What is security in today’s interconnected world?
The New Strategic Security Initiative educates and informs Americans and their elected leaders about the security challenges we face in an era of global change. Why is this necessary? Because we are now in the second decade of a new century–yet our nation continues to pursue a security strategy conceived for a bygone era.
We believe that in order to keep Americans safe and prosperous, and with our civil liberties intact, we must update and modernize our security policies and our presence in the world. Global threats like climate change, deadly extremist violence and disease have no simple solution and do not respect political boundaries. Today, credible influence is a measurement of strength, much like military dominance was a generation ago. We must move from the last century’s security strategy of threat containment to a modern strategy of long term thinking and relationship building.
The New Strategic Security Initiative is based on the premise that, in today’s world:
- Our security must address the safety of people across and within our own borders
- We cannot achieve security alone
- We need a new combination of policies and resources to be secure
This premise requires that we view security as a larger concept than war fighting or hardware dominance. Today’s threats require better software, i.e. more skilled individuals trained for modern day needs. New security challenges require flexibility, advance preparation and policies that build resilience. And nearly all today’s concerns will benefit from improved coordination, communication and innovation. While the military and our civilian government agencies will always be vital contributors, we believe that reaching this modern vision of security requires teamwork, both domestically and internationally, and must include non-traditional players like the private sector, non governmental organizations, and individuals in other parts of the world.
The New Strategic Security Initiative is non partisan and not for profit. It aims to improve the institutional practices of oversight in the US Congress as well as to provide accessible information about global issues for the American public.