Building a Foundation for Human Security for All
By MPAC Policy Bureau

Image via USA Today

Earlier this week, the White House announced that President Biden will be hosting a conference specifically addressing hunger, nutrition and health.

While it might sound like another government convening that becomes an annual ritual, it is not. It is the first of its kind in 50 years.

At the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Policy Bureau, fighting for and ensuring human security for all is at the root of much of our work. This work became most critical during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which we assessed the state of our nation through such a lens.

Whereas traditional national security involves the maintenance of a strong military, vigilant law enforcement, and secure borders,  human security is an equity-based,  people-centric approach  to protecting Americans from fear and want of basic rights and needs, including access to medical care and proper nutrition.

Any community within our nation that lacks the infrastructure to ensure these resources cannot facilitate success for its people. And without such basic needs being met, there cannot be a semblance of true human security — physical, mental, or otherwise.

Micro-targeting this issue as a nation is a much-needed step forward in creating long lasting solutions to reverse the gaps that have existed in these sectors. Hopefully, this will set the foundation for positive tangible change in the reality so many of our countries’ communities have experienced for far too long. – MPAC