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Panel: Less Why and More How for MENA

Panel: Less Why and More How for MENA Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA) Third Conference, Beirut, December 2014. AMEPPA ’ s agenda: search for recovery. Focus exclusively on the WHY is not enough.

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Panel: Less Why and More How for 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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