Risk Sensitivity and Terrorism

One enduring question about terrorism is why individuals choose to join terrorist groups. Past studies have shown that terrorists are not always poor, and they can in fact come from more privileged groups in society. Risk sensitivity and prospect theory are approaches that can help explain some of the anomalies. They suggest that two types of group are likely to supply members for terrorist organizations in disproportionate numbers. One group consists of those who face a loss of status or position due to ongoing changes in society. A second group consists of those who have an opportunity to gain a major advance in status or position. Both groups are thus more likely or more willing to take risks such as joining dissident terrorists – either to maintain their position or to improve it. An analysis of the situation of Palestinian nationalists, nationalists in Northern Ireland and the Tamils in Sri Lanka provides support for the idea that sensitivity to risk can be an important factor in explaining the willingness of individuals to join terrorist groups.     

A Proposal for a Framework Convention on Global Health

This article searches for solutions to the most perplexing problemsin global health—problems so important that they affectthe fate of millions of people, with economic, political, andsecurity ramifications for the world's population. No State,acting alone, can insulate itself from major health hazards.It is for this reason that safeguarding the world's populationrequires cooperation and global governance. What is truly needed,and what richer countries instinctively do for their own citizens,is to meet what I call ‘basic survival needs.’ Byfocusing on the major determinants of health, the internationalcommunity could dramatically improve prospects for good health.A vehicle such as a Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH)could powerfully improve global health governance. Such a FrameworkConvention would commit States to a set of targets, both economicand logistic, and dismantle barriers to constructive engagementby the private and charitable sectors. It would stimulate creativepublic/private partnerships and actively engage civil societystakeholders. A FCGH could set achievable goals for global healthspending; define areas of cost effective investment to meetbasic survival needs; build sustainable health systems; andcreate incentives for scientific innovation for affordable vaccinesand essential medicines.