“Human security is a new name for an old range of problems,” said University of Idaho President M. Duane Nellis during his introduction of former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sánchez.
Sánchez was welcomed Tuesday with a standing ovation from students, faculty, staff and community members at the Martin School of International Studies’ 64th annual Borah Symposium.
Nellis noted Sánchez’s commitment to positive change and peace as his most notable characteristics.
“His unrelenting drive to make the world a better and safer place is remarkable,” Nellis said.
Sánchez, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his peace plan, Esquipulas II Accords, defined human security simply as people.
“(Human security) is defined by people, people who are healthy, fed and educated. You cannot have peace if people are sick, hungry or ignored,” Sánchez said. “Human security depends on humans themselves.”
Born into a period of civil unrest in Latin America, Sánchez saw a need for change. In 1948, the war ended and the Costa Rican government declared peace by abolishing the army and promising an end to violence in the country. Sánchez said the country of Costa Rica “Invested in its people” through education and peace.
Sánchez noted that human security in the 21st century has the potential to change drastically, with the biggest advantage being the “power to improve the life of humanity.”
“We live in times of evil and danger, but also in times of unprecedented possibility,” Sánchez said. “We risk much more by staying the same.”
Sánchez provided startling statistics, emphasizing that a 25 percent reduction in global military spending would be enough to buy laptops for every child in developing countries, food for every starving human or world-wide access to adequate health care. Sánchez said a reduction in military spending would undoubtedly enhance the developing world.
“It is an idea whose time has come, but it needs international support from every quarter to succeed,” Sánchez said.
Though Sánchez’s peace plan called to limit armies and promoted democratic elections, he recognized that drastic military reductions are not in every country’s future. He added that many peace advocates are subject to a willful blindness, preventing them from seeing the harsh realities that come with human nature.
“The destructive power that lies in the hands of individuals deserves more attention than we realize,” Sánchez said.
Sánchez stressed that the potential for change lies in the technology and communication of future generations, with new ways to influence the course of history.
“The pen is mightier than the sword, but Facebook could be even mightier than the pen,” Sánchez said.
Sánchez ended his speech with an allusion to the tree-planting ceremony, which took place on campus in his honor earlier in the day.
“To plant a tree is the maximum of faith,” Sánchez said. “Faith that those that follow will nurture our small contribution to the world.”