The Social Resilience Programme conducts research to enhance the capacity of globalized, multicultural societies to hold together in the face of security crises. In recent times, the porosity of international borders has exposed the vulnerability of civilians to transnational threats such as diseases and terror attacks, compelling states to acknowledge that national security cannot be the responsibility of security agencies alone. Technical measures – for example, better surveillance, more intelligence gathering and improved equipment for first responders – can prevent, protect and prepare a nation for a disaster. However, its survival is greatly dependent upon society’s ability to pool together. In this respect, social resilience – defined as the capacity of civilian communities to detect and prevent disruptions to a nation’s security, and where necessary, to absorb shocks and bounce back into a functioning condition after a crisis as quickly as possible – is particularly instrumental to securing the nation in the new millennium.

The study of social resilience is multifaceted, entailing inquiry into the complex interaction of elements encompassing, amongst others, the psychological, social, political and normative. As such, the CENS Social Resilience Programme focuses on conducting high-quality conceptual, empirical and policy-oriented research on social resilience and its sub-fields to provide policy-makers with alternative perspectives and the latest academic and policy trends in the field of social resilience.

Our research is disseminated through RSIS’ own publications and other media including international journals, periodicals and newspapers that addresses both local and international audiences.

We also organise conferences, workshops and lectures designed to stimulate quality debates and dialogue among various stakeholders in policy circles, academia, private sectors and the general public. Our inaugural workshop ‘Learning from London: Exploring Social Resilience in Singapore’ took place in July 2006. Held a year after the London bombings and coinciding with Racial Harmony Month in Singapore, the panels consisting of practitioners and scholars from Singapore, Britain and Canada reviewed and drew lessons from Britain’s response to the challenge facing its multicultural approach to explore the idea of creating social resilience in Singapore. The thought-provoking papers and discussions were compiled into an edited volume, Social Resilience in Singapore: Reflections from the London Bombings. Highlights of our signature programmes for 2008 include:

We have also presented at a number of conferences and seminars by government agencies (Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore), various educational institutions, and organizations abroad such as the Royal United Services (London, UK), Marshall Center (Garmish, Germany) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Germany).

We also serve on committees that address public policy such as the REACH Policy Working Group and the Community Engagement Programme.