GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

ESSAY FINALISTS

REDEFINING NATIONAL SECURITY WORKING GROUP Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation

GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security @wcapsnet

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security & Conflict Transformation

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

WOMEN OF COLOR ADVANCING PEACE, SECURITY, AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION Redefining National Security Working Group

GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

October 2021

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

Table of Contents

Redefining National Security: A Return to Individual Rights

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Redefining National Security: Diverse Voices in an Increasingly Interconnected World

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Redefining National Security Through the Eyes of a Young Woman of Color

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Redefining National Security: The Necessity of Human Security

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I Am Not a Threat: National Security and People of Color in the United States: Redefining National Security 22

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

Redefining National Security: A Return to Individual Rights Ahliaa Moore Sometimes I wonder if every generation is destined to have a “9/11”- a major moment that distinctly defines national security and safety for everyone; a moment that will be etched into the memory of every person, allowing justification for reforms in American security and even the limitations of rights for the sake of welfare and protection. If this is true, then the time to redefine national security has long been overdue for my generation.

Prior to the tragedies of September 11, 2001, national security was defined by four decades of the Cold War, where the US sat in a fragile international stalemate while simultaneously acting as a role model for the western world. The government protected opportunities and rights - for certain Americans - because of a desire to promote American exceptionalism, and moments like the Civil Rights Movement posed to undermine the US’ reputation. Thus, the protection of the US’ image, as a place of freedom and for new opportunities, was prioritized through generous government programs and education opportunities for White communities and heavy investment in the military. However, after 2001, national security began to be defined by not only the defense against potential threats outside of the United States and within, but also against cyber-oriented dangers. With a focus on predicting future dangers before they have the chance to undermine US institutions, national security signified the prioritization of military presence and surveillance: everything and everyone were surveilled, and there was

no longer a focus on access

to

opportunities, but rather a focus on the suppression of the opposition.

After the events of the past year, it is time to redefine national security and expand the scope of what needs protection once again. However, unlike this last reform, the military should not be the focus. I believe national security should be defined as: the protection of all people, regardless of race, identity, or origin, against the disenfranchisement of their rights, regardless of whether that danger is imposed by foreign or domestic entities. In other words, a return to the very foundation in which the United States emerged, a return to the protection of individual rights beyond simple bodily autonomy and reaching into the rights to own property, express your voice in government, and achieve education. This definition acknowledges the constant danger of disenfranchisement of rights and opportunities that many minority communities face, while holding US institutions, organizations, and governments accountable for placing these rights in danger as foreign groups.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

Moments like 9/11 will always shape and alter the way a generation is defined. Though my mother did not live in the North East in 2001, she, like most in her generation, remembers exactly where she was and what she was doing when the media revealed the tragedy. The way she and her generation views the world has been distinctly shaped by the fear created by that moment and it is not surprising to see how legislation and opinions on foreign issues have been filtered through a sort of distrust. The purpose of government surveillance, increased security and pressure on foreign affairs, was in the hope that it will help Americans feel safe again. This was twenty years ago, and presently, many people no longer feel safe.

I do not think it is unreasonable to say that the youngest generation is experiencing its defining 9/11-like moment. This 2020 pandemic has resulted in some of the deadliest days for Americans in the past century, and there is no doubt that this will shape the lives of many moving forward. Like my mother, I will remember where I was and what I was doing when the US began declaring shutdowns and travel bans due to the virus that was affecting the entire world with subsequent global shutdowns. I will remember where I was when news reports of the killing of an unarmed black man named George Floyd began covering our screens and protests filled streets. I will remember the moment I learned that thousands of people broke into the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, and placed our Congress in harm's way, simply because their party had not won the presidential election. September 11th left Americans in fear of the threats both within and outside of the United States. I felt the same fear from the pandemic happening just last year: fearing the possibilities of all threats within the country and globally. I was in fear of the risks to my [basic human] right to a healthy body and healthy environment, my right to engage in the same public activities that my white peers do, without a sense of terror, my right to have my voice heard in a fair election without a fear of mob attacks. I do not feel safe in America and I have not felt safe all year.

The questions I find myself constantly asking are “will my generation be defined by having to demand accessible healthcare yet having to fear an ill-prepared health system? Or will we be defined by our outrage against racist institutions and distrust of the systems that continue to perpetrate injustices? Or perhaps, will we be defined by the disillusionment of American exceptionalism as we lose loyalty towards an easily broken flag?” It is impossible to say but it all leads to the same conclusion that America does not feel safe. It does not feel safe for many people across many identities, and dangers have persisted for centuries with little acknowledgement from our nation’s officials. The current form of national security is failing, and maybe redefining it with the explanation above would be a good way to address the myriad of issues facing my generation.

With this new definition, the United States government can bring back the focus on the protection of individual rights in all the ways they are expressed. With this, the advocacy of rights 6

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

to a healthy body, a safe community, access to education, and equal opportunity can be made and therefore protected. Institutions that prove to infringe on rights will be reformed because their infringement is an attack against safety, as opposed to the status quo where their infringement is justified as safety. Under a definition that prioritizes rights, ideally, the government would have been able to respond to the perils of the year (2020) in ways that look beyond potential dangers that require the military but also dangers that require reform or investment in better infrastructure.

Once we can determine what we wish to protect, only then can we fully understand what we are protecting against and how we wish to protect it.

The attacks in 2001 led to strict security reform with the passing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, creation of the TSA, and emergence of the Patriot Act, which placed citizens under the constant surveillance of the government, both online and offline. Whether these reforms were effective against the fears many Americans held at the time is debatable, but one thing is certain, these reforms did not make a safe America for all Americans. Incidences of domestic terrorism continues to escalate and are validated and acknowledged by social media echo chambers. Homelessness remains a major epidemic with hundreds of thousands of adults and children living in and out of shelters. The percentage of the population living in poverty remains in the double digits and disproportionately affects people of color. All of these issues existed long before 2001. Yet none of these concerns were addressed when government officials were redefining national security after the 2001 attacks, and it is likely because the officials defining national security had never faced these issues before. They did not face police brutality, hate crimes, homelessness, poverty, mental illness, inaccessible healthcare, lack of educational opportunities, or the school to prison pipeline. Even today, most officials still sympathize, let alone empathize, with these affected groups. So how could they consider these issues when thinking of security?

As much as I read, study, and educate myself on the concerns and struggles of those outside of my community and with different identities, I can better advocate for people who resemble me, just as others advocate better for people like them. If the US has any intention of addressing the various issues faced by all Americans, then government offices need representations of all communities and identities: all demographics, all financial situations, and countries of origin.

When we truly include the countless representations of all Americans, then we can truly acknowledge all the dangers to security that everyone faces. Only then can we recognize which institutions are preventing a fair and equal life to all, and ensure that we are genuinely protecting all rights, especially those we have historically taken for granted.

Thinking in a broader perspective, there is a need to protect rights internationally as well.

There has long been a need to acknowledge the way American security is distinctly connected to the 7

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

security of the world. In this era of globalization and interconnectivity, the United States’ success is tied to the successes of its neighbors, its allies, its competitors, its producers and consumers, both domestic and foreign, also contribute to this success.

On another note, climate change plays a

major role in the [national] security of all economic sectors of all countries, experiencing either exodus or being a host country for migrating populations. Climate conditions are becoming more extreme, resulting in more migrants from impacted environments to seek security elsewhere due to the scarcity of resources.

The world is much more connected than one may think. If any country is experiencing a calamity, whether it be from natural causes, or politically or government-generated, other countries tend to “feel it” too (directly or indirectly). Therefore, in the case of the US, it is imperative that the American government begin to acknowledge and respect what security and freedom signify for other nations, as the world is not a “one size fits all” domain (what may work for one, does not necessarily have to work for another). In other words, respecting the concept of freedom without the notion of imperialism, or providing false aid with veiled interests or even military (force) intervention. The same freedom that Americans want for themselves (autonomy, standard healthy living conditions, basic livelihood, opportunities, simply having regards for basic human rights, etc.) should be universal.

There has been no greater example of the importance of international security and its influence on national security than this momentous pandemic. When I say my generation has been impacted, I mean all students across the globe have been disrupted, people’s health put in danger, due to a single virus. The end of this pandemic cannot be by one national government alone, and it is only through the international effort to protect and fight back that we can all return to a free and enjoyable world. If we believe that freedom comes from our ability to enjoy and exercise our rights, then only through the intentional and total protection of these rights can America ever be called free.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

Redefining National Security: Diverse Voices in an Increasingly Interconnected World Shreeti Amit For far too long, national security within our society has been accepted through a limited perspective, and it has cost us immensely. Whether it be due to the lack of infrastructure, insufficient resources for underdeveloped communities, improper action taken against racially motivated offenses, or the recent public health crisis, the way we define our national security has caused many citizens to feel unsafe -- and it must change immediately. To combat this, I would redefine national security as the free and equal protection of all citizens - from threats against their health, wellbeing, and human rights. This would encompass all issues regarding economics, the environment, foreign interference, global health, domestic threats, etc.

The Importance of Diverse Voices This definition not only assesses a broader range of issues, but it also allows the proper safeguard of all citizens, as well as recognizing specific groups of people who face (and subsequently fight against) intersectional issues and how their disproportionate threats to their security should be assessed. For example, people of color, and especially women, have been more heavily affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (Marshall). This can be due to several reasons.

Racial and ethnic minority groups tend to live near urban areas and large cities, which are densely populated and therefore, more difficult to practice social distance. They may also have more jobs in front-line industries that make it difficult for them to work from homes such as food and agriculture, emergency services, wastewater management, health care, and other essential workforces. As if these are not enough, there is also the added stress of racial discrimination against these groups, which can lead to the development of psychological conditions, which may not be properly treated due to systematic inequities in our healthcare systems. Each of these factors subsequently raises the chances of racial and ethnic minorities both contracting the virus and not receiving the proper care to combat it afterward. When facing large-scale issues like pandemics, it is not enough to have the same protocol for every citizen. The unique perspectives of people of color cannot be ignored.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

In addition, another emerging security issue in the past few decades has been the governmental use of facial recognition technology and how it disproportionately impacts communities of color. When identifying people of color, especially black citizens, this type of technology has been repeatedly prone to error which can lead to racial profiling, false accusations, wrongful convictions, etc. With already existing patterns of racial discrimination in law enforcement, inaccurate facial recognition technology can do further damage to marginalized groups. Black Americans are historically “more likely to be arrested and incarcerated for minor crimes than White Americans,” (Najibi) which means there is more mugshot data on Black citizens - information that is used by face recognition while making [bias] predictions. This further creates a vicious cycle of Black communities being overly policed and disproportionately arrested.

To prevent harm like this from continuing, there must be more thorough research on the accuracy of emerging technologies like facial recognition, how vulnerable people of color are to the occurrence of misidentification by these technologies, and what impacts they may have on communities of color moving forward. In terms of national security, considering how modern barriers affect people of color (technology particularly) is a crucial consideration. There is also a discussion of issues that specifically target a group of people. A 2019 FBI report showed that the number of domestic hate crimes had risen to its highest in a decade and had grown more violent than in previous years (Allam). The problem of far-right extremism and white nationalist violence has only expanded further to target minority groups including people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ communities, and religious minorities (Osisanya). This year, following the death of George Floyd, a series of nationwide protests formed to fight against the decades-long trend of police brutality; the movement has grown as more Black men, women, and non-binary people are killed at the hands of U.S. law enforcement every day. Both of these issues of domestic threats are not new in any regard.

For years, we have watched as government entities fail to fulfill its fundamental commitment to equally protect citizens against violence, and that is due, at least in part, to the lack of diverse perspectives in national security policy-making arenas.

We must diversify the conversation when it comes to national security and policy making.

The absence of female voices, especially from women of color, at the national level is glaringly obvious. “There's never been a female Secretary of Defense. Only three women have served as Secretary of State and two as National Security Advisers. Only two have led Homeland Security. At the CIA, Director Gina Haspel is the first woman in that role,” according to an NPR report on national security (Allam). There is no way to combat the issues at hand without listening to those who are directly impacted by them and can offer their experienced understanding.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

The Interconnections of International and Global Threats An often-overlooked detail about increased globalization is that national security has become inevitably linked to international security. Common threats such as climate change, cybersecurity, and infectious disease are unfortunately not just unique to one nation. In turn, threats to other countries such as poverty, immigration, and civil war are also all connected with the threats to each country (Jones et. al). This is an extremely important consideration when we are trying to solve the issues at hand. For example, when there is a global outbreak of an infectious disease such as COVID-19 or even the previous 2009 H1N1 pandemic, it requires both international and national responses. Without the contributions and collaboration of all affected countries, there is no way to eradicate the problem on a global scale. In this sense, individual nations play the most important role in ensuring security for citizens both nationally and internationally.

Globalization is thus an influential factor in the international security environment. In order to protect the global community from threats, it is crucial to increase the potential political, social, and economic balance between nations. When rethinking the definition of national security, we must actively diversify the voices discussing security and policymaking, broaden the scope of protection to include more modern issues outside of just foreign threats, and intertwine the goals of both national security and international security.

References 1. Allam, Hannah. “FBI Report: Bias-Motivated Killings at Record High Amid Nationwide Rise in Hate Crime.” NPR, NPR, 16 Nov. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/11/16/935439777/fbi-report-bias-motivated-killings-at-record-high-a mid-nationwide-rise-in-hate-c.

2. Allam, Hannah. “Women In National Security Push to Move Beyond 'The First' And 'The Only'.” NPR, NPR, 6 July 2019, www.npr.org/2019/07/06/738988815/women-in-national-security-push-to-move-beyond the-first-and-the-only.

3. Jones, Bruce et al. “Changing How We Address Global and National Security.” Brookings, Brookings, 28 July 2016, www.brookings.edu/opinions/changing-how-we-address-global-and-national-security/ 4. Marshall, William F. “Why Is COVID-19 More Severely Affecting People of Color?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Aug. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-infecti 11

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on-by-race/faq-20488802.

5. Najibi, Alex. “Racial Discrimination in Face Recognition Technology.” Science in the News, Harvard University, 26 Oct. 2020, sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2020/racial-discrimination-in-face-recognition-technology/ 6. Osisanya, Segun. “National Security versus Global Security.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/national-security-versus-global-security. 7. Porterfield, Carlie. “White Supremacist Terrorism 'On the Rise and Spreading'.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 July 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/06/25/white-supremacist-terrorism-on-theri se-and-spreading/?sh=61a1a4505a0f.

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Redefining National Security Through the Eyes of a Young Woman of Color Kritika Nagappa “Kritika, you’ll like this one!” - These were the words of my elementary school librarian, Mrs. Tom, as she handed me Condoleezza Rice’s memoir for children. Standing in the large library, my small eight-year-old self had no idea who Condoleezza Rice was. After quickly thanking Mrs. Tom, I sat down at one of the comfy bean bag chairs and contemplated the front cover of the book.

I saw that Ms. Rice had beautiful dark skin closely resembling my own Indian complexion. It was the first time I found myself reflected in a government official, being a woman of color.

Smiling at this unspoken dark skin girl bond, I opened the book and began to read about Rice’s journey in the “national security and diplomacy” realm. As both the first female National Security Advisor and first female African-American Secretary of State, Rice helped to restore hope after the tragic 9/11 attacks and led anti-terrorism movements in many countries. Her powerful and delicate skills during this critical time in American and world history earned her the name of “Warrior Princess.” Amidst my reading, the bell had rung, signaling the end of the day. On the bus ride back home, I found myself questioning why it had taken me this long to hear about Ms. Rice.

Perhaps it was because I was only eight years old; or, in retrospect, I wonder if it is because American national security has largely been driven by white men.

To me, a young woman of color, national security means the full protection of all Americans, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion, from evolving threats foreign and domestic. I chose this definition because I am aware of how today’s national security does not reflect the beliefs of diverse individuals. For example, I certainly do not experience the same threats a young black man faces in America. His perception of the country differs from my perceptions simply based on our experiences with law enforcement and/or society as a whole.1 Likewise, white men, who largely control national security, perceive America differently than women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, etc. It is unacceptable that a monolithic community of white men, that has never made up the majority of the US population, drives the national security narrative for a country made up of millions of diverse individuals2. The government must take into account the repercussions that could stem from this limitation as the 1

See, Jenkins, Bonnie. “Redefining Our Concept of Security,” Brookings Institution, December 2019 Robinson, Nathan. “Rich White Men Rule America. How Much Longer Will We Tolerate That for?” The Guardian, May 20, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/20/rich-white-men-rule-america-minority-rule 2

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

United States is often celebrated for being a melting pot of nationalities. As one of the most powerful countries in the world, America must lead allies and other nations by example. This notion of inclusivity can be undermined if diverse voices are not incorporated into positions of power.

Women play a crucial role in diversifying national security and improving the world. In 2020, an infectious disease became a well-known threat to national security. Many countries were incapable of limiting the spread of COVID-19 but the few successful countries all had one similarity: women leaders. For example, the stability and facts offered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel sped up testing processes; the decisiveness of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden kept New Zealand’s COVID cases in extremely low numbers. These women were risk-averse and took the necessary precautions to limit the lives lost compared to their male counterparts.3 These women were able to draw from their experiences as mothers and caregivers, and immediately recognized the importance of the health and safety of their people. It is important for more women to hold leading roles in our country, so that the United States can operate empathetically.

Just as diversity in gender is important for advancement in national security, so is diversity in age. Youth and young adults between the ages of 15-30 make up nearly 25% of the US population, yet it is largely government officials over the age of 55 who make decisions concerning the entire country.4 Surely experience is necessary but so are fresh ideas and new approaches that the youth can offer. Generation Z has already proved its capability to make a national impact during the November 2020 election, when it rallied behind candidates who supported causes of importance to youth, like climate change and social injustice. By involving young people now in matters of national security, come 15-20 years, the United States will have leaders who have the resources to make informed decisions, and can, of course, pass their knowledge onto the next generation.

Cyberthreats and National Security in the Modern Age Diverse and multicultural voices in national security are imperative especially as the United States faces growing cybersecurity threats. With innovation and iconic breakthroughs, America is able to maintain its spot at the top of technological advancement and global economy. However, with this advantage, also comes the possibility of cyber-attacks, a major international threat.

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Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. “What Do Countries with the Best Coronavirus Responses Have in Common? Women Leaders.”

Forbes, April 12, 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivahwittenbergcox/2020/04/13/what-do-countries-with-the-best-coronavirus-reponses-have-in-co mmon-women-leaders/ 4 “United States Demographic Statistics | Infoplease.” www.infoplease.com, www.infoplease.com/us/census/demographic-statistics.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

Nation-states such as North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran can breach government data and national security secrets. The repercussions of cyber-attacks are high, as exemplified in the recent Russia-linked SolarWinds hack. Valuable and sensitive information of over 300,000 clients, including the US government, was attacked in early January 2021, yet it took months for substantial evidence to be acquired, demonstrating how difficult cyber-attacks are to track.5 Furthermore, the prevention of misinformation also falls under the realm of cybersecurity. Many of the aforementioned countries have ties to foreign terrorist organizations who attempt to destroy America through falsified information and distorted ideologies online. It is evident that issues that exist in cybersecurity are complicated, highlighting the need for people with talent, multicultural backgrounds, problem-solving skills, and new perspectives. These qualities are often found in people with unique backgrounds that can understand the cultural nuances behind disinformation in cybersecurity issues-- something a homogenous group could otherwise not offer. In other words, in order for America to keep up with international cybersecurity threats, a myriad of diverse voices are necessary.

The internet and social media are domestic threats as well, as displayed on January 6, 2021, the day of the storming of the Capitol Building. Trump’s supporters believed his baseless tweets claiming the 2020 election was “fraudulent” and resorted to violence and unruly behavior.

Extremist, racist hate groups like the Proud Boys and Neo Nazis used social media platforms like Gab and Parler to instigate a domestic terrorist attack.6 These unlawful protestors not only wreaked havoc on a national building but also on the notion of democracy and free elections, all at the pleasure of the President. National security is threatened by these groups because they put nearly all non-supporters at risk. In addition, these extremists were ready to harm elected members of Congress and Senators because of misinformation online. Homegrown terrorism can also be amplified through the internet, hence why cybersecurity must be used to crack down on future domestic threats.

In essence, 50 years ago, cybersecurity was barely a talked about issue, much less a national security concern. But now in 2021, it is a key-focus, with nearly every threat being intertwined with technology. It is evident that as the world evolves, so do the threats, which is why US national security must also evolve to stay on top of new issues. With more diverse individuals, specifically in the field of cybersecurity, like black cyber and tech attorney Camille Stewart, US national security 5

Sara Morrison. “How Russian hackers infiltrated the federal government.” Vox. Sheera Frenkel. “How The Storming of Capitol Hill Was Organized on Social Media.” The New York Times, July 6, 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/us/politics/protesters-storm-capitol-hill-building.html 6

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will progress in a positive direction.

There is no doubt that America has taken strides to include people of color, members of LGBTQ+ and women in leadership positions; the 116th Congress was the most racially and ethnically diverse in history and Condoleezza Rice, a black woman, was one of my first role models in foreign service and national security. But this advancement is not enough. More and more people of different backgrounds need to be given a seat at the table and serve in our nation’s prized institutions, like the Foreign Service, State Department and National Security Council, to name a few. In addition, they must be elected as Representatives, Senators, and even Presidents. Only then can I, a young woman of color, be certain that my country’s national security is guaranteed and can continue to provide an overall, all inclusive, much needed protection.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

Redefining National Security: The Necessity of Human Security Rosie Khan, Janet Abou-Elias, Arunima Mehrotra, and Lillian Mauldin Founding Members of Women for Weapons Trade Transparency “National security.” A phrase used in places from the Halls of Congress to the offices of local officials. A phrase used to shape the United States’ national priorities and budgets. A phrase that lacks a singular meaning due to its consistent use by lawmakers as a default defense of proposed policies. While the Heritage Foundation defines national security as “the safekeeping of the nation as a whole” with “its highest order of business [being] the protection of the nation and its people from attack and other external dangers by maintaining armed forces and guarding state secrets”, the U.S. Department of Justice defines the concept as “countering terrorism; combating espionage and economic espionage conducted for the benefit of any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent; enforcing export controls and sanctions; and disrupting cyber threats that are perpetrated by nation states, terrorists, or their agents or proxies.”7 National security has no cohesive definition, and because of its “lack of conceptual boundary, security, as a concept, is used to entice and whip up patronage for many political projects both at the state and international levels of politicking… security is therefore a powerful political tool in claiming attention for priority items in the competition for government attention.”8 While definitions of national security vary, they most often place an emphasis on countering external threats to U.S. residents. Very few of these definitions, however, account for domestic threats to U.S. residents that are far more likely to cause harm. For example, in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States recently experienced its largest recorded increase in the poverty rate, with a jump from 9.3% in June 2020 to 11.7% in November 2020.9 This 2.4% increase has put nearly 8 million more Americans in danger of food insecurity, disease, and homelessness, all of which have potentially deadly consequences. Additionally, police violence claimed the lives of at least 1,116 Americans in 2020.10

7

“9-90.000 - National Security,” The United States Department of Justice, December 18, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-9-90000-national-security.

8 Segun Osisanya, “National Security versus Global Security,” UN Chronicle (United Nations), accessed December 22, 2020, https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/national-security-versus-global-security.

9 Jeehoon Han, Bruce D. Meyer, and James X. Sullivan, “Real-Time Poverty Estimates During the COVID-19 Pandemic through November 2020,” December 15, 2020, https://harris.uchicago.edu/files/monthly_poverty_rates_updated_thru_november_2020_final.pdf.

10 “Mapping Police Violence,” Mapping Police Violence, accessed January 4, 2021, https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/.

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These statistics beg the question: What is the benefit of prioritizing and funneling billions of dollars into “national security” to protect U.S. citizens from rare international threats when people are dying at much higher rates from forces within our borders? The authors of this essay define national security in its current form as an avenue for protecting the current establishment of wealth, whiteness, and hegemonic masculinity from foreign influence and from progressive domestic influence. Given the history of the term to justify increased military budgets, the slaughter and oppression of Black and Indigenous people, and policies that disregard the global climate crisis, we argue that, ultimately, the traditional concept of national security must be discarded and that a new concept should be adopted in order to ensure the safety of marginalized communities.

However, in the interim, national security must be redefined to prioritize government and private funding flows into preventing threats which statistically cause the greatest damage and loss of life for U.S. residents.

The prioritization of external threats over domestic human security is no accident. News media reports on terrorism at hundreds of times the rate that it occurs, while downplaying the public health issues which have a higher toll on the population.11 This affects the general public’s perception of threats to life, which can influence voting patterns and policy priorities, and can create not only an echo chamber but also a weakened democracy. In National Security Secrecy: Comparative Effects on Democracy and the Rule of Law, Sudha Setty writes, “Media scholars have found that media exposure to terrorism heightens anxiety, anger, and fear, which leads to distorted risk estimates among those consuming the media…Political scientists have demonstrated that such anxiety makes Americans more willing to cede power to their government in the name of feeling protected or safe, and less concerned about civil rights and liberties.”12 Moreover, entertainment media makes similar distortions of threats, serving as propaganda, making war palatable, and pushing the narrative of external threats through narratives of militaristic heroism. The Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense have been revealed to actively censor and rewrite parts of thousands of Hollywood film and television productions.13 What, then, are the threats which are poorly accounted for? We argue that the combination of wealth inequality, climate change, and white supremacism are responsible for a great deal of 11

Hannah Ritchie, “Does the news reflect what we die from?” Our World in Data, accessed January 13, 2021, https://ourworldindata.org/does-the-news-reflect-what-we-die-from 12 Setty, Sudha. National Security Secrecy: Comparative Effects on Democracy and the Rule of Law. Cambridge University Press, 2017.

13 Tom Secker and Matthew Alford, “Documents Expose How Hollywood Promotes War on Behalf of the Pentagon, CIA and NSA.” Global Research, May 7, 2019, https://www.globalresearch.ca/documents-expose-how-hollywood-promotes-war-on-behalf-of-the-pentagon-cia-and -nsa/5597891

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danger to U.S. residents, and that a key flaw of the traditional concept of national security is its failure to address these dangers. For millions of people of color in the United States, particularly Black and Indigenous people of color, it is not foreign threats but rather domestic systems which threaten them with death. The CDC as well as the American Heart Association highlight poverty and structural racism as factors in health inequities,14 and the Environmental Protection Agency reports that economic inequality and concentrated pollution in communities of color are sickening and killing Americans across the country.15 The use of “national security” to justify U.S. military spending, far from protecting marginalized communities, is in fact exacerbating health issues and climate change. Year after year, reports conclude that the U.S. military is one of the world’s worst polluters, ironically and tragically devastating American soil in addition to regions abroad.16 It may be argued that terrorism is feared because it can destabilize a state and the society within, whereas public health problems are not a threat to state sovereignty. While this is largely true, there are two reasons to remain critical of the prioritization of international threats over domestic ones. First, the imbalance in media coverage of the actual threats to American lives versus the rhetoric around ‘saving American lives’ by counter-terrorism measures results in resources being amassed by the military and leaving little for domestic reforms. Second, the United States’ military actions abroad often actively destabilize societies and provide reasons for people to become anti-Western extremists.17 Attacks on human security in other countries create conditions for threats to the U.S. to form.18 And when white supremacism turns inward, the same people harmed by systemic racism in public programs suffer from active persecution by the state. The Black Panthers are one instance of people so mistreated by the United States that they organized

14

“Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 24, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/health-equity/race-ethnicity.html; Michael Merschel, “Structural racism is a driver of health disparities, report declares.” American Heart Association News, November 10, 2020, https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/11/10/structural-racism-is-a-driver-of-health-disparities-report-declares 15 Vann R Newkirk, “Trump's EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Real.” The Atlantic, February 28, 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/the-trump-administration-finds-that-environmental-racism-is-real/554315/ 16 Sarah Flounders, “The Pentagon, The Climate Elephant. The US Military Machine is the World’s Worst Polluter of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Global Research, December 01, 2015. https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-pentagon-the-climate-elephant-2/5402505; Whitney Webb, “U.S. Military Is World’s Biggest Polluter.” Ecowatch, May 15, 2017. https://www.ecowatch.com/military-largest-polluter-2408760609.html; Benjamin Neimark, Oliver Belcher and Patrick Bigger, “US military is a bigger polluter than as many as 140 countries – shrinking this war machine is a must.” The Conversation, June 24, 2019. https://theconversation.com/us-military-is-a-bigger-polluter-than-as-many-as-140-countries-shrinking-this-war-mac hine-is-a-must-119269 17 Massoud, Mark Fathi. “Don’t blame Sharia for Islamic extremism – blame colonialism.” The Conversation, April 8, 2019. https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-sharia-for-islamic-extremism-blame-colonialism-109918 18 Tori DeAngelis, “Understanding terrorism.” American Psychological Association 40, no. 10 (2009): 60. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/11/terrorism

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community survival programs.19 Meanwhile, organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Proud Boys are not treated by the government as major security threats, despite their anti-Semitism and Islamophobia posing a constant threat to many Americans and to democracy in the United States itself.

For the average American, it is imperative to define national security as the act of safeguarding our citizens from international and domestic threats. National security is a lost cause if it disregards global human security because peace and security must be actively pursued and supported. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”20 Redefining national security asks us to see foreign entities not as threats by default, but instead to recognize them as contributors to common humanitarian goals. Once we as a nation shift our perspective from competition to collaboration, we will be able to better protect our own population, as well as those around the globe.

This stance requires us to focus on the pursuit of global peace, as well the moving of our resources towards the resolution of national dilemmas. One thought-provoking example of these policies is Costa Rica, a nation which has been able to maintain a successful military-free society.

Their peacekeeping forces are structured in such a way that transfers the duties traditionally reserved for professional soldiers to civilian personnel who are funded, trained, and legally empowered to carry out their missions. The citizens share pride in their civilian-led services, their peaceful ideals, and their ability to fund initiatives such as literacy programs, renewable electricity, and sustainable agriculture.21 Granted, Costa Rica is a special case with its small size and lack of geopolitical threats. Our argument, however, is for military reductionism, which will allow the U.S. to curtail unnecessary and inefficient investments in the military, reduce the motivating factors of international threats, and prioritize social welfare programs that uplift all Americans.

Furthermore, there are other nations that have refocused towards preserving national security by prioritizing the mitigation of domestic threats. New Zealand includes “state and armed conflict, transnational organized crime, cyber security incidents, natural hazards, biosecurity events and pandemics” in their definition of national security.22

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Moreover, they leverage their

partnerships between state agencies, local governments, private companies, and individuals to achieve flexibility in their national security structure. If we rely solely on the currently established belief of what terrorizes our national security, then we cannot fully serve our nation’s people. It is a 19

“Community Survival Programs” PBS, 2002. https://www.pbs.org/hueypnewton/actions/actions_survival.html Martin Luther King Jr, “When Peace Becomes Obnoxious” (Sermon, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, March 18, 1956).

21 Julian L Benton (2016), https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1027169.pdf.

22 “New Zealand's National Security System,” Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, October 27, 2020. https://dpmc.govt.nz/our-programmes/national-security-and-intelligence/national-security/new-zealands-national-security.

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cogent idea to involve community agencies so as to localize efforts in recognizing and mitigating threats. Through their active involvement, we can identify what plagues the common person and provide them with human security first and foremost.

The necessity of human security–the concept that we need to provide for people’s basic needs, cannot be overstated. Provisions such as clean water, shelter, and job security prevent the radicalization of the general population, thereby reducing traditionally defined national security threats at their source rather than letting them come to fruition. Through using movements combating climate change, poverty, and homelessness as prime examples, we assert that true national security bears fruit in its fulfilment. After all, the tribulations of ordinary citizens nest in these prevalent issues instead of rare foreign threats. To be more pragmatic and authentic in our approach to national security is to challenge our current beliefs and to push ourselves to recognize the spirit of democracy which asks us not to build walls, tanks, and missiles which divide and destroy, but instead to build lasting peace and collaboration which will ensure the wellbeing and dignity of all people for years to come.

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

I Am Not a Threat: National Security and People of Color in the United States: Redefining National Security Momal Rizvi To the “typical” white American, national security is often framed by the military and the police force, those who are to protect the country from dangerous people— people who sometimes look like me, a Pakistani-American Muslim. If I were given the ability to create a picturesque country, national security would be the conscious effort of my nation to provide economic, health, food, environmental, personal, and political security to each and every citizen, regardless of their identity. Unfortunately, I cannot create a perfect country where I live in the United States, where my definition of national security ceases to exist.

I have watched this system play out my entire life, ever since I was less than a month old, when the Twin Towers fell on September 11th, 2001. That day would change my life forever, along with millions of other Muslims living in the United States and worldwide. Before 9/11, Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda were not common household names. Many Americans did not think negatively about Muslims, and the ones who did have acquaintanceships with Muslims had positive opinions about the religious group. However, within twenty-four hours, from that infamous date, American Muslims went from being known to many as neighbors, teachers, doctors, and good citizens to being labeled as terrorists, traitors, and threats to the nation.

Subsequently, around the time of my first birthday, whenever my father would run errands, a “new normal” to-do list would look like the following: pick up a birthday cake, send out invitations, go to the “special registration appointment for NSEERS program,” buy a piñata…. The NSEERS program was created by the Bush Administration in the summer of 2002 in order to screen anyone who posed a “risk” to national security. This included foreign visitors and immigrants from a list of twenty-five countries, twenty-four of which had Muslim-majority populations (Center for Constitutional Rights). My father, a then-green card holder from Pakistan, was required to appear before immigration officials and go through “special registration” and questioning. I could not help but feel appalled when I tried to imagine this moment of my father’s life. How could anyone see him as a danger to our country? He is a husband, an older brother, and a father; he gives to charity; he plays sports and drinks four cups of tea a day; he played with puppets with me when I was younger and taught me how to ride a bike— those qualities do not sound like the characteristics

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Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

of a brooding terrorist. And yet, he, along with countless other harmless Muslims were lined up and stereotyped in order to “keep our country safe.”

As I grew up, I was very aware of my Muslim and Pakistani identities. When I was in the fifth grade, I was in class when Osama Bin Laden was caught and killed in Pakistan. “That dirty criminal is finally dead!” the boy sitting across from me cheered. I sat anxiously and looked around at my classmates. “Did they think I was a dirty criminal too?” I wondered. When I was a freshman in high school, I felt uncomfortable going to school on the respective days of the San Bernardino and Pulse nightclub shootings (CNN, NPR). I thought to myself “Did my classmates want me to apologize?

Should I apologize? Do they think I support what has been done?” When I was a sophomore in high school, my mosque was vandalized. The glass double-door entrance was completely shattered and the building had been broken into. Shortly after, the mosque board made the decision to hire a security guard, who I greeted every Sunday morning as I walked in for my Islamic classes. Yet, I continued to think to myself, “Did we deserve this? Am I not safe here anymore?” When I was a senior in high school, I remember waking up on a Friday morning to the news of the Christchurch Mosque shootings in New Zealand (Al Jazeera). I tried to watch the video of the shooting, but I only made it about ten seconds before having to turn off my phone and bursting into tears. “This looks just like my mosque. Is this our fate?,” I thought with emotions.

It was not until I went to college, I was finally able to answer all of my questions. At a conference at Harvard University in the beginning of 2020, I learned about the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force, a program created by the Obama Administration. The goal of the program was to prevent individuals from becoming violent extremists through counter-terrorism efforts within communities. While this may seem beneficial to the country as a whole, this program received criticism for stereotyping and surveilling American Muslims. The CVE program turned regular activities for Muslims into criminal ones (Muslim Justice League). For example, if a young girl showed up to school wearing a hijab, her counselor was encouraged to report this. I thought of my own little sister. I thought of the joy on her face when she made the religious choice to wear a beautifully wrapped hijab to middle school. If an individual travelled to a certain country, they were viewed as “vulnerable to radicalization.” I thought of my family’s trip to Iraq in the winter of 2017, where we visited incredible mosques and shrines, ate Iraqi food, and bought souvenirs for our friends back home.

At that conference at Harvard, I realized that Muslims are not harmful. We are not at fault.

We do not deserve to be stereotyped, to be surveilled, or to live in fear. We are neighborly, warmhearted, and hardworking. We are teachers, doctors, artists, and athletes. We have families.

We are Americans. We should not have to be singled out in order to ensure the protection of our 23

Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation GenZer Perspectives on Redefining National Security

white counterparts. The same goes for the Black community, who should not be singled out by the police in order to make white people more “comfortable”, and the Latinx community, who should not be singled out by ICE in order to protect our country from “drug dealers, criminals, and rapists” (BBC).

More importantly, I realized that American Muslims are not alone in this fight. While our community is being labelled and exploited, so are our Black, Latinx, and Asian neighbors and friends, and so were other communities of color around the world. After 9/11, the defense budget not only went towards an increase in domestic surveillance, but also an increase in military spending to fight overseas, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (Kheel). Muslim-majority countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria have greatly suffered since the 9/11 attacks due to the U.S. waging a global war against terrorism (Crawford). Our desire to protect our country from any outside threats has led us to committing horrible war crimes, destroying homes and schools, and ending innocent lives. Our desperation to stop the threat turned us into a threat to others. Hundreds of thousands of Muslim lives have been lost at the hands of the United States since 9/11. The concern to protect our country and ensure national security has not only impacted our own citizens, but citizens of the world as well.

Much of my anger at the way people of color and Muslims were being treated and labelled in this country—and globally—fueled my desire to study international relations. I no longer wanted to feel small when I heard the news of another terrorist attack or be fearful when a candidate campaigned on creating a Muslim registry. When white people dominate the international relations field and the political arena, they continue to do what it takes to ensure white comfort. When people of color are given a seat at the table, we will be able to redefine national security on our conditions. We can add ourselves to the list of people who need security, and we can create programs which protect our country without exploiting innocent people.

However, to redefine national security in a way that does not harm ourselves is not just our own responsibility, white people in international relations need to do the work as well. They must divest from their possessive investment in whiteness and allow people of color to speak, make decisions, and lead organizations that focus on international relations; white academic institutions must incorporate race and identity studies in their curricula— international relations began as race relations after all. When people of color are at the forefront of national security, we can move away from the false narratives of Muslim terrorists and Black criminals and Latinx drug dealers and begin to provide all Americans with security, whether it be economic, health, food, environmental, personal, or political. People of color will be the ones to dismantle harmful counterterrorism programs, our racist police system, and our hateful immigration and border patrol. People of color 24

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will be the ones to work with communities—because they are our communities—and provide basic needs, such as clean water, guarantee racial justice, and ensure affordable healthcare.

Our country’s national security initiatives are deeply flawed. Whether it be our military, our police force, or our border patrol, harm has been caused time and time again to people of color.

Deconstructing a white supremacist system is undeniably no easy feat. Therefore, I conclude this essay, I think back to the events of today, where white, rioters stormed the Capitol Building and incited violence on lawmakers, workers, and D.C. residents (Williams). Their actions were perfectly aligned with domestic terrorism, and yet we witnessed that the response was nothing as compared to when Black people protested for their basic rights this past summer. The white supremacy in our country is omnipresent, often in ways we cannot comprehend. Until people of color take control of their own lives and speak their own truths, they will not see the sustainable change they wish to obtain , and most importantly, they will not be secure in their own home in the country.

References 1. “National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request.” Center for Constitutional Rights, https://ccrjustice.org/node/6205.

2. “San Bernardino Shooting.” CNN, www.cnn.com/specials/san-bernardino-shooting 3. Zambelich, Ariel, and Alyson Hurt. “3 Hours In Orlando: Piecing Together An Attack And Its Aftermath.” NPR, 26 June 2016. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2016/06/16/482322488/orlando-shooting-what-happened-update.

4. “New Zealand Marks Two Years since Christchurch Mosque Killings.” Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/13/new-zealand-marks-two-years-since-christch urch-mosque-killings.

5. “What Is ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ (CVE)?” Muslim Justice League, 9 Nov. 2015, https://muslimjusticeleague.org/cve/.

6. “What Trump Has Said about Mexicans.” BBC News. www.bbc.com, https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-37230916.

7. Study: US Has Spent Nearly $6T on War since 9/11 | TheHill. https://thehill.com/policy/defense/416663-study-us-has-spent-nearly-6t-on-war-since-9-1 1.

8. Crawford, Neta C. Human Cost of the Post-9/11 Wars: Lethality and the Need for Transparency. p. 11.

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9. “Timeline of the Muslim Ban.” ACLU of Washington, 23 May 2017, https://www.aclu-wa.org/pages/timeline-muslim-ban.

10. Grim, Ryan. “Documents Shed New Light on Critical Moments in Pete Buttigieg’s South Bend Political Career.” The Intercept, 20 Sept. 2019, https://theintercept.com/2019/09/20/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-police/.

11. “The U.S. Capitol Riots and the Double Standard of Protest Policing | National News | US News.” US News & World Report, //www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2021-01-12/the-us-capitol-riots-and-the -double-standard-of-protest-policing.

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