Page 8 - Lybia Flipbook

Foreword
My work in Libya has afforded me with the opportunity to get to know a country that is not only rich in natural resources but also endowed with a long history, natural beauty, ethnic diversity, and traditions. Strategically situated at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Europe, it has been a pathway from the Mediterranean to sub-Saharan Africa for thousands of years. It is a country with a deep and yet an unfulfilled potential.
The revolution in 2011 sparked hope, especially among young people, for a free and prosperous Libya living up to its promise. Instead, the stymied political transition led to costly conflict and fragmentation. The price of enduring instability has been paid by all people in the country and has also been affecting the welfare of neighboring countries, the Sahel, and Europe. Once reconciliation and political stability are secured and enable socio-economic development across the country, the positive spillover effects will be significant.
As tourism for foreigners has been limited for decades and traveling within the country can be challenging even for Libyans, little is known about Libya’s landscape, people, and rich potential. Global media reports tend to focus on unrest and crisis, projecting an image that signals chaos and hopelessness. This narrow perspective does not do justice to the place I got to know over the last years. Shades of Libya: Contrasts, Hope and Resilience
aims to transcend this limited vision by offering a glimpse into the life and diversity across the country. It is a contribution to a more nuanced narrative – a narrative focused on the resilience, the potential, and the beauty of Libya and its people.
At its heart this book is about development challenges
and opportunities. The World Bank has been supporting Libya for over two decades and stays committed to help- ing it reach its full development potential. Each chapter focuses on one of the socio-economic areas that will determine the country’s future, emphasizing resilience and hope while recognizing the effects of protracted instability. The accent is on the way forward.
Libya’s youth will be central to the trajectory of this journey. So the World Bank team worked closely with a Libyan production company that solicited images taken by often young Libyan photographers. It is largely through their eyes that the Libya of today is presented here, with only a few additions, including a few photos of my own. I am proud to have been part of this process.
Shades of Libya: Contrasts, Hope and Resilience is a companion piece to The Long Road to Inclusive Institu- tions in Libya. A Sourcebook of Challenges and Needs, published by the World Bank in 2023. The Sourcebook provides a rich set of analytical work to inform the debate on medium to long-term socio-economic challenges for those interested in more technical details.
Developing a shared vision for a politically, economi- cally, and socially inclusive nation is vital to Libya’s future. We hope that Shades of Libya: Contrasts, Hope and Resilience will find its place in many marbou’as and on coffee tables in the country and beyond, thus providing a small contribution towards this effort.
Henriette von Kaltenborn-Stachau
World Bank Resident Representative for Libya
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