The Strength of Allyship: Cultivating Belonging for Team Success

By |2024-06-10T14:45:11-10:00June 10th, 2024|

Event: 10th Annual Women, Peace, and Security Symposium Date: May 2, 2024 Location: U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI Abstract: This speech, delivered at the 10th Annual Women, Peace, and Security Symposium, explores the concept of allyship in advancing gender inclusivity within the security sector. Dr. James M. Minnich emphasizes the principles of “be, know, do,” highlighting the importance of character, awareness, and action in fostering a culture of belonging. Imagine a powerful force deliberately restricting its strength by underutilizing almost 20% of its personnel. This is the reality facing the military, where outdated policies and biases prevent women from [...]

A Comparative Survey of Security Approaches Toward Unexplained Aerial Phenomena Across the Indo-Pacific

By |2023-07-27T13:40:44-10:00June 2nd, 2023|

By John E. Reiss[1] Abstract The number of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) reports by international military personnel has steadily increased in recent years. At the same time, many governments have openly begun investigating UAPs. Across the Indo-Pacific, many major powers have independently developed similar approaches toward dealing with individual UAP events. This perspective paper surveys several recent UAP events and explores how different Indo-Pacific countries address the potential threat posed by UAPs. Introduction In 2021, the government of the United States, through the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), confirmed that videos taken by naval aviators depicting Unidentified Aerial [...]

Artificial Intelligence for Security Practitioners: A Conversation with ChatGPT

By |2023-05-08T17:44:31-10:00May 8th, 2023|

By Brent Feller [1] Summary: ChatGPT and similar programs have put artificial intelligence (AI) into the hands of everyone with an internet connection. AI will transform how many professional fields conducts day-to-day business. Can AI help the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) carry out its mission? The conversion with ChatGPT provides an overview of its basic capabilities and explores how it can assist DKI APCSS. ChatGPT provides a glimpse into how powerful a tool artificial intelligence (AI) is and can become in the future. People in many different career fields are finding out how it can [...]

Mongolian Sand and Dust Storms’ Impacts on Asia-Pacific Environmental Security

By |2022-12-12T15:17:08-10:00December 9th, 2022|

By J. Scott Hauger Abstract Mongolian sand and dust storms are an age-old phenomenon. Inter-annual variability is great, but March 2021 saw two extreme dust storm events with human security impacts reaching from Mongolia and China to Korea and Japan. The principal challenges to human security posed by Mongolian dust storms are food insecurity, threats to human health, and infrastructure degradation, plus human migration to escape those impacts. In modern times, dust storm events have not exceeded the capabilities of nations to manage their human security impacts. However, they can threaten regional security if they exceed a nation's ability to [...]

The Education Agenda: Enabling Meaningful Participation of Women in Peace and Security

By |2022-02-03T14:38:42-10:00February 3rd, 2022|

By Dr. Saira Yamin[*] The paper was presented by the author at a conference titled “1325 Women, Peace and Security Agenda: Ensuring Human Security, Promoting Sustainable Peace and Preventing Conflicts” October 28-30, 2020. The event was organized by the Moldova Ministry of Defense in partnership with UN Women. "If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things." Plato. The Republic. Keywords: Education, critical mass, diversity, gender inclusion, leadership, National Action Plans, participation, peace processes, security sector, UNSCR 1325, Women, Peace and Security.   Abstract:  This paper brings the importance of women's [...]

SARS-CoV-2 Mutations, Variants, and National Security

By |2021-05-07T08:34:56-10:00May 8th, 2021|

By Deon Canyon, Sebastian Kevany and Michael S. Baker * Mutations are caused by random, spontaneous errors in the RNA-based genetic code of viruses that occur as the virus replicates within a host. The process of continually emerging, small mutations is called antigenic drift. In influenza and Covid, these mutations are often noticeable by observing changes in viral surface proteins, otherwise known as antigens. The human immune system identifies and reacts to foreign antigens by producing antibodies that target the infection. Most vaccines work by presenting a harmless version of the foreign antigen to train the immune system to be [...]

An International Public Health and Virus Surveillance Network for National Security

By |2021-05-06T11:02:18-10:00May 6th, 2021|

By Deon Canyon, Sebastian Kevany and Michael S. Baker* Introduction The monitoring and surveillance of novel and variant, emergent and resurgent, infectious viral diseases is a core need for global health and national security. The United States has not, to date, put a priority on the funding and resourcing of private and public laboratories to identify and monitor Covid variants and mutations. While the U.K. sequences 10% of its positive cases, the U.S. currently only inspects around 0.3-1.5% of positive tests for the presence of viral mutations, which is lower than Gambia, Senegal and even Latvia. This created a “gaping [...]

“Men as Enablers and Mentors in Women’s Roles in Peace and Security”

By |2021-03-25T13:25:05-10:00March 27th, 2021|

An Interview with Dr. Dave Smith, Ms. Sharon Feist, Ms. Monica Herrera & Dr. Delaina Sawyers Interviewed by Dr. Saira Yamin and Professor Al Shimkus * Transcript prepared with assistance from Ms. Kamaile Patton, DKI APCSS Intern The full video podcast interview is available at this link. As Associate Professor of Sociology in the College of Leadership and Ethics at the U.S. Naval War College, Dr. Dave Smith has focused his current and former research on gender in the workplace, co-authoring Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and his forthcoming book Good Guys: How Men Can [...]

UNSCR 1325 on Women and Peace and Security: Assessment and Recommendations

By |2021-02-12T14:18:59-10:00February 12th, 2021|

Interviewed by Dr. Saira Yamin[*] Keynote Interview with Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury Initiator of the precursor decision leading to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Peace and Security as the Security Council President in March 2000 Transcript prepared by Ms. Kamaile Patton, DKI APCSS Intern The full video podcast interview is available at this link.  Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations (2002-2007) and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN (1996-2001), Ambassador Chowdhury has been an internationally recognized champion of women's equality and empowerment for many decades. As the President of the Security Council in March 2000, [...]

Media and the Security Practitioner

By |2020-10-29T15:35:32-10:00October 29th, 2020|

This article makes recommendations for the security practitioner and news consumer to overcome the hazards of diminishing trust in mainstream media and the resulting widespread outrage against journalism. Excerpt It is impossible to overstate the supreme importance of seeking information from diverse sources for a balanced understanding of our world. Relying largely on social media is as much an impediment to the effectiveness of a security practitioner as is seeking news to fit one’s views. It’s as important for professional development to regularly upskill by seeking out training to equip oneself with the knowledge to recognize forms of disinformation and [...]

Go to Top