lack of democracy, 'virulent ethnic nationalism', drug trafficking, and environmental degradation.
• The Institute for Defence Policy's Human Security Project (HSP) is designed to research regional insecurity, specifically focusing on the movement of peoples and its associated effects. The project aims to provide policy options, enhance local research capacity via internships, and act as a 'confidence-building measure' by fostering collaboration between scholars and practitioners across the region.
• Environmental security in Southern Africa is linked to 'uneven and inconsistent capitalist development'. Because eco-systems do not follow political boundaries, the document argues that resource use and sustainability must be managed within a regional framework to achieve a prosperous future.
• Regarding population movement, the text suggests that existing control measures may be ineffective and proposes an 'interventionist approach'. This would involve the creation of comprehensive bilateral agreements between South Africa and its neighboring countries.

APA

Cilliers, J., & Solomon, H. (n.d.). People, Poverty and Peace: Human Security in Southern Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-no-4-people-poverty-and-peace-human-security-in-southern-africa-edited-by-jakkie-cilliers-and-hussein-solomon

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie, and Hussein Solomon. People, Poverty and Peace: Human Security in Southern Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-no-4-people-poverty-and-peace-human-security-in-southern-africa-edited-by-jakkie-cilliers-and-hussein-solomon.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |last2=Solomon |first2=Hussein |title=People, Poverty and Peace: Human Security in Southern Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-no-4-people-poverty-and-peace-human-security-in-southern-africa-edited-by-jakkie-cilliers-and-hussein-solomon |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliersndpeople, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie and Solomon, Hussein}, title = {{People, Poverty and Peace: Human Security in Southern Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-no-4-people-poverty-and-peace-human-security-in-southern-africa-edited-by-jakkie-cilliers-and-hussein-solomon}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }