Natural security is a three-pronged concept, which requires everything and everyone from the governing bodies and companies or corporations, right down to the individual level, to protect, preserve, and prioritise the safety, well-being, and the ability to thrive for humans, animals, and the environment. Every decision must be made to protect and advance the highest good in the lives, livelihood, and safety of these three pillars.

This concept is what I propose should replace national security. Our current international system is utterly broken. Conflict and violence rage around the world, and are increasingly becoming the first response countries use in response to issues. Human rights abuses abound and grow worse. Respect for nature is dwindling and the world is being ravaged in the name of profit.

It is disgusting.

I cannot believe that this is what it has come to. This cannot be the best that we can do. This is not what I want my world, my home, to look, feel, act or be like.

The belief that this is the best there is, that everyone is doing their best is garbage. Politicians, governments, corporations, and institutions around the world can do better and they don’t, for profit, greed, lust, pride, power or whatever else it is that motivates them. I refuse to accept this any longer.

National security refers to the ‘security’ of the ‘nation-state’. However, as it has been proven time and time again, these are such problematic concepts that using them has only brought us new problems.

This outdated concept serves only to divide us, increase ‘security concerns’, and it creates an environment of tension and instability wherein violent conflict may easily bubble over. The security of the nation should lie with protecting the people, but as we see daily, it used less for protecting people and more for furthering the interests of the powers of the state—be they politicians, religious leaders, corporations, or the elites.

Instead, we must focus on providing the ‘highest good’ for people, animals, and nature. What is the point of protecting economic systems or government structures or institutions? They are not alive, and they have no true value beyond the power humans give to them. We are the most important part of the social, economic, and political system. As such, we have a duty to protect all people as members of humankind, all animals as living beings that cannot fight for themselves, and the earthly environment which houses us.

This must change our values on an individual and social scale, it must change our laws and the ways we govern, it must change our practises and beliefs, and then it will change our world. We must reject practises that harm our world and fight for the highest good of all. By constantly striving for improvement, we will see profound and resounding change for all people, animals and the earth.

Natural security is the next step in humanity’s progress. We cannot be governed by the dog-eat-dog ways of the past. We must move forward, and choose to do better every single day. We must prioritise our fellow humans, value the animals as living beings on this world, and protect the earth on which we live. This is our duty, this is our future.