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Our individual and social protection begins with education

Societies around the world seem helpless today to face a series of threats originating from anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic causes. Paradoxically, technological advances have rather dramatically increased the number and intensity of all these threats and their destructive consequences. Deadly fires, catastrophic floods, earthquakes, environmental degradation are framed by modern hybrid and asymmetric threats and create a sense of insecurity and weakness in societies.

Modern man feels more vulnerable every day, while ever-increasing state budgets fail to provide the desired security guarantee. Our almost -inevitable- total dependence on the operation of basic infrastructure and the growing influence of any unconfirmed and sometimes malicious information creates favorable conditions for the disruption of social life in the event of a natural disaster or deliberate action by third parties.

Under these circumstances and beyond accidental non- (directly) man-made disasters, it is observed that in the context of international competitions/conflicts, the targeting is transferred from the opponent's armed forces to the entire opposing society with the aim of collapsing the will to resist in order to achieve the desired results by avoiding or mitigating military confrontation.

Greece, in particular, is faced with a multitude of challenges, man-made and otherwise, due to its geographical location and the malicious intentions of neighboring Turkey.

There are no easy or magical solutions, while the cost of providing "security" - along with citizens' demands for guaranteed provision - is constantly rising. This ever-increasing cost of protection, which deprives resources of creative investments (a characteristic of mature or aging societies), according to Robert Gilpin, is one of the many causes of the decline of several great powers in the past.

To address all these risks that will present themselves with increasing tendency, long-term preparation, planning, acquisition of means, education, vigilance, at the state, regional (including Local Government Organizations) but also at the individual level is required. Perhaps targeting information, preparation of the citizen is the least costly and most effective provision we have.

It is imperative that our educational system, from the first level to the last (tertiary), include a comprehensive course on "civil protection and education" (the name is entirely indicative, as even this can be the subject of partisan disputes). This subject, depending on the age of the student, will include theoretical and practical subjects starting from simple protective actions and first aid in various situations, ending with more complex subjects (e.g. immediate precautionary actions against a dangerous toxic cloud). We have seen the excellent results of training Lilliputian students in building evacuation instructions in the event of earthquakes. It is time to expand these instructions and training to dozens of other dangerous situations that lurk in everyday life, analyzing the human actions that create the causes of all these disasters-accidents. Of course, traffic education is also part of this lesson, as the underestimated daily death toll and the resulting financial cost are unbearable.

As students get older, they will also be informed about the proper use of the internet and the avoidance of all those traps that are hidden on the web. Emphasis should be placed on the critical approach to every news-publication and the understanding of the effort of third parties to misinform and put a society in a state of panic and despair. The protection of personal data and all our classified communication-transaction data must become the property of children from an early age through simple and repeated instructions from experienced and specialized instructors. It goes without saying that the presentation of some of the objects will be undertaken exclusively by specialized professionals in the field and may also be carried out in special facilities.

I have simply mentioned some indicative cases. Dozens of other cases, mainly from the overlapping areas of health, public safety and civil protection, can be included in this long-term “educational package”. Unfortunately, I fear that in order to receive the due attention - especially at the beginning - the described subject should also be included in the general higher education syllabus (like the Greek language).

However, in addition to the necessary prevention and protection instructions in various situations, the ideas of social responsibility and solidarity should also be promoted. If there is no awareness and adoption of these ideas - especially from childhood - any effort will not have the desired success as it will have to be based on an inadequate (by nature and number of threats) state repressive mechanism. The establishment of a similar educational subject with an emphasis on prevention and practical precautionary measures is the least we must do, especially for the younger generations.

HIPPOKRATIS DASKALAKIS - Lieutenant General (retd.)

• PhD in International Relations at Panteion University
• Master's Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies at Panteion University
• Graduate of the Department of International and European Studies, Panteion University
• Director of Studies at the Hellenic Institute for Strategic Studies (ELISME)
• Lecturer at the National Defense Academy (NDA)
• Associate of the Institute of International Relations (IRIS) and the Institute of International Affairs (fainst.eu)
• Τηλ: 0030-210-6543131, 0030-6983457318
• Email: rafaelmarippo@yahoo.gr