From Politics to Policy: Building Regional Resilience in West Asia and North Africa

From Politics to Policy: Building Resilience in West Asia and North Africa is an anthology of research conducted by the WANA Institute between 2015 and 2016 in the areas of human security, social justice, and sustainability. The chapters point to increased inter-sectorial collaboration being the key to crafting solutions for the developmental challenges facing the WANA region. Moreover, that by building resilience, empowering women, and promoting social justice, pathways towards prosperity and stability will be forged.While the notion of resilience is complex, it is a sine qua non for a new humanitarian order that places human dignity and security ahead of economic growth and political power. Such a strategy demands a change in the mindsets of policymakers, who must embrace challenges as naturally occurring phenomena, to be reacted to and learned from, as opposed to resisted. There is no doubt that the region possesses both the natural and human resources necessary to promote modern, pluralistic societies where there is no place for violent extremism, marginalisation or exclusion. Building resilience does not mean that every possible scenario must be planned out. Instead, it involves learning how to cope with surprises in a constructive way. This book argues that in times of chaos, it is human security, above all else, that will promote stability.