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7th ASIA-PACIFIC SOCIAL SCIENCE AND
MEDICINE CONFERENCE (APSSAM)
Resiliency in the face of conflicts and social inequities
in the Asia Pacific region

         
Indeed, the past years were difficult times for countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The tsunami devastations in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, landslides and typhoons in the Philippines, HIV/AIDS pandemic in India, SARS and Avian Flu scare in China and other parts of the region, terrorist attacks, internal war and other religious and political conflicts, life-threatening famines, droughts and floods, and thousands of cases of abuse, violence and exploitation - all these have led to adversities that affected people's lives in the region.   Images of Asian Disasters
         
Images of Asian Disasters Day to day events may likewise be just as calamitous for individuals, particularly when circumstances make them more vulnerable to their occurrence or consequences. The death of a loved one, loss of a job, relationship problems, serious health conditions, and financial stressors to name a few, can be examples of challenging life events. How do people deal with the difficult incidents in their lives? What makes some people and communities survive more than the others? Can resilience be developed, nurtured or ingrained?
         
'Resilience' refers to one's capacity to survive, adapt and bounce back from crisis or difficult circumstances. Socio-psychological models have increasingly shifted from issues related to risk and vulnerability to individual protection, coping and resilience. Development work has progressively emphasized on strengths, skills and resources available within communities, away from simply assessing needs, hazards and vulnerabilities. This emphasis on identifying and building strengths represents a paradigm shift in approaching risk in individuals, communities and societies.   Images of Asian Disasters
         
Images of Asian Disasters Understanding how individuals and communities work is vital for survival or for strengthening capacities to cope. In the context of health, much is still to be learned on how people and communities positively respond to crisis situations. The Asia-Pacific Social Science and Medicine Conference aims to tackle this important issue during its 7th regional meeting.
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