David Bornstein was presented with our 2007 Human Security Award for his work to raise awareness about social entrepreneurs who are solving many of the world's most intractable problems. The 2007 Human Security Award Ceremony, which featured a keynote address on "How to Change the World," by David Bornstein, was held on Thursday, October 25, 2007.

Andrea Ballestero has been selected to receive the 2007-2008 Heather Mills McCartney Fellowship in Human Security for her project on “Translating the human right to water: Pro-poor prices, water security, and collaboration in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.” Established in honor of the significant contributions to human security issues made by Heather Mills McCartney, this fellowship will allow graduate students to undertake original research on pressing security issues, and allow them opportunities to use their research to help address real world challenges.

CAHS Fellowship Winners Announced

CUSA’s Coalition Advocating Human Security (CAHS) program is pleased to announce the winners of its 2007-2008 fellowships. CAHS fellows will promote research, education, public awareness, and evidence based policy making to address urgent cases of vulnerability linked to global changes that impact the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. The 2007-2008 CAHS fellows are:

• Brennan Davis, Jui Ramaprasad, and Renee Rottner, “Microfinance: Balancing Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Rural India” and

• Bryan C. Semaan, “Technology as a Catalyst for Collaboration Resilience”

On October 25, 2007 we convened a workshop on "Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Security: Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change." This workshop examined the potential of social entrepreneurship to serve as a vehicle for helping vulnerable communities--that is communities already compromised by resource scarcity, failing governments, widespread and chronic poverty, and various health and education challenges-- mitigate and adapt to climate change. This workshop was made possibel through generous support of CUSA’s Coalition Advocating Human Security (CAHS) program, the Canadian Consulate General of Los Angeles and the Government of Canada, the UCI School of Social Ecology, and the UCI Center for Citizen Peacebuilding.

CUSA will co-sponsor a talk by Professor Scott Bollens on "Cities, Nationalism and Democratization" on Thursday, October 4, 2007 from 12:30PM- 1:30PM in Social Ecology I, Room 112. This talk is being presented by the Department of Planning, Policy and Design at the University of California at Irvine. For more information: http://www.seweb.uci.edu/ppd/seminars.uci. 

CAHS presented, "The Role of the Military in Disaster Preparedness," a luncheon with Professor Bert B. Tussing, Director, Homeland Defense and Security Issues, United States Army War College Center for Strategic Leadership, Thursday, September 20, 2007, 11:30 a.m. at The Center Club in Costa Mesa.

The Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for two research fellowships: (1) The Heather Mills McCartney Graduate Fellowship in Human Security, and (2) The Coalition Advocating Human Security Fellowships in Human Security. For more information about our fellowships and the call for proposals, please follow this link.

CAHS presented Demosthenes James Peterson, Director, Corporate Advisory Services at the Eurasia Group, speaking on "Six Global Trends to Watch." This presentation reviewed six global trends that are reshaping world affairs and may have a dramatic impact on the role of the United States in the next five years. It explored potential upside and downside implications for businesses, especially those with interests in emerging markets. Fore more information, click here.

CUSA presented a conference on “Transforming War Torn Societies and Failing States: Opportunities for Integrating Microfinance Services, Sustainable Development and Security,” on Thursday, April 19, 2007 at Georgetown University’s Mortara Center for International Studies in Washington, D.C. This conference considered how members of the microfinance, environment, and security communities can interact to best promote sustainable success of their objectives in war torn societies and failing states. The conference was  co-sponsored by CUSA' Coalition Advocating Human Security program and the Georgetown University Department of Government and included participants from Georgetown University, Opportunity International, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the United States Institute of Peace, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, CHF International, World Wildlife Fund, Women in International Security, and Duke University.

CUSA co-sponsored a conference on "Peace with a Human Face: Combining Human Rights and Human Security Approaches." The conference took place on February 2-3, 2007 and combined conceptual analysis with policy-oriented case studies tracking almost a decade of co-existing efforts in areas such as conflict resolution, the human impact of environmental destruction, and public health. This conference brought together a group on international and multidisciplinary participants to address the question of how, when, and where are human rights or human security approaches more effective in building peace--and how can they be made to complement each other?  The conference was co-sponsored by CUSA; UCSD’s program in International, Comparative, and Area Studies; and the UC system-wide Institute on Global Cooperation and Conflict.

CAHS presented "The Global Landmine Crisis," a luncheon with Dr. Kenneth R. Rutherford on Friday, February 2 at 11:30 a.m. At the age of 31, Dr. Kenneth R. Rutherford was conducting humanitarian relief work in Somalia to alleviate the suffering of thousands, when his vehicle ran over a landmine, which resulted in the loss of both his legs. Learn more about Ken and this event.

Our 2006 Human Security Award was presented to Lieutenant-General the Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire, O.C., C.M.M., G.O.Q. M.S.C., C.D., (Retired). In 1994, while serving as commander of the U.N. Assistance Mission to Rwanda, General Dallaire saved thousands of Rwandans during one of the worst genocides of the twentieth century. On October 11, 2006 we recognized General Dallaire for his efforts to stop genocide by presenting him with the 2006 Human Security Award.

CAHS co-founders Sandi Jackson and Susan Samueli were featured on the October 2nd broadcast of KOCE public television's Real Orange. They discussed their vision for CAHS and our upcoming Human Security Summit with Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire on October 11, 2006.

Sandi Jackson and Susan Samueli, co-founders of our Coalition Advocating Human Security, were profiled in The Orange County Register's "People Making a Difference" column for their work on Human Security with CAHS.

Orange Coast magazine's September Issue features our lunch with Dr. Wafa Sultan as part of it's "OC People" section.

"Surviving in a Changing World: Environment, Security and Microfinance," an article by Richard Matthew of CUSA and Anne Hammill of IISD has been published in The Green Cross Optimist. This article explores how micro-credit lending could prove a pathway to a peaceful future for the world’s most vulnerable people by bolstering sustainable livelihoods and human security.

CAHS sponsored a lunch with a lunch with Dr. Wafa Sultan on Thursday, June 15th. In May of 2006, Dr. Sultan was named as one of Time Magazine’s “100 People Who Shape Our World.” Learn more about this event by visiting this page.

We presented a lunch with Judea and Ruth Pearl,
Parents of Daniel Pearl and Founders of the Daniel Pearl Foundation, and Jackie Gelfand, Executive Director, Daniel Pearl Foundation, on Friday, March 10th at 11:00 am. To learn more about the event, please visit this webpage. You can read more about the event in this article from the Daily Pilot.

On February 21, 2006 we hosted "A Light in the Heart of Darkness," with Baroness Caroline Cox the founder of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART). HART seeks to aid those who are, or who have recently been, suffering oppression and persecution in various countries across the world.

Our second Human Security Summit on November 4, 2005 featured a keynote address on "Strong Women, Strong Nations" by Zainab Salbi, the founder and CEO of Women for Women International. Ms. Salbi was presented with CUSA's 2005 Human Security Award.

CAHS presented “Human Security and Poverty: How the Poor are Vulnerable to Terrorist Ideology,” a luncheon with Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy on Wednesday, May 25, 2005. Lieutenant General Kennedy retired from the United States Army in June 2000. She made history by becoming the Army's first woman three-star general. She is the first and only woman to ever receive this flag rank in the United States Army.

CAHS sponsored "Giving a Voice to the Voiceless," a lunch with on. Baroness Cox's firsthand knowledge of communities experiencing terrorism and brutality provided an excellent introduction to the topic CAHS is pursuing this year – Women and Human Security.

Heather Mills McCartney was presented the 2004 Human Security Award in recognition of her longstanding commitment to the victims of landmines. Heather Mills McCartney is an internationally renowned activist who has tirelessly campaigned for over eleven years to raise funds and awareness to rid the world of Landmines.

We are pleased to announce that Landmines and Human Security: International Politics and War's Hidden Legacy, edited by Richard Matthew, Bryan McDonald, and Ken Rutherford is now available from the State University of New York (SUNY) Press. This volume was the subject of a workshop on "Landmines and Human Security," in April of 2004.