WANA FORUM 2010
16 18 May 2010
Amman, Jordan
Pursuing Supranational Solutions to the Challenges of Carrying Capacity
LINKS TO
WHAT IS THE
WANA FORUM?
The West Asia North
Africa Forum is a non-
governmental, non-
partisan volunteer
driven civil society
"The West Asia - North Africa (WANA)
initiative consisting of
Forum was initiated in response to the fact
individuals from across
that nature abhors a vacuum. In our
West Asia and North
region, this vacuum represents the gradual
Africa and partners from
loss of the noble art of conversation and
the increased marginalisation of human
other parts of the world.
beings who are the most important asset to
The WANA Forum
stability and the most dangerous
involves regional
contributors to instability and violence."
stakeholders from
-HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal,
WANA Forum Chairman
diverse backgrounds
and disciplines in
Legal Empowerment of the Poor
Enhancing the WANA Region's
addressing social,
Seventy per cent of the world's
Carrying Capacity
environmental and
population is unable to improve their
The WANA region, which stretches from
livelihoods regardless of how hard they
economic challenges
Morocco to Pakistan, is home to some of
work due to multiple forms of
facing the people of
the earliest and most prosperous
exclusion. Poverty is not merely the lack
civilisations, but is also a region with a
WANA.
of material resources. It extends to lack of
marred history of conflicts and displaced
power and choice. Without addressing
peoples. In pursuing supranational
The facilitator and
policies and institutions that exclude the
solutions, people across the region are
guardian of the WANA
poor and marginalised, poverty will
beginning to address the limits of
Forum is His Royal
continue along with the increased
carrying capacity at the national level.
dependency on the physical environment
Highness Prince El
WANA Forum 2010 offers a multifaceted
which further reduces the natural
Hassan bin Talal who, as
framework for transcending national
resources base and impedes sustainable
carrying capacity through regional
Chairman, participates
development. A call to make legal
thinking in the context of WANA Forum
in his personal capacity,
empowerment a key pillar of the anti-
priorities: social cohesion, reconstruction
not representing a state,
poverty agenda in West Asia and North
and recovery, water security and
Africa, this session is organised in
political agenda or set
education for sustainable development.
collaboration with the Arab Thought
ideology.
Forum and the United Nations
Development Programme's Commission
Displacement and Post-Conflict
The WANA Forum is
on Legal Empowerment of the Poor
Reconstruction & Recovery
sponsored by The
(LEOP) and launches the Arabic Report of
Approximately 70 per cent of the world
Nippon Foundation in
the Legal Empowerment of the Poor,
refugee population is in Africa and the
Japan
Making the Law Work for Everyone.
Middle East. Growing populations,
declining access to resources (particularly
water), increased consumption and
Our Common Future: Water Security
THE WANA
demand on energy and repeated conflicts
Following its recent report on the 'Cost of
all add to the magnitude of stretching the
Conflict in the Middle East', the India-
REGION
limits of carrying capacity. In this plenary,
based think-tank Strategic Foresight
Why call the region
speakers provide an overview of where
Group (SFG) launched a study on water
WANA as opposed to
the region stands today and the areas for
security for preventing future conflicts
which regional cooperation is needed for
MENA? The term
through collaborative regional solutions
closing the human dignity deficit.
for peace and shared challenges.
"Middle East" was
Organised by the SFG, this session is part
WANA-led approaches to reconstruction
coined by the British
of an ongoing series of consultations, with
and recovery have the potential to create a
over a century ago and
the first international workshop taking
supranational mechanism for addressing
is largely a misnomer
place in Montreux earlier this year.
conflict and its aftermath. Conflict has cost
it is only east from the
the region around $12 trillion in missed
Social Cohesion in WANA
perspective of Europe,
economic growth and development over
The WANA region faces increasing social
the last two decades, according to the
describing a
fragmentation, which is exacerbated by
`Cost of Conflict in the Middle East' SFG
poverty, increased conflict and exceeding
geographical position in
2009 report. The negative social,
the environment's carrying capacity. How
relation to Europe
environmental and economic effects of
can the WANA region effectively deal
rather than its location
conflict could present an opportunity to
with the divisions that weaken its social
within Asia. Thus, HRH
reconstruct communities based on good
fabric in a multidimensional way? What
governance, green industry and
Prince El Hassan has
are the mechanisms for fostering cohesion
infrastructure, socially cohesive policies
and inclusion as opposed to division and
long adopted the more
and an understanding of carrying
exclusion? What is the role of the state,
accurate terminology of
capacity.
civil society and social networks?
West Asia and North
Speakers put forth some answers and
Environment and Green Economy
Africa, which is now
provide examples of networks,
As the WANA region confronts the
increasingly used
instruments and tools for enhancing social
challenges of climate change, it is more
cohesion.
worldwide.
apparent that the days of infinite growth
on a finite planet are over. Peaking oil
Mobilising the Third Sphere
WANA Forum
production, growing food insecurity,
El Hassan bin Talal has long called for the
water scarcity, jobless recoveries and a
participants come from
engagement of the third sphere of
myriad of social, environmental and
most of the countries in
partnership between governments, the
economic ills continue to further degrade
private sector and civil society in
West Asia and North
carrying capacity. Is WANA repeating the
becoming shareholders of their future.
Africa. The definition of
mistakes of the industrialised world,
What is the Third Sphere in the context of
WANA is less rooted in
leading to further economic difficulties
WANA? How can civil society be
and ecological hazards? What are the
political geography and
strengthened to enable them to be a real
prospects for a Pan Asian framework that
is based on an
force and partner in influencing policy
includes WANA? How does hima answer
and change? What is the role of the Third
understanding of
the challenges posed by carrying capacity?
Sphere in civic engagement and education
human geography, with
In this plenary, speakers are asked about
for citizenship? Speakers address these
shifting borders, flows
opportunities for WANA to adopt
questions and present their
sustainable approaches to meet these
of people, resources
recommendations on how the Third
challenges, move from consumption to
and ideas.
Sphere can be activated to partner with
production and leapfrog into the third
the WANA Forum in working toward
industrial revolution of the post carbon
mutual objectives.
economy.
Field Visit to the Badia Region
In collaboration with the Badia Research & Development Centre (BRDC),
interested participants get a first-hand insight into the BRDC work of
providing integrated solutions for resource management, community
development and environmental conservation and management in Jordan's
Badia region.
