Bridging Evidence & Policy (BEP) Seminar Series
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Time: 08:30 to 11:30 PM
Location: Conrad Cairo- Nile Hall
1191 Nile Corniche, Souq Al ASR, Bulaq, Cairo Governorate 11221
Organized in collaboration between Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) and is part of CGIAR’s National Policies and Strategies (NPS) Initiative.
Vulnerable communities and households in the Arab world and the MENA region face a myriad of challenges ranging from protracted conflicts, resource scarcity, and severe inequality that further the effects of these challenges. Keeping the lenses of the SDGs; the regions’ gains in sustainable development indicators are scarce and often overturn, leaving the most vulnerable communities in the Arab world and MENA experiencing multi layered poverty.
This seminar addresses developmental policy making within this spectrum of new and often complex state of compounding crises, highlighting key lessons of emergency response, relief and programmatic recovery. In the aftermaths of COVID-19, steep rises in prices of food caused by the Russo-Ukrainian war, extreme natural disasters, and the protracted conflicts in Yemen, Sudan and Palestine all risk maintaining decent developmental opportunities in the region and calls for serious discussions on agile planning and policymaking that is both anticipatory and responsive. Planning for conflict, ecological, and developmental risks require a set of practices and know-how to be able to build resilience across the region. In a recent report by the UNESCWA (Arab Risk Monitor,2023) conflict, water scarcity and food insecurity are identified among the highest risks to development policy in the region. Risk-informed development and policy making is paramount to continue making strides in protecting vulnerable communities and households on the frontline of suffering from these several overlapping crises.
This third event in the series brings together leading practitioners and academics to learn, to highlight, and to mainstream developmental work and unique practices in response to and recovery from crisis. This conference features the operational experience of the Egyptian Food Bank in delivering emergency conveys since 2010 and builds upon the experience of conducting policy relevant research by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen, as well as emphasizing the role of donor and philanthropic practices for agile, rapid responses to support humanitarian efforts during crises such as COVID-19 and conflict afflicted settings. In collaboration amongst the three entities, in May 2023 the "Bridging Evidence & Policy (BEP)" Seminar Series was launched, aiming to mainstream the most needed developmental best practices guided using evidence and data in policy making in Egypt.
Follow This link to see launch event page or this link to read the launch event blog.
Live streaming
Agenda
| 20:30 – 21:00 | Registration |
| Opening remarks 21:00 – 21:20 PM |
Noura Selim Executive Director, Sawiris Foundation |
| Mohsen Sarhan CEO. Egyptian Food Bank |
|
| Sikandra Kurdi (See slides) Egypt Country Program Leader. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) |
|
| Keynote remarks 21:20 – 21:30 |
H.E Nevine El-Kabbaj (TBC) Minister of Social Solidarity, Vice president Egyptian Red Crescent |
|
Panel Discussion |
10 min. Presentation by:
Raffaele Bertini (See slides) |
| Adeeb Qasem Director of Economic Development Initiatives, HSA Group, Yemen |
|
| Sebastian Herwing (TBC) Senior External Relations Officer UNHCR |
|
| Ayman omer Senior Program Officer and Delivery Manager of the Regional Initiative on Resilience Building, FAO |
|
| 22:30– 23:00 | Q&A |
| 23:00 | SOHOR and Networking |
