Shifting Conversations in Multifaceted Policymaking

People walking in public space with medical masks on to protect themselves from coronavirus infection. Credit: iStock / DragonImagesBy Sudip Ranjan BasuBANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 7 2021 (IPS) As the people of Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga gear up as the first nations to welcome 2021, communities around the Asia-Pacific region and beyond look forward to bidding farewell to the most tumultuous year in recent decades. 2020 brought unparalleled human suffering that continued to devastatingly impact on the daily lives of people across all corners of the region. With the emergency authorization and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, people are hoping for a ‘new normal’ recovery from the summer of 2021 onwards. Sudip Ranjan BasuYet, over the past year, the health crisis has produced a synchronized economic downturn that resulted in technical recession episodes in the majority of countries, along with heightened vulnerability of the most marginalized groups. Commentators and experts are making every effort to better diagnose the underlying symptoms and root causes of fault lines in our societies, which are leading to widespread discrimination, distress and destitution. Simply put, economic growth paradigms and development models, strategic policymaking guidelines and prioritization of implementation roadmaps are all at a variety of inflection points. Faced with multiple challenges and uncertainties, policymakers are consulting and learning from past policy experiences that could prov...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Climate Change Development & Aid Economy & Trade Education Financial Crisis Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news