Together We Stand

[ 79 ] Resilient communities can better cope in times of crisis: Israel’s rapid crisis response and resilience-building activities Ambassador Gil Haskel, Head of MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs I t is unfortunately expected that the frequency and inten- sity of natural and man-made disasters will increase in years to come, exacerbated by, among other things, climate change, environmental degradation, population growth, and rapid and unplanned urbanization. As a direct outcome of these growing global threats, community resilience — the sustained ability of a commu- nity to withstand and recover from adversity — has become a key policy issue and a goal both at the state and the local levels. Regardless of the nature of the event, a commu- nity’s ability to successfully return to a ‘business as usual’ life pattern is based on its resilience — its capacity to withstand, respond positively to, adapt, and recover expe- ditiously from a crisis or adversity. The challenge is immense and the basic task we all face is in defining the components of the most effective process of community resilience-building. In this context, it is imper- ative to address the close links existing between resilience and development. Strengthening resilience is one of the pillars of develop- ment, as it presents an approach of overcoming development Image: Courtesy of MASHAV An eye camp in Nepal – MASHAV conducts blindness prevention and eye care missions in partner countries T ogether W e S tand