The key concept which will accompany us in this lecture is resilience. This is defined as the ability of a system to maintain functionality in light of pressures or disruptions. A resilient system is characterized by flexibility, resourcefulness, constant and continuous learning and the ability to adapt to a wide range of circumstances, most of which are unpredictable. A resilient society will cope more successfully with turmoil, by means of minimizing damages on the one hand, and improving the way we address turmoil on the other.
Creating resilience is an extensive process, which begins well before the actual crisis and proceeds long after it strikes. The process of building resilience includes numerous partners and addresses a long list of issues. A customary classification refers to three main areas of resilience – "what?", "who?" and "how?". "What?" addresses the physical aspects of resilience – natural systems and manmade infrastructures; "who?" refers to social aspects and resilience-generating agents – such as individuals, communities and organizations; and "how?" indicates those policies, institutions and mechanisms that impact the generations of resilience.
