HUMAN RESOURCE TRAINING AS A TOOL FOR CHECK ON GLOBAL TERRORISM

Transcription

1 HUMAN RESOURCE TRAINING AS A TOOL FOR CHECK ON GLOBAL TERRORISM BY ASS PROF.I.DIALOKE, UKAH FINIAN O Department of Human Resource Management Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike And MRS NKECHI ANYADIKE Department of Public Administration University of Nigeria Nsukka ABSTRACT This paper titled Human Resource Training as a vehicle for check on Global Terrorism, undertakes the examination of the negative impacts of terrorism on global security. While focusing on the Nigerian experience, it investigated the impending doom on humanity in which the nation s existence will be left at the mercy of Boko Haram insurgents if they gain control of all the states in the country. The paper also opined that human resource training is the most viable panacea to the problem of global terrorism. It finally recommended among other things the reduction of nuclear war-heads in the world to reduce trepidation and reinforce global security; counter-terrorism strategies such as effective network for intelligence gathering and analysis. KEY WORD: Human Resources, Training, Tool, Global, Terrorism INTRODUCTION Global peace and security have come under severe threat on account of terrorist activities, especially by Islamic militant groups who are desirous of creating a society of their visions and dreams. In recent years, terrorism has assumed a dangerous dimension both in operation and solicitation. Terrorism was associated with state terror and the Reign of Terror in France until the mid-19 th century, when the term began to be associated with non-governmental groups. Revolutionary nationalism continued to motivate political violence in the 20 th century, much of it directed against western colonial powers. In the 1980s and 1990s, Islamic militancy in pursuit of religious and political goals increased, (Weinberg, 2008). Radical political theories and 1

2 improvements in weapons (technology) spurred the formation of small groups of revolutionaries who effectively attacked nation-states. Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, and the seeming end of the cold war between the western and eastern blocs, the place of global peace and security has become a matter of serious concern to world leaders and institutions. The increasing tide of nationalism throughout the world, in which the nation (identity of a people) and the political state were combined. As states began to emphasize national identities, people that have been conquered or colonized opted for assimilation or struggle. There is no doubt that what humanity desperately needs, is a world free from constant struggle wars and terrorism. (Oforle, 2012). Though terrorist activities are not new in the world, they have however assumed terrifying and horrendous dimension in our time. From all corners of the globe, we are daily confronted with terrorism and the attendant carnage, fear and destructions from such terrorist activities. Terrorism has become a constant threat to global peace and security. It is to maintain global peace and security that the USA and Great Britain has committed enormous resources in both men and materials to fight terrorism. This paper therefore examines the concept of terrorism, its implication on global security. It then dwells on the Nigerian experience, taking into consideration the relevance of human resource training in checking global terrorism. Relevant recommendations were made to ensure global peace. Conceptual Clarification The concept of terrorism encompasses the threat of violence, individual acts of violence, or a campaign of violence designed to instill fear to terrorize. (Heywood, 2007). They include these manifestations: violent acts of assassinations, bombings, hostage seizures and plane hijacks. The reason for these violent acts is to instill fear in order to achieve one political aim or another. Heywood, (2007) further conceptualizes it as the use of terror for furthering of political ends; it seeks to create a climate of fear, apprehension and uncertainty. Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts intended to create fear, perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of others. 2

3 According to the United Nations General Assembly, (UNGA, 1994).Terrorism is a criminal act intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public for political purposes. The United Nations Security Council Resolution (2004) condemned terrorist acts as: criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing an act, which constitute offences within the scope of and as defined in the international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, are under no circumstance justifiable by considerations of a political philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar nature. An act is terrorist if it is committed by an individual or group of individuals privately to achieve political goals through fear- provoking violence (Daniel, 2007). Tamar (2008) defines terrorism as the intentional random murder of defenseless non-combatants, with the intent of instilling fear of mortal danger amidst a civilian population as a strategy designed to advance political ends. Terrorism involves a non-state actor or actors as either perpetrator, the victim of the violence, or both. The acts of violence are designed to create power in a situation in which power previously had been lacking (James & Brenda, 2008). After surveying the various definitions of terrorism, it is pertinent to state that formal definitions of terrorism have some common characteristic: a fundamental motive to make political/societal changes; the use of violent or illegal force; attacks on people and the goal of affecting society. These characteristics are summarized into three components of terrorism: Acts or threats of violence; The communication of fear to an audience beyond the immediate victim, and; 3

4 Political, economic or religious aims by the perpetrators. Human Resource Training Training may be defined as an organized, co-ordinate development of knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by an individual to master a given situation or perform a certain task within an organizational setting. Craig (1967) defines training as the development process made possible through the device of words and signs. Human resource training is a function of human resource management concerned with organizational activity aimed at bettering the performance of individuals and groups. Human resource training encompasses three main activities: training, education and development. Human resource training according to Akpan (1982) is the process whereby an employee is enabled to grow in the job, through acquisition of wide experience, breadth and increasing confidence resulting from the exercise of varied and tested responsibilities. Training is teaching or developing oneself or others, any skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Training comes in different forms such as: physical training; job training and development, moral/religion training. In order to change behavior in the direction of greater contribution to the attainment of organizational goals, the individual must perceive the new, expected behavior serving to fulfill needs. Peters (2006) suggests that there are four stages of human resource training: functional competence; societal changes in politics, social values and global issues; ability to influence people; and reflective skills. Human resource training involves a collection of resources (knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and intelligence, wisdom possessed individually and collectively by individuals in a population. These resources are the total capacity of the people that represents a form of wealth which can be directed to accomplish goals of the nation or state. Global Terrorism The Webster s Encyclopedic Dictionary sees the adjective Global as pertaining to or involving the world in its entirety. It follows therefore that global terrorism is a state of being unsafe, prone to injury, loss or failure, uncertainty and instability by the world in entirety. Global terrorism is defined as acts of crime or violence intended to further political or religious ideologies. The terrorism can consist of threats, violence or intimidation to coerce a government, 4

5 group or society. Global terrorism comes in many forms including suicide bombings and attacks on foreign lands. One major example is the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City. When terrorism takes place, it affects not just the country in which the violence or threats are taking place, but it involves many countries. Within a single year the world has experienced a 61% increase in terrorist attacks, according to the 2014 edition of the Global Terrorism Index from the Institute for Economic and Peace. The index covers 99.6% of the world s population and ranks 162 countries based on the impact of terrorist activities along with analysis of economic and social factors. The IEP defines terrorism as the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation. Approximately 17,958 people were killed in terrorist attacks in 2013, and of those deaths 82% occurred in just 5 (five) nations: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Syria. The four terrorist groups responsible for the most destructive acts are Taliban, Boko Haram, ISIS, and A1- Qaeda. Based on (IEP, 2014 Report) the following are the three main factors associated with terrorism: Greater social hostilities between different ethnic religious and linguistic groups, lack of intergroup cohesion and high levels of group grievances. Presence of state sponsored violence such as extrajudicial killings, political terror and gross human right abuses. Higher levels of other forms of violence including deaths from organized conflict, likelihood of violent demonstrations and perceptions of criminality. Table 1: Types of Terrorist Organizations Type Example Rebel/Militia Groups The Lord s Resistance Army (LRA); The M23 in Congo DR. Political Movements Taliban (Afghanistan); Hamas (Palestine). Islamist Insurgents Boko Haram (Nigeria), A1 Qaeda, A1 Shabaab (Somalia). Clandestine Organizations Violent Cults and Underworld Organizations. 5

6 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) is the first index to systematically rank and compare 162 countries according to the impact of terrorism. The GTI used four indicators to measure the impact of terrorism: the number of terrorist incidents, the number of deaths, the number of casualties and the level of property damage. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace (2014). The report said that in 2013, 6,362 people died in Iraq the most terrorist-plagued country in the world, arising from 2,492 terrorism incidents, while Afghanistan has 3,111 deaths, out of incidents. Pakistan, third on the terrorism index had 2,345 fatalities from 1,933 incidents. The compilers of the report generally noted an upward trend in militant attacks globally, with two dozen countries accounting for more than 50 deaths in The causes of global terrorism are complex but the four groups responsible for most of the deaths all have their roots in fundamental Islam. They are particularly angry about the spread of Western education. Terrorism has a negative impact on global security, which affects every nation because they are all connected. According to Udenta (2005), no continent is spared of the scourge of terrorist. Terrorism has been in practice throughout the world, it is affecting global security in the 21 st century because it is becoming more rampant. Global terrorism continues to pose difficult challenges to state and human security. Apart from the fear of insecurity terrorism brings about, it also reflects in economic decline, unemployment, debt burden; it brings about poverty and a general sense of frustration among the victims. Today, terrorism poses a great threat not just to human life, human rights, dignity and democratic values but to the existence of a civilized life. If the present trend continues, human civilization itself will be a casualty (Shukla, 2011). Terrorism breaks down the social, economic, political and legal structures of the affected countries and the entire process of development stops. Global Terrorism: The Nigerian Experience The world wide manifestation of terrorism has been evident in Africa, but also in Nigeria. With particular reference to Nigeria, the phenomenon has found expression in the emergence of Boko Haram insurgency (2001-date). Since its advent, the terrorist group has wrecked immense 6

7 havoc in the country, especially by using explosives and firearms with gruesome, fatal consequences (Awake June, 2006:6). Boko Haram (inappropriately interpreted by transliteration as Western Education is sinful) insurgency has been referred as the violent assertion of a fringe sectarian identity based on the dogma of a sub-group of a larger national confessional group. (Nchi, 2013:200). In this regard, the larger national group refers to the wider Islamic Community of Nigeria. The emergence of terrorism in Nigeria marked a threshold in the dramatic reign of public insecurity which has generated widespread anxiety in the country. In 2002, Nigeria came face to face with a new security challenge arising from the activities of Boko Haram Sect (otherwise known as the Yusufiyya movement). This genre of violence was fuelled by a radical Islamic cleric, Mohammed Yusuf (Ngare, 2012). The sect originated precisely in Borno and Yobe States of Nigeria, but its activities are pronounced across the entire North Eastern Nigeria except Jigawa State. There are several attributes that identify the Boko Haram sect and distinguishes it from the rest of its contemporaries. First, the group holds no territory neither does it provide social services to the local population to win support unlike the Taliban of Afghanistan and al-shabaab in Somalia. It remains largely faceless and mysterious to many Nigerians. Forest (2012) contends that Boko Haram is largely a product of widespread social, economic and religious insecurity whose repercussions resonate among certain communities in the North. Poverty and ignorance are the major causes of insurgency. In addition to the afore-mentioned are other factors, such as youth unemployment, social inequality, social and economic exclusion. All these factors combine to explain the rise and prevalence of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. In 2011, Boko Haram initiated a campaign of suicide bombing, a phenomenon witnessed for the first time in Nigeria s history. The escalation of the insurgency in between 2012 and 2013 led to the declaration of state of emergency on three North Eastern States of Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa. In spite of this development, the activities of Boko Haram have tended to have continued unabated. Table 2 The 2014 Global Terrorism Index Rank Rank Country Score 1 Iraq 10 7

8 2 Afghanistan Pakistan Nigeria Syria India Somalia Yemen Philippines Thailand 7.19 Source IEP (2014) The GTI uses four critical indicators to scale the impact of terrorism. These indicators are as follow: 1. The number of terrorist incidents; 2. The number of deaths; 3. The number of casualties; and 4. The level of property damage (GTI, 2013) The aforementioned indicators are used to create a weighted five year average for each country, taking into cognizance the lasting effects of terrorism. The score given to each country in essence indicates the impact of terrorist attack on a society in terms of the fear and subsequent security response. Table 3: Nigeria s Terrorism Records ( ) Fact Figure(s) World s position 7 th of 158 Number of incidents 168 Numbers of deaths 437 Number of iryuries 614 Number of property damaged 33 Source: Adapted from Osundefender in Okoli and Lortyer (2014). 8

9 Nigeria s terrorism profile has since degenerated in view of the rising incidence of attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents in many parts of Northern Nigeria. Figures pertaining to causalities/fatalities of terrorism in the country have more than doubled. According to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) Nigeria currently ranks the fourth most terrorized country in the world (IEP, 2014). This ranking makes Nigeria the most terrorism stricken country in African alongside Somalia. In terms of observed incidence and prevalence the north east geo-political zone of Nigeria has been worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency. Table 4: Nature of Terrorist Incidence among Selected Nigerian States. S/N State Nature of Terrorist Incident 1 Borno Pervasive 2 Yobe Pervasive 3 Kano Appreciably prevalent 4 Adamawa Appreciably prevalent 5 Bauchi Sporadic 6 Kaduna Sporadic 7 Plateau Sporadic 8 Gombe Sporadic 9 Niger Sporadic 10 Taraba Scarcely occurring 11 Kogi Scarcely occurring 12 Nasarawa Scarcely occurring 13 FCT Abuja Sporadic Source: Adapted from Okoli and Lortyer (2014) The current wave of terrorism in Nigeria has endangered the lives of women and children and has crippled the socio-economic and political activities of the nation. To say that terrorism threatens Nigeria s national security is to state the obvious. This observation is a truism considering the destructive and destabilizing impacts of terrorism in Nigeria over the recent years. The activities of the Boko Haram Sect have created an atmosphere of siege and desolation 9

10 in most parts of Northern Nigeria. The situation has become an impediment to trade, investment, peaceful co-existence and stability, as well as sustainable likelihood and development. Relevance of Human Resource Training in Curbing Global Terrorism. Issues bordering on national security are very critical for the progress of any nation. Hutchful (2002) opines that pivotal to the survival of any society is its law and order. Addressing issues of insecurity is crucial in order to execute successful development projects. As a goal, it is believed that every country should aspire to reach a point of security by protecting its citizens from structural violence, crime and social insecurity. Indeed, without the safety of citizens, all plans for development, whether economic, political or social will fail. In rich as well as poor countries, terrorism exerts a heavy toll on national economies. It is inevitable that the economic impact of terrorism would be more felt in unsophisticated monocultured low-income economies than they would be felt in highly advanced diversified industrial economies. Unemployment causes frustration, dejection, desperation and dependency on family members and friends who also have their own problems to contend with, (Adebayo, 2013). Poverty alleviation programme is a veritable tool that will impact positively on the lives of the people. The physical, social and psychological quality of life of a society and its members both in domestic setting and within the larger regional and global system will give the citizens a deeper sense of patriotism. The reduction of youth unemployment will translate into reduction in crime, and engender sustainable national development. The reformation of the Alimajiri system in the North to make the children in the system useful to themselves and the society is a step in the right direction. Political moderation and trust in the established system to address society s problems rest upon a healthy and prosperous economy, economic distress increases the appeal of radicalism in the eyes of ordinary reasonable and moderate people. Accordingly, respect for fundamental freedom and the rule of law are essential tools in countering terrorism, and should not be viewed as privileges to be sacrificed in times of high pressure. The training of judicial and law enforcement branches throughout the world is viewed as a potentially significant development goal, further illustrating the notion that development and counterterrorism are intimately linked. Terrorism affects developing countries much more severely than developed ones, as developed countries have diverse economies and terrorism 10

11 results only in reallocation of resources to more secure sectors of economy, while in case of developing countries, where there is much concentration of resources in certain sectors, are more affected (Sandler and Enders, 2005). Human resource training encompasses training in all spheres of life through skill acquisition, job training, moral training (values, ethics of the society) to ensure a free and egalitarian society. A well conceived training and development programme can contribute to a lessening or reconciliation of conflict, Hilgert and Towle (1978:81). Investment in the human resources determines the type, quality availability and productivity of the nations man power; it involves the socio-economic development strategies (European Commission, 2007). The development of a nation relies on the development and capability of human (man power) of the nation which in turn entails peaceful harmonious and stable democracy. Education at all levels contributes to national security and economic growth through impacting general attitudes and discipline and specific skills necessary for a variety of work places. It contributes to national security and economic growth by improving health, productivity and possibly political stability (Musa, 2013). The vast difference in wealth, education, health and life prospects among and within countries can feed a general sense of social injustice and righteous anger on the part of those often youths who are restive to such issues. Eliminating poverty, unemployment and social injustice through creation of job opportunities, human resource training and development through formal and informal education will surely eliminate the causes of discontent, violence, radicalism and terrorism. Adequate human resource training improvement in education and the economic well being of a population may, all things being equal, lead to better governance over time and fewer opportunities for terrorist or criminal elements to operate in these countries. The relevance of human resource training in checking global terrorism is reflected in the Frustration Aggression Hypothesis which states that aggression is always a consequence of frustration and that frustrations always lead to some form of aggression, (Leeds 1978, Dollard 1939). When people in rapidly modernizing nations become urbanized and literacy improves, they become more aware of material improvement. Lack of employment opportunities has contributed to youth involvement in urban conflict and militancy that confront the world. The increased rate of sectarian violence, crime and terrorism are connected with unemployment, 11

12 (Rotimi 2011). Where the youths cannot get clean jobs, they make themselves available for odd jobs to stay alive which takes any imaginable criminal dimension. With the introduction of entrepreneurship training and development the youths are equipped with skills and knowledge which makes them productive. There would be drastic reduction in the level of crime and insecurity. Human resource training should not be limited to the cognitive and psychomotor domains of learning but should extend to the affective domain. The human resource development of a population in the affective domain will surely change the morals and values of the population to appreciate the benefit of global security and use dialogue to solve the problems of social injustice and marginalization. CONCLUSION Terrorism has contributed negatively to global security. This is because it involves acts dangerous to human life; breaks down the social, economic, political and legal structures of the affected countries and the entire process of development stops; idealized violence, does away with morality, distorts politics, promotes totalitarianism, subverts progress and destroys the apparatus of freedom in democratic societies. Human resource training is the most effective approach in solving the menace of global terrorism. Recommendations Based on the finding of this paper, the following recommendations were made. Inclusion of vocational and entrepreneurial training in school curricula Government should enforce strict ammunition control and consider a sharp reduction in the availability of weapons. Introduction of Geographic Information System Programmes in schools (both military and Para military) to educate the public and military on how to map out terrorist prone areas to check future terrorist attacks. United Nations should also see to the reduction of nuclear war-heads in the world. This to a very great extent will reduce the level of fear and trepidation in the world today; it will reinforce global security and make the world a better place to live. Unlike the anti-terrorism approach that is largely based on brutal and extrajudicial response to the insurgency, counter terrorism strategies such as effective network for 12

13 intelligence gathering and analysis; identifying and fore casting sources of inspiration, funding and recruitment to the Sect should be employed. REFERENCES Awake (2008). When terrorism will end. June Edition PP 1-6. Dollard, J. (1939). Frustration and Aggression. New Haven, Yale Press. European Commission (2007). Enterprise and Industry. Europe, Brussels. Global Terrorism Index (GTI, 2013). A Publication of Institute for Economics andpeace; James, L. & Brenda, L. (2008). Global Terrorism. P 9 London, Routledge. Leeds, C.A (1978). Political Studies McDonalds and Evans. Musa, S. (2013). Human Resource Development and Utilization: A Tool for National Economic Growth. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. Vol 4, No 8. Rome, MCSER Publishing. Nchi, S.I (2013). Religion and Politics in Nigeria: The Constitutional Issues. Jos, Greenworld Publishing. Oforle, E. (2012). Terrorism and Global Insecurity: A Reflective Analysis of Pakistan Crisis since PP Lagos, Blackwell. Okoli, A & Lortyer, P (2014). Terrorism and Humanitarian Crisis in Nigeria. Global Journal of Human Social Sciences. Vol 14 PP1-6 USA Global Journal. Rotimi, K. (2011). Political Violence and Social Insecurity. Retrieved from Salkida, A. (2012) Counting the Cost of Boko Haram Crisis Retrieved from cost of Bokoharam-crisis. (Accessed March 30, 2015). Tamar, M. (2008). The Trouble with Terror: The Apologetics of Terrorism: A Refutation. Retrievedfrom Weinberg, L. (2008). Global Terrorism: A Beginner s Guide P. 45 New York One world. Wikipedia (2013). Boko Harm. Retrieved from 13

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