Security, Arms and Power and lack of Accountability

Lack of accountability is when we fail to accept our own shortcomings and mistakes. This can take the form of an outright rejection of them, or it can be an unwillingness to change. Accountability means that when we make mistakes, we want to know it and to fix them. This requires a willingness and the capacity to learn from the mistakes. Believing we have the capacity to act is also a form of accountability. Accountability is essential to learning.

Security, Arms and Power and lack of Accountability

Security is fundamentally an area of intervener accountability. We need to protect staff and aid recipients from violence and from theft. Yet, paradoxically, many of the approaches interveners take to ensure security can actually lead to increases in both. This reality is linked to that discussed above—namely, that mistrust breeds mistrust and disrespect. When an agency lives behind barbed wire and armed guards, it signals communities that there are things of value “inside” the protected zone and that they “know” people will try to take them.

In addition, the responsibility for security is often handed over to others.

When organizations turn their security over to armed guards, they send messages about the power and authority of those with weapons. They reinforce the conflict mindset that those with weapons have power—and that they are allowed to use the power to take what they want or to use resources for themselves.

An organization in Iraq chose to not have armed guards outside. Instead, they hired an older man from the neighborhood to sit beside the door, out on the street. All day, he engaged with passersby, talking and drinking tea. This office of this organization was never threatened.

Previous Page Impunity and lack of Accountability
Next Page Organizations and lack of Accountability

Related Topics
Powerlessness and lack of Accountability
Rule of Law and Accountability
Organizations and Accountability
Using Accountability

70 Comments

  1. naturally like your web site but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very troublesome to tell the truth then again I will surely come back again.

  2. What¦s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It absolutely useful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to contribute & help different users like its aided me. Good job.

  3. Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely excellent. I really like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is really a terrific web site.

  4. Normally I don’t learn post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to take a look at and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thank you, quite nice article.

  5. After I initially commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any means you can remove me from that service? Thanks!

  6. Hi, Neat post. There is a problem with your website in web explorer, could check this… IE still is the marketplace chief and a huge element of folks will leave out your fantastic writing due to this problem.

  7. My brother suggested I would possibly like this website. He used to be totally right. This post actually made my day. You cann’t consider just how so much time I had spent for this info! Thank you!

  8. What i don’t realize is in reality how you’re not actually much more neatly-preferred than you might be now. You’re very intelligent. You know therefore significantly in terms of this topic, made me individually believe it from so many numerous angles. Its like men and women aren’t interested except it’s one thing to do with Girl gaga! Your own stuffs outstanding. All the time deal with it up!

  9. Hello, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me crazy so any support is very much appreciated.

  10. I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?

  11. I am not sure where you’re getting your information, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this info for my mission.

  12. naturally like your web-site but you have to test the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very bothersome to inform the reality however I’ll surely come back again.

  13. I do trust all of the ideas you’ve offered to your post. They’re very convincing and can definitely work. Still, the posts are very brief for newbies. Could you please prolong them a little from next time? Thank you for the post.

  14. I believe this internet site contains some very superb information for everyone :D. “We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.” by Francois de La Rochefoucauld.

  15. I cling on to listening to the newscast lecture about getting free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i acquire some?

  16. It?¦s really a cool and useful piece of information. I?¦m satisfied that you just shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

  17. obviously like your web-site however you have to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very bothersome to inform the truth then again I will surely come again again.

  18. After study a few of the blog posts on your website now, and I truly like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Pls check out my web site as well and let me know what you think.

  19. Hey very cool blog!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds also…I’m satisfied to seek out so many useful info right here in the publish, we need work out more techniques on this regard, thanks for sharing.

  20. We are a bunch of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with helpful info to work on. You have performed an impressive activity and our whole community will probably be thankful to you.

  21. Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your website is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched everywhere and just could not come across. What an ideal web site.

  22. Pretty component to content. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and in accession capital to claim that I get in fact enjoyed account your weblog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing on your feeds or even I achievement you get right of entry to persistently fast.

  23. Howdy very nice site!! Man .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds additionally?KI am satisfied to find a lot of useful information here in the post, we’d like develop more techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

  24. https://irancharter.ir/ran Charter ( ایران چارتر ) is Iran’s first online charter and flight ticket purchase system Charter,as the first comprehensive online ticket service provider of charter airline tickets,seeks to provide easy and convenient services to customers for easy purchase of airline tickets,so we believe that the first principle of e-commerce is the ease of operation, with a contract As a ticket supplier,We have made it easy for you with charter companies and different airlines.

  25. I used to be more than happy to find this internet-site.I needed to thanks to your time for this excellent read!! I positively having fun with every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you weblog post.

  26. I enjoy you because of all of your hard work on this blog. Kate take interest in conducting investigation and it’s easy to see why. All of us hear all of the lively method you offer valuable secrets via your web site and even strongly encourage contribution from some others on the matter plus our child is certainly being taught a lot of things. Have fun with the remaining portion of the new year. You’re the one performing a brilliant job.

  27. I just like the helpful information you supply in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and test once more right here frequently. I am relatively sure I’ll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the following!

  28. I’ll right away grab your rss as I can’t find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.

Leave a Reply

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>