Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

The current project of the Reut Home Front team explores the issue of National Resilience in Israel. One component of this project includes comparative research of different resilience strategies in countries such as the US, Britain, Australia, Sweden and Singapore.

Singapore’s strategy of ‘Total Defense‘ was introduced in 1984 based on the Swiss and Swedish models and forms part of its National Defense Strategy. It is comprised of five components: Military, Civilian, Economic, Social, and Psychological. The country facilitates public awareness through a National Education (NEXUS) program and inclusive exercises.

These different components provide a framework which can provide a comprehensive and integrated response to all types of threats and challenges. This is particularly relevant in a world in which national security has become multi-dimensional.

Understanding national resilience as a systemic issue which includes more than just the home front is vital for achieving resilience at all levels of society: Individual, Family, Community and Nationally.

The NEXUS program meanwhile allows Singaporean society grasps the unique challenges the country faces and contributes to its national resilience.