World Science Forum 2017

Rebuilding broken societies where natural or manmade catastrophes have prevailed is imperative to effect recovery and achieve stability, and to bring peace and socio-economic development to an affected region.
Post-conflict countries face particular development and security challenges as they move toward economic recovery. These countries are often characterised by insecurity and lawlessness, poor or corrupt economies, and a lack of social services and cohesion. Building enduring peace in war-torn areas is a formidable challenge which requires an understanding of managing the sometimes conflicting tensions between short-term recovery and long-term reconstruction and development.
This plenary session will explore how science can help to rebuild broken societies, with a focus on post-conflict countries. Intuitively, science can bring knowledge and rigour to understanding immediate and longer-term needs, informing roadmaps and long-term investment plans for building prosperity and improving the lives of affected people. Some post-conflict nations, such as Rwanda and Vietnam, have put this into practice and are now benefiting from the pursuit of science-for-development strategies. This session will explore lessons learned and whether there are transferrable practices that can be institutionalised and replicated in other post-conflict nations or those in transition. It will explore whether developing robust science infrastructure should be an integral part of reconstruction and recovery.