NationStates Jolt Archive


definition of terrorism working group

Hirota
15-09-2005, 14:39
Fellow representatives,

It would appear that in recent times the biggest problem for the success and failure of international security proposals has been defining what a terrorist or what the act of terrorism actually is.

I drafted an terrorism proposal which attempted to define terrorism, but it failed to achieve a broad consensus. Considering other nations have also failed to resolve this issue, I propose that interested nations seek to contribute to this thread and form a working group to seek to define terrorism for future use. Once a definition is used, I would submit the definition in my international co-operation against terrorism proposal.

Hirota has worked on this issue for sometime, and has reviewed many debates on the matter. Looking at real life examples, we note even the RL UN has failed to reach agreement on a definition (link here (http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_definitions.html)), although we note an excellent definition from A. Schmid which should be considered for adoption by the NS UN and would work as a suitable starting point for a definition.

Hirota will below place a copy of aforementioned definition and also our own effort. Moreover My government will make available all the reading resources we have applied to our effort towards defining this act.

"Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat- and violence-based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperilled) victims, and main targets are used to manipulate the main target (audience(s)), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether intimidation, coercion, or propaganda is primarily sought" (Schmid, 1988).

“Defining Terrorism as the use of violence or threatened use of violence for the purpose of achieving a political, religious, or ideological goals of groups of induviduals by coerceing or intimidating governments or societies by targetting primarily civilian targets during offensive operations. It may or may not be directed against a particular government, and it may or may not be state-sponsored.” Hirota, July 2005


Sources: United nations office on drugs and crime : http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_definitions.html

www.terrorismfiles.org

wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism

RL UN draft convention: http://www.un.org/ga/57/sixth/index.html and in particular http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N02/673/64/PDF/N0267364.pdf?OpenElement

Google also has a lot of additional links, many of which provide similar information repeated endlessly

International prevention and cooperation against terrorism draft: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=432143
Texan Hotrodders
15-09-2005, 14:49
I would suggest that you contact the representatives of Roathin and Ausserland regarding this issue. Their abilities could be invaluable to you in your search for an accurate and appropriate definition of terrorism.

Minister of UN Affairs
Edward Jones
Ausserland
15-09-2005, 15:02
The Principality of Ausserland states its unqualified support for this effort. The definition of terrorism is a difficult issue and deserves careful thought and input from a variety of perspectives. The honorable delegate from Hirota is to be commended for taking this step.

Our Minister for Justice and Minister for Security and Intelligence have been directed to join in this effort and provide all the support they can.

We look forward to interesting and fruitful discussions.

By command of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Ausserland:

Patrick T. Olembe
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ecopoeia
16-09-2005, 12:42
OOC: "message generators"? Dear me, Mr Schmid. Dear me.

Ahem. Good work, Hirota.
Hirota
26-09-2005, 22:20
<Sigh> My apologies for not following this topic up any earlier. My nation was recently in the middle of a most unseemly patch of civil disorder and it was felt I was best placed to serve my government in Capitol.

(RL explaination: My companies website filter is banning me from here - time will tell if that will continue to be the case now I have moved office)