We are a space in and through which professionals dedicated to exploring, understanding and advocating for better social protection in the Arab region exchange ideas and explore and initiate collaborative action.
We envision an Arab region in which all people, regardless of their identities, are guaranteed social protections that secure their access to the essential goods and services needed to ensure their wellbeing and decent standard of living, which in turn gives them the opportunity to prosper and contribute as active members of society.
We aim to facilitate the development of equitable and sustainable social protection systems in the Arab region (SPAR), by:
- executing, encouraging and facilitating the production, analysis, collation, and dissemination of interdisciplinary knowledge about SPAR
- facilitating dialogue within professional spheres and awareness raising among the wider public
- enhancing collective action that amplifies advocacy efforts with SPAR stakeholders and decision makers
We began in 2020 as a collective of eight organisations seeking to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on the lives of people in the Arab region and examine how social protection mechanisms might be adapted or developed to enhance security and equity across all communities. The region has long suffered from a dearth of social protection. This was magnified during the pandemic, giving researchers and activists an opportunity to demonstrate the value and essentiality of social protection policies and mechanisms in managing risks to protect individuals and communities from poverty and inequality. We changed our name in 2022 to reflect our dedication to calling for stronger social protection in the region beyond the pandemic so that all risks are mitigated and all people protected.