3D Security Initiative

Pulitzer Prize winning author Jared Diamond poses provocative questions about the relationship between consumption and security in his recent New York Times article "What’s Your Consumption Factor?"

Diamond claims sharing the world's resources is key to a more secure future for the global community.

While others look at impending environmental collapse as a problem of over-population, Diamond examines the rate of consumption as the key problem.

Diamond states, "The average rates at which people consume resources like oil and metals, and produce wastes like plastics and greenhouse gases, are about 32 times higher in North America, Western Europe, Japan and Australia than they are in the developing world."

Two important new reports detail the need for a change in the way the US relates to the world.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies' Smart Power Commission Report details a plan for how the U.S. should renew alliances, partnerships and institutions in the global community and do more to promote development and change current trade policies that punish poorer countries.

The HELP Commission report makes similar recommendations for investing far more resources in relating to the world through more robust diplomacy and effective development strategies. It too suggests revamping trade policies, which currently contradict US development and security goals abroad.

There is a growing set of voices in Washington from across the political spectrum and at the highest levels calling for increased funding for development and diplomacy programs in the U.S. Foreign Aid.

Click here to read the new Senate Foreign Relations Committee report called "Embassies Grapple to Guide Foreign Aid"

In a similar move, Defense Secretary Gates also called for increased funding for foreign aid last week.

The Department of Defense’s new Africa Command – AFRICOM – rightly recognizes that a secure, stable Africa is in U.S. interests. Yet it sets a distressing precedent for future “3D” inter-agency efforts under DOD rather than State Department control.

On October 1, the 3D Security Initiative convened a meeting in Washington, DC with African conflict prevention experts and a variety of NGOs to discuss the creation of AFRICOM and its implications for conflict prevention and peacebuilding NGOs.

Following further consultation directly with African conflict prevention NGOs, the 3D Security Initiative wrote the attached policy brief on Human Security Options for Africa and AFRICOM.