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women into the field, partially nuclear weapons on people's is to try to assess the security
because they have come lives is a human security issue, needs of the people. We are
through different routes -- not and the matter of small arms is looking at how you might do
just the international rela- a global problem. So there is a that and get it right, which is
tions/political theory route, but lot overlap, but it sometimes quite difficult.
from the humanitarian side, helps to look at things with a
where they have seen the particular focus. People may have a different
impact of these weapons on conception of their security
people's lives. Mainly, that's Q: Disarmament is in fact needs. Even from the north to
where the debate has been, and a much broader area than the south of a country, there
that's where, I think, women we initially thought it could be quite a different
have had an opportunity to would be. viewpoint on how they see
move into the field and really their world. So we are dealing
make a serious contribution. Our purpose is to provide with people working in the
increased security for people, field of ethnographical
Q; UNIDIR is a research and that has to be our focus. So communications (it used to be us. We are like a Petri dish in a
institute. What kind of we need to think about disar- called anthropology) that laboratory.
research do you do? mament in that context. If, for understand the way people
instance, you disarm a group express themselves in their For example, we are about to
We do research on how to of people who are then are culture. Together we are trying do some work in to Nepal,
assist governments in thinking shot to pieces -- how did we to find a way of providing a where we shall work with
about disarmament, how to help? But if you disarm both mechanism for the UN to UNICEF as well as UNDP
move negotiations forward, sides, and you do so in a assess the needs of community and the UNODA and others.
how to assist them in their transparent way, then the num- security. In Ghana we are working clo-
thinking on the implementa- ber of people getting killed sely with UNDP Ghana. We
tion of treaties, for example. It will be reduced and you will We have recently, for exam- have a group of experts and a
is quite a wide range of have helped everybody. So ple, been in Ghana, working group of interested agency
research, and our work goes that is why you really have to with a group of people in a officials who come from all
beyond disarmament in its understand the security region that had a very isolated over the UN, who advise us
very narrow sense. Our man- context. conflict and who have their and give us direction by telling
date is to look at the whole own way of thinking about the us what they need.
aspect of disarmament, in the We do a lot of long-term meaning of security. For
context of international securi- research within that field. We instance, they do not have a Qe There are many
ty. We have divided our work also do short-term research on, word for "security". This is conflicts around the
up into three main regions, for instance, what is needed actually quite common. They world, and I presume that
each of which is framed as a now in negotiations and what have words for "protection" this will keep you busy
question of security: is needed now in implementa- and for "safety", but we are for some time?
• disarmament in global tion. We are also charged to do talking about something in-
security; a lot of long-term thinking for between. If you start to Well, the idea is to find a way
• disarmament in regional the United Nations. understand the way they think of being able to ask the right
security; about these things, and then questions in order to get the
• and then what we call For example, right now we you work with people from right answers. There is a trans-
human security. have a big project looking at their country, then you can lation exercise. The questions
For example, disarmament in how we might assess the secu- better understand how to assist we have must be translated in
global security means looking rity needs of people who come them and how to provide secu- order to be understood by the
at very large weapon systems from very different communi- rity for them. community and then the ans-
that affect the globe, such as ties. For example, let us say wers have to be translated
the nuclear issue -- the missile we have a situation in a State Is weapons collection the main back to be understood by the
issue and nuclear weapons tes- that has been in conflict -- issue? Will this provide securi- other.
ting. For regional security, we such as a civil war -- for deca- ty? If so, how is it best done in
would, for example, be loo- des. Within that State there are a way that will keep them Q: Each culture is diffe-
king at disarmament and arms many types of communities, secure rather than making rent, and you have to
control in the Middle-East often with many different cul- them more vulnerable? adapt to each culture?
Peace Process or the relations- tures. What frequently hap-
hip between India and pens is that the UN comes 0: In this context, are you This is true. There are tech-
Pakistan. In the human securi- along, charged by the interna- working closely with the niques that have been develo-
ty aspect, we are talking about tional community through the Department of Peace-kee- ped in academia that can be
the impact that weapons have Security Council with a man- ping Operations? applied. We take academic
on people's lives. The issues of date for peacekeeping, wea- knowledge and see how we
landmines and small arms pons collection, developing We are working with a number can apply it to a very real prac-
easily fit into that area. the country, assisting with of UN bodies. We are in the tical problem, for example, in
To some extent, of course, all health and humanitarian research phase, and once it a post-conflict situation. There
of these are connected. issues, and so on. One thing becomes implementable it is a lot of academic knowledge
Obviously, the impact of that is not done at the moment obviously moves on beyond out there that never finds its

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