An Analysis of the Effectiveness Security Sector Reform Based On the Programs Implemented in Palestine and Colombia

“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.” (Mandela) In 2012, there were 51 countries reported to be in an Authoritarian Regime. That is equal to roughly 37% of the world’s population. This number has remained rather steady for nearly two decades, which is precisely why the Security Sector Reform (SSR) was developed. The SSR is a concept that first made its appearance in the 1990’s, and though there is no globally accepted definition, it generally refers to the process to rebuild or reform a state’s security sector. The security sector is merely the portion of the government dedicated to the survival of the state through the use of economic power, diplomacy and political power. So essentially, the SSR is just an attempt to develop sustainable peace in countries that are within transition from either a post-war or post-authoritarian society. So this begs an interesting question. How does the Security Sector Reform really contribute to sustainable peace? Is there any evidence that it actually works at all? Based on the programs active in both Colombia and the Palestinian territories, it is evident that the Security Sector Reform has had a very distinct effect on the idea of sustainable peace. There have been many attempts at reforming the security sector within societies in transition, the only way to ensure that the reform will adhere is by reducing the poverty within the society as much as possible. One of the main reasons the security sector reforms constantly fail is because the poverty and the poor state of human writes within the transitioning area is so vast that it leads to a series of events that almost always obliterates any possibility for permanent reform. Michael Brzoska, writer for the DCAF stated that “Growth is the most powerful weapon in the fight for more