Frequently…and Rarely Asked.
Questions
What is Fragility?
We hear the word “fragile” and we call to mind an object that can be easily damaged or broken: a piece of glass or pottery. This object may be neither robust enough, nor flexible enough to withstand added pressure. So, when the object is tossed and turned too much or too many times, it breaks.
The same can be said about societies, economies, and political systems. If you toss them around too much or too many times, at some point they break. But the pieces are not made of glass. They are people, communities, countries – and ultimately, our future.
How does a country or a community get to the breaking point? What does it mean to say that a state or a society is becoming fragile? A simple and precise answer is hard to pin down because the forces that cause fragility around the world take different shapes.
But there are people and organizations who grapple with this issue every day. They are aid workers, economists, diplomats, and soldiers. They work for international organizations like the United Nations, the World Bank, and the OECD, for refugee agencies and faith-based groups, for government agencies such as USAID, or for the military. Their job is to help countries held back by a combination of extreme poverty, poor governance, high inequality, and especially conflict and violence. Think of countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, Mali and Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela – what they call “fragile states.”
Many of these organizations generate their own definitions of fragility. There is one definition, however, that we find to be widely applicable everywhere around the world, from Austria to Zimbabwe. This is the OECD’s definition: fragility is the combination of exposure to risk and the insufficient coping capacity of the state, system and/or communities to manage, absorb and mitigate those risks. In other words, fragility happens when institutions and people cannot withstand, adapt, or respond to the forces that weaken them over time.
Why Should We Talk About Fragility?
1 First, because any country, no matter how rich, could fall apart if people, communities, and institutions can’t spot the cracks early on. But spotting these cracks requires an understanding of how fragility emerges from the combination of different forces at play. These forces cut across demographic, environmental, economic, psychological, social, political, and security domains. They can range from widespread poverty and inequality, to greater demands for recognition by marginalized social groups, and even the subtle erosion of liberal democracy and Enlightenment values. And even more, they often feed off each other in ways that are counterintuitive and complex.
2 Second, because fragility is usually addressed only when the cracks turn to pieces, breaking down communities and countries through conflict and violence. Yet, conflict and violence are just the most extreme manifestations of fragility. Pandemics, economic shocks, polarization, elite capture, clientelism, and even violence also manifest in richer societies with a more established history of good governance, political pluralism, and human rights. The COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Recession, Brexit, the rise of illiberal ideologies show that the West is now contending with fragility although it remains the most prosperous part in the world.
3 Third, because modern institutions are not equipped to deal with fragility. Today’s global governance actors – such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund – reflect a world that prizes specialized expertise and linear problem- solving in economics, peace, and security. National and local government institutions are organized in similar ways. But fragility emerges out of complex interactions between forces at a global, local, and even individual level. These forces reverberate across time, space, and social systems. They defy narrow specialization and technocratic solutions that do not factor in second or third-order effects. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of economic and national security systems once thought to be either resilient to or disconnected from a public health emergency. So, how we define and understand fragility has real-world implications for how we address it.
4 Fourth, because fragility is a complex concept and it’s hard to talk about it in ways that are intellectually and emotionally appealing to all of us. Even professionals who work on fragile states recognize this challenge. According to the OECD, the way fragility is talked about in expert circles suffers from multiple communication deficits. For example, present debates are limited to specialists in international organizations, governments, aid groups, the academia, or think tanks. Highly technical and often abstract terms can make it difficult even for field practitioners to translate broad policy recommendations into practical actions. But addressing fragility will not succeed if people cannot engage with the substance of fragility in terms they understand and recognize. We need to talk about fragility in ways that are more direct and emotionally relevant to people’s lives.
5 Fifth, because unless we learn how to spot fragility and deal with it effectively, we cannot make the kind of decisions that lead to a good future for ourselves, our communities, and our countries. The forces of fragility are – and will always be – active everywhere in the world. But while cracks may appear in any state or social system, they don’t have to turn into pieces. Whether or not they tear apart our communities depends on whether our institutions are fit for fragility. And we can’t build better institutions without having the kind of conversations that help us see the cracks and repair them before it’s too late.
We hear the word “fragile” and we call to mind an object that can be easily damaged or broken: a piece of glass or pottery. This object may be neither robust enough, nor flexible enough to withstand added pressure. So, when the object is tossed and turned too much or too many times, it breaks.
The same can be said about societies, economies, and political systems. If you toss them around too much or too many times, at some point they break. But the pieces are not made of glass. They are people, communities, countries – and ultimately, our future.
How does a country or a community get to the breaking point? What does it mean to say that a state or a society is becoming fragile? Traditionally, the people who have confronted these questions are aid workers, economists, diplomats, and soldiers. They work for international organizations like the United Nations, the World Bank, and the OECD, for refugee agencies and faith-based groups, for government agencies such as USAID, or for the military. Their job is to help countries held back by a combination of extreme poverty, poor governance, high inequality, and especially conflict and violence. Think of countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, Mali and Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela – what they call “fragile states.” Many of these organizations generate their own definitions of fragility.
There is one definition, however, that we find applicable from the halls of Washington, DC and Beijing, to the borderlands of the Sahel, or the rainforests of the Amazon. This is the OECD’s definition: fragility is the combination of exposure to risk and the insufficient coping capacity of the state, system and/or communities to manage, absorb and mitigate those risks.
Fragility thus happens when institutions and people cannot withstand, adapt, or respond to the forces that weaken them over time. These forces are now manifesting with growing speed and intensity in countries previously thought to be stable, prosperous, and democratic – what we commonly think of as “the West.” So knowing what fragility is, how it spreads, and what we can do about is now relevant to people all over the world.
1 First, because any country, no matter how rich, could fall apart if people, communities, and institutions can’t spot the cracks early on. But spotting these cracks requires an understanding of how fragility emerges from the combination of different forces at play. These forces cut across demographic, environmental, economic, psychological, social, political, and security domains. They can range from widespread poverty and inequality, to greater demands for recognition by marginalized social groups, and even the erosion of liberal democracy and Enlightenment values. And even more, they often feed off each other in ways that are counterintuitive and complex.
2 Second, because fragility is usually addressed only when the cracks turn to pieces, breaking down communities and countries through conflict and violence. Yet, conflict and violence are just the most extreme manifestations of fragility. Pandemics, economic shocks, polarization, elite capture, clientelism, and even violence also manifest in richer societies with a more established history of good governance, political pluralism, and human rights. The COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Recession, Brexit, the rise of illiberal ideologies show that the West is now contending with fragility although it remains the most prosperous part in the world.
3 Third, because modern institutions are not equipped to deal with fragility. Today’s global governance actors – such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund – reflect a world that prizes specialized expertise and linear problem- solving in economics, peace, and security. National and local government institutions are organized in similar ways. But fragility emerges out of complex interactions between forces at the global, local, and even individual level. These forces reverberate across time, space, and social systems. They defy narrow specialization and technocratic solutions that do not factor in second or third-order effects. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of economic and national security systems once thought to be either resilient to or disconnected from a public health emergency. So, how we define and understand fragility has real-world implications for how we address it.
4 Fourth, because fragility is a complex concept and it’s hard to talk about it in ways that are intellectually and emotionally appealing to all of us. Even professionals who work on fragile states recognize this challenge. According to the OECD, the way fragility is talked about in expert circles suffers from multiple communication deficits. For example, present debates are limited to specialists in international organizations, governments, aid groups, the academia, or think tanks. Highly technical and often abstract terms can make it difficult even for field practitioners to translate broad policy recommendations into practical actions. But addressing fragility will not succeed if people cannot engage with the substance of fragility in terms they understand and recognize. We need to talk about fragility in ways that are more direct and emotionally relevant to people’s lives.
5 Fifth, because unless we learn how to spot fragility and deal with it effectively, we cannot make the kind of decisions that lead to a good future for ourselves, our communities, and our countries. The forces of fragility are – and will always be – active everywhere in the world. But while cracks may appear in any state or social system, they don’t have to turn into pieces. The resilience of our communities depends on whether our institutions are fit for fragility. And we can’t build better institutions without having the kind of conversations that help us see the cracks and repair them before it’s too late.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the F-World Podcast different?
F-World is the only podcast exploring fragility across all countries, not just those traditionally thought of as fragile and conflict-affected. We will discuss the forces of fragility wherever they emerge, from the Western world to West Africa and beyond. We aim to bring an awareness of the interconnections between people, events, and structures, and a recognition that their interplay is not always straightforward. We believe that when people better understand the forces shaping their lives, they can act and engage in society more effectively.
Through our long- form interviews, we aim to make the concept of fragility accessible to the broadest audience by engaging meaningfully in conversations that usually take place only among a narrow set of experts. We believe that everyone benefits when experts talk about complex issues in ways that are rigorous, yet down to earth. Even more, we want to discover our guests’ personal stories – who they are, what they believe, and what drives them.
Who do you interview?
We talk to learners, thinkers, and doers. They can be established or rising experts, political and business leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs, academics and researchers, or citizens engaging with the many forces of fragility across the world. Our goal is to learn from thoughtful women and men, and from their stories of professional and personal growth.
How can I contribute or support F-World?
We love to learn and aim to foster a community of learners. So, we’d love to hear from you about good books, interesting articles, or topics of discussion – you can send us a message. Further, if you know someone you think would bring value to the conversation, let us know! You can also support us by spreading the word about our podcast, by rating us on your podcast provider, and by becoming a supporting member on Patreon.
How is F-World funded?
We believe strongly in the urgency of understanding and addressing fragility. For this reason, the early stage of our work is self-funded. As we grow, we’ll seek funding from public and private institutions that believe in our mission; from organizations that share our vision; and from members of our audience that value our work and can afford to support us. In short, we welcome support from those that also see the need to understand how fragility shapes our lives, communities, and our world, now and in the future.