Recording on YouTube
Thursday, May 20, 2020
As countries around the world continue to navigate the social, economic, political, and public health challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the launch of the 2021 Fragile States Index offers an opportunity to step back and reflect on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic thus far. How we understand our new reality will require a data-based approach to inform policy makers and practitioners. the FSI can also help inform how we move forward over the next year, the next decade, and beyond by providing an understanding of the structural vulnerabilities uncovered this past year, informing how best to prepare for and manage the next crisis.
The Fund for Peace, with our partner International Alert, held a global virtual event Thursday, May 20 that brought together leading experts on issues of fragility and resilience to discuss how COVID-19 has affected countries in 2020 and how they can emerge from the crisis stronger and more resilient. The event was held in conjunction with – and informed by – the launch of the 2021 Fragile States Index, a data-based policy tool that has for 16 years been a leading measure of political, social, and economic pressures of 179 countries.
Featured Speakers:
Senator Chris Coons, Member of US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Congressman Michael McCaul, Ranking Member of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
Panel:
Elizabeth Hume, Acting President and CEO, Alliance for Peacebuilding (moderator)
Cindy Chungong, Africa Regional Director, International Alert
Nealin Parker, Co-Director, Bridging Divides Initiative, Princeton University
Natalie Fiertz, Programs Manager, Fund for Peace
Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Director General for the Africa Development Bank’s West Africa Region
About
About the Fragile States Index: The Fragile States Index (FSI) annually highlights the current trends in social, economic and political pressures that affect all states, but can strain some beyond their capacity to cope. Linking robust social science with modern technology, the FSI is unique in its integration of quantitative data with data produced using content-analysis software, processing information from millions of publicly available documents. The result is an empirically-based, comprehensive ranking of the pressures experienced by 178 nations. The Index is used by policy makers, civil society, academics, journalists, investors, and businesses around the world.
About The Fund for Peace: For over 60 years, The Fund for Peace (FFP) has been a world leader in developing practical tools and approaches for reducing conflict. With a clear focus on the nexus of human security and economic development, FFP contributes to more peaceful and prosperous societies by engineering smarter methodologies and smarter partnerships. FFP empowers policy-makers, practitioners, and populations with context-specific, data-driven applications to diagnose risks and vulnerabilities and to develop solutions through collective dialogue. FFP is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Abuja, Nigeria and Tunis, Tunisia.
About International Alert: For over 30 years, International Alert has been working to build positive peace and reduce violence, working across conflict lines and with all parties to conflicts. Experienced and respected, Alert has a proud track record of achieving change in fragile and conflict-affected countries and territories.
More Information
For any questions regarding the Fragile States Index, please contact Natalie Fiertz at [email protected].
View 16 years of FSI data at https://fragilestatesindex.org/global-data/.