The WANA region is home to a plethora of sects, dialects and ethnicities. If Islam is the common attribute for the region, then what about Christian Arabs or Arab Jews? Similarly, if ethnicity is the common attribute then what about the Kurds in Iraq and the Armenian in Jordan? Although such cultural divisions might seem insignificant, their implications can be drastic. In fact, lack of commonality can escalate to political instability and social inequalities. Therefore, understanding the region’s sense of identity is fundamental for generating cohesive and inclusive development policies in the region.

The 4th WANA Forum intended to question the fractured identity of the region, its causality and its impact. Sessions inlcuded identity and religion, identity and the environment, identity and social cohesion.