National Human Development

1. National Human Development Dr Jamal R M Ameen Senior Advisor Ministry of Planning, Erbil, KRG & Professor of Statistics Beirut 5-6/4/2012

2. NHD Report 2008 - Extracts • The cradle of civilization • “It was also here that the first centralised authority emerged in response to a growing need for an effective state to oversee the organisation of economic life centred on agriculture and a sophisticated network of water management”, Last years Report. • Goes on saying that it was the first historical model for a state that was based on established civic relationships, on a pattern of stable management….. • The first in systems of justice and legislative acts… • Centuries of authoritarian regimes …. Ambitions and aspiration of individuals….

3. NHD Report – Extracts cont. • Individuals and communities to become major actors – Empowerment but How? • Even assuming security conditions improve, it is doubtful that it can regain its strength in the foreseeable future without making enormous efforts at reconstruction and rehabilitation, economic reform, improvements in economic environment and the reorganisation of private and public sectors- undoing the destruction that has been done during the past eras – Reinvigoration of its citizens who have been exhausted physically and psychologically, culturally and intellectually by the appalling conditions they have lived through which have deprived them not only of food for body but also of nourishment for the mind and sole! – How?

4. Comments • The Iraq of centuries a go which was, as the world call it the cradle of civilization, was not the Iraq of decades a go! • We are showing great pride to a civilization that we possibly had a hand in derailing and to a degree destroying it! • Centralization, Dictatorship …. • In Page 173 of the report: Iraq requires a central state that is strong…. • A democracy that is ill defined… • Considerable emphasis has been made on security but little about its causes.

5. How Can we make it Better?

6. How Can we Make it Better? • Not by raising the economic standard of people • Not by improving their health • Not by improving their education • Not by improving their housing standards • Not by feeding them. • All these lack sustainability • BUT • By working on their sole • By making them feel that they are counted • By being part of decision-making • BY EMPOWERING THEM

7. How Can We Make it Better • Lack of Empowerment and Violence are synonymous. • The Majority of the report is about what a nurse can do for a patient rather than what a doctor can do for him/her • Decentralization is central to Empowerment but I did not come across the word in the report • We do not expect from external agencies to dance on our music. We would rather have them teach us and convince us to dance on their music and that is how we can make real progress.

8. What has gone wrong? • Power struggle • Resistance to change • Untouchables and Red lines • Centralization: Don’t Worry; The Big Brother/Big Father is thinking for you - Natural creativity of our youth appear mainly when they get out of our system!!!

9. Some Facts • A young society • Inhomogeneous • A big gap between decision makers and the youth • The two camps differ in many issues: • Aspirations • Access to data and information • Access to Technology • Access to decision-making.

10. Youth Centeredness • Value of Services • Progressive Labour Law

11. THANK YOU