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Navigating Change: Strategies for Addressing Intractable Issues in MENA

The AMEPPA Third Conference in Beirut (December 2014) focused on transitioning from understanding the 'why' of challenges faced by MENA nations to actionable solutions for the 'how'. Key areas included youth unemployment, gender inequality, inadequate governance, and rampant corruption. The session emphasized the role of citizen participation, the need for innovative management methods, and the importance of institutional development. With a spotlight on education and health, the conference aimed to foster sustainable solutions that empower MENA's youth and underrepresented populations.

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Navigating Change: Strategies for Addressing Intractable Issues in MENA

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  1. Panel: Less Why and More How for MENA Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA) Third Conference, Beirut, December 2014

  2. AMEPPA’s agenda: search for recovery • Focus exclusively on the WHY is not enough. • The last 12 slides of this presentation give examples of WHYs. • Attention must move to HOW to improve conditions. • This session is designed to chart AMEPPA’s future effort to put forward solutions to pressing problems.

  3. Nations’ intractable (complex) problems • Nations do not respond well to command-and-control. • They need different management methods. • No ‘magic bullet’ solutions for instant success. • Religious and military leaders find it difficult to tolerate the above conditions.

  4. Management of intractable situations

  5. Top nations handle intractability well • ‘Citizens as Partners’, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2001,http://www.oecd.org/gov/public-innovation/2536857.pdf • ‘Wicked Problems’, Australian Government Public Service Commission, 2007. http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/archive/publications-archive/tackling-wicked-problems • ‘Working in Systems’, UK Department of Health, Modernisation Agency, 2005. • ‘A Voice for All’, CanadianInstitute of Governance, 1990, www.iog.ca.

  6. MENA’s principal deficits • Parts of MENA suffer from all or some of the following deficits: • Lack of human development • “People are the real wealth of a nation.” UNDP • Lack of economic development: • Modest investment coupled with corruption; a crippling mix. • Lack of institutional development: • Essential institutions are in a primitive stage of development.

  7. MENA’s main intractable issues • The following issues require remedial action but HOW? • High proportion of young people and high youth unemployment. • Under-represented and under-valued women. • Inadequate governance. • Underperforming systems of education and health. • Chronic brain drain. • Rampant corruption. • Other issues emerging from discussion? • Several Arab Human Development Reports provide an excellent source for these and other problems.

  8. Issue: youth bulge and unemployment • Y Generation: (born between late 1970s and 1990s.) • About one third of 400 million Arabs. • They are literate, informed, networked, eager for change,… • AND UNEMPLOYED: 23% overall and 31% for women. (See ‘New Arabs’: Juan Cole, published 2014) • What can be done?

  9. Issue: limited women’s rights • Gender inequality is directly linked to human development. • Women’s position is deteriorating rather than improving. • Half the social and economic capital of a nation. • How could we address this critical issue?

  10. Issue: inadequate governance • Weak or disintegrating states with little inter-state cooperation. • Few rules that apply equally to all citizens. • Inadequate forces of law and order. • Governance:“…objectives are realized, resources are well managed and decision makers are transparent and accountable.”(Institute on Governance, Canada.}

  11. Governance in national life • In intractable situations good governance is critical. • Too many rigid rules (as in a dictatorship) lead to unproductive order. • Too few rules (as in civil war) lead to total chaos. • Neither is desirable. Both evident in Middle East. • How could we improve governance?

  12. Issue: institutional development • Disrupted and disorganised systems of education and health. • The state of a nation depends totally on how well its citizens can take part in all its affairs. • Unhealthy and under educated citizens cannot do so properly. • What can be done to address education and health?

  13. Issue: brain drain • A chronic brain drain has reduced the region’s social capital. • Wars, insecurity, and authoritarian regimes have been the cause. • Made worse by persecution of ethnic and religious minorities and a widespread practice of nepotism in appointments. • How could we use the diaspora of Middle Eastern talent?

  14. Issue: rampant corruption • The UN Convention Against Corruption (CAC, 2005) has been ratified by most states. • Prevent and criminalise corruption, promote inter-state cooperation and to recover stolen assets. • No evidence of serious attempt by states to do that. • The most unstable countries in MENA (Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria) are also the most corrupt according to Transparency International. • How can we tackle corruption?

  15. Useful pointers for HOW • Nations determine their own fortunes. • No external force or agency could do that for them. • External powers promote their interests. • Citizens must be able to and are allowed to take part in the nation’s affairs. • Back to governance, education, health, rights, equality, etc. We know now what to focus on.

  16. The future is clear • Young people (males and females) learning, and working under peaceful and equitable conditions that apply to all.

  17. A start has been made: Arab Spring • “…dynasties and family cartels as the leadership of the Arab republics has been rejected.”

  18. A start has been made: Arab Spring • “The age of presidents-for-life and complete lack of political accountability is coming to a close.”

  19. Examples of WHYs: • The next few slides are included simply to illustrate the point that there has been undue emphasis on WHY and not much on HOW. • These slides will not form part of the discussion but are provided for reference purposes. • Examples included represent a very small proportion of what has been written and said about various parts of MENA and their problems. • It is to be emphasised that several Arab Human Development Reports published by UNDP presented authoritative evidence on the WHYs.

  20. Examples of WHYs: about ISIS (IS) • Is the West financing Islamic extremists ?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEuJ5v3AbJg#t=211 • ISIS was created/ funded by USAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEuJ5v3AbJg#t=211 • “The foster parents of Isis… are Saudi Arabia, the Gulf monarchies and Turkey.”http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n16/patrick-cockburn/isis-consolidateshttp://www.counterpunch.org/2014/08/21/why-washingtons-war-on-terror-failed/ • ISIS is an Iranian plot. http://www.elaph.com/Web/opinion/2014/8/930775.html

  21. More WHYs: ISIS reflects our culture • هل تختلف شريعة الدواعش عن الشريعة الاسلامية؟(Are beliefs of ISIS different from beliefs of Islam?) http://www.ahewar.org/debat/show.art.asp?aid=426288 • ISIS is the rational outcome of our thinking, beliefs, and education.http://www.alqabas.com.kw/node/885877 • Egyptian religious leaders giving Obama a choice between Islam or death !https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igh5tHaxJtA&feature=youtu.be

  22. More WHYs: the blame game • The blame game:http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-paying-for-bushs-2003-invasion-of-iraq/2014/08/11/2eee77ac-218a-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html • You want to be depressed about Iraq?:http://www.gicj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=372&Itemid=41 • Destruction of culture and heritage ?http://www.apsa2011.com/index.php/en/ • Creative chaos, the New Middle East, and other ‘fictions about democracy’.http://www.alriyadh.com/960276

  23. More WHYs: past revolutions were plots • The July 1952 revolution in Egypt and other uprisings: lessons yet to be learnt .http://www.ahram.org.eg/News/31273/4/312531/قضايا-واراء/نحن-لا-نعبر-النهر-مرتين.aspx • Iraqi revolution of 1958 was organised by USA/ UK with Jordan http://www.sayyaraljamil.com/Arabic/viewarticle.php?id=index-20140713-2141 • The CIA brought the Ba’ath Party to power http://www.alhakikanews.com/index.php/permalink/15415.html

  24. More WHYs: plight of Arabs • Suffering of Palestinians :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDYiBls99w • Bloodshed and repression in Egypt http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/13/egypt-violent-tyranny-bloodshed-west-complicit • Interview with Hanan Ashrawihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqzCWJEqjjI

  25. More WHYs: plight of Christians • Persecution of Christians in Middle East?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-28602328http://www.hrw.org/ar/news/2014/07/19http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2014/0618/As-ISIS-advances-what-future-for-Iraqi-Christianshttp://www.spiegel.de/international/world/christian-iraqis-live-in-state-of-fear-of-isis-terrorists-a-976971.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/iraq-christians-seek-refuge-with-kurds-2014624867119947.html • Useful brain drain: deprive MENA and enrich the West: Arabichttp://www.al-akhbar.com/node/213756 • Article by Prince Charles. Arabic • http://classic.aawsat.com/leader.asp?section=3&article=773365&issueno=12963#.U_3fCUtX9g0

  26. More WHYs: women • Lack of human rights: abuse of women in Iraqi jails :http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/iraq0214webwcover.pdf • Egypt 'worst for women' out of 22 countries in Arab worldhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24908109 • Numerous other examples.

  27. More WHYs: odd people and attitudes • We will convert the whole world to Islam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE7aKk6hgV4 • Jihadists in Geneva :https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=592015540883277&set=vb.100002245106989&type=2&theater • On the psychology and intellect of the new religious leaders .http://www.taqadoumiya.net/شيوخ-منافقون/رجال-دين-ام-حفنة-من-النصابين-والشلايتي/ • Chanting on Iraqi Airways flight: http://fb.me/6CKM7lqk4

  28. More WHYs: sectarianism and extremism • What Hassan Nasrallah (leader of Hezbollah) said about both sectarianism and extremism some eleven year ago: http://www.yafita.com/a/1150282/سماحة-امين-عام-حزب-الله-السيد-حسن-نصرالله-انظروا-ماذا-تنبأ-و-حذر-منه-قبل-11-سنة-هذا-ما-حصل-و-يحصل-اليوم-على-الرغم-من-ان-هذا-الخطاب-في-سنة-2003/

  29. More WHYs: conflicting interests • A guide to Middle East politics in 2014:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/-sp-middle-east-politics-2014-egypt-syria-palestine-iraq-gaza • An optimistic and comprehensive review of the Arab Spring (focus on Egypt, Libya and Tunisia): extensive role of young persons and social media. With extensive facts and statistics.The New Arabs, Juan Cole (2014), Simon and Schuster.

  30. More WHYs: it is all the fault of leaders • The rot starts at the top!http://nyti.ms/1oAeoN1 • Getting rid of Maliki is the end of the nightmare!http://www.aawsat.com/home/article/157531 • Iraq sinking fast: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/18/AR2007061800568.html?hpid=topnews

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