KPAC21: '20 Years On: Asymmetry in Counter-Terrorism Practice' with Human Security Collective

It has been 20 years since September 11th, 2001 and probably as good a time as any to assess the legacy of that fateful day. The subsequent ‘War on Terror’ that ensued changed the very idea and meaning of ‘security’, with counterterrorism now becoming the central organizing principle of safety and security, and global norm and standard setters such as the United Nations and other bodies being co-opted into this discourse.

This session discusses some of the aspects of “securitization”, including the proliferation of laws (including soft law instruments), the war against financing, the xenophobia that that day unleashed, and how civil society work and organizing has been impacted on the ground. The discussion featured three panelists, who have all been engaged in dealing with the intended as well as unintended consequences of the securitization agenda in their respective contexts.

The panelists included: Sangeeta Goswami (Policy Advocacy Adviser and Communications Manager at Human Security Collective), Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri (Founder and Director of Research and Policy at Spaces for Change [S4C]), Teresa Dumasy (Director of Research, Advisory and Policy at Conciliation Resources), and Collins Mwahendo (Program Manager at Muslims for Human Rights).