CHAIRMAN's MESSAGE

The West Asia - North Africa (WANA) Forum was initiated in response to the fact that

nature abhors a vacuum. In our region, this vacuum represents the gradual loss of the

noble art of conversation and the increased marginalisation of human beings who are

the most important asset to stability and the most dangerous contributors to instability

and violence.

It is easy to say that we live in a globalised world, in a cosmopolitan world, whatever it

means, and it means different things to different people; but do we live in a convivial

world?

The WANA Forum provides a platform for working together as citizens of the world,

as members of the human community. We all benefit from collective regional action to

resolve conflicts, to promote good governance, to raise living standards, to protect the

environment - to face challenges that no nation can tackle alone. Together, we can

confront the many problems that impact people's lives across territorial boundaries,

involving matters of shared concern.

Assuming custodianship and stewardship of our fragile world is ultimately the

"The West Asia - North

responsibility of every one of us, for our own wellbeing is dependent on the wellbeing

Africa (WANA) Forum

of others. It is our burden - and equally our privilege - to seize the opportunities of this

global era for the benefit of all in WANA and for people around the world.

was initiated in response to

the fact that nature abhors a

I am grateful to The Nippon Foundation for generously supporting this initiative. I also

thank the Members of the WANA Forum for their participation at the April 2009

vacuum. In our region, this

Forum and for their commitment to the process. I recognise their individual and

vacuum represents the

collective contributions and hope they will continue to demonstrate their enthusiasm in

gradual loss of the noble art

the next months and years to mobilise for change.

of conversation and the

The region is not short of conferences. The real work is in between the annual forums,

increased marginalisation of

moving beyond rhetoric that focuses on what is wrong in the world to produce

human beings who are the

concrete results aimed at realising opportunities that will make a genuine difference in

most important asset

people's lives. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to meet today's challenges

to stability and the most

and secure a better future.

dangerous contributors to

instability and violence."

El Hassan bin Talal