arab human development report 2003 - Palestine Remembered

Immersion, yes, but swamped or drowned, no,is their message in providing a comprehensiveassessment of the state of knowledge in Arabsocieties today, the impediments to its acquisitionand diffusion, and the prospects of makinglearning and research a dynamic driver ofsocial and economic innovation in the future.The Report argues that the potential fordeveloping the knowledge capabilities of Arabcountries is enormous – not only because oftheir untapped human capital, but also becauseof their rich cultural, linguistic and intellectualheritage. It acknowledges thatoverhauling the region’s antiquated andunder-resourced education systems will not beeasy, but insists that it is critical if knowledgeand economic output are to feed off eachother, creating a virtuous cycle conducive tohuman development. However, the authorsalso underline once again that if these objectivesare to be met, Arabs need to drive theprocess themselves: promoting local innovationas a necessary complement to harnessingknowledge and technology from abroad. Thestark choice facing Arab countries is: constructivelyengage with the new world or beleft behind. For those who fear that their culturemay be compromised by outside influences,this message of openness may be ascontroversial as the original report.AHDR 2003 is merely the second step in along journey. Over the next two years, furtherreports will follow on freedom and women’sempowerment, the other two main challengesfacing the region. I hope and believe this latestissue will attract as much attention andprovoke as much debate as its predecessor.Even if many of the views taken in this reportdo not necessarily reflect UNDP or UnitedNations policy, we are pleased to be associatedwith a process that is helping stimulate a dynamicnew policy discourse across the Arabregion and the wider world. I would also particularlylike to thank Rima Khalaf-Hunaidi,my colleague and Assistant Administrator,who as Bureau Director for the Arab Stateshas been the driving inspiration behind thisimportant project.Mark Malloch Brown.Administrator, UNDPUNDP is the UN's global development network. It advocates for change andconnects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help peoplebuild a better life.II