Resilience in Reality: Leading, Funding, and Adapting in a World of Constant Crisis

​Event Description

Resilience has become a central theme across climate, health, conflict, and development—but too often, it is discussed in abstract terms, far removed from the lived realities of those navigating crisis every day.

This session creates space for a more honest and grounded conversation about what resilience actually requires: at the level of individuals, communities, and systems. What does it take to keep going—and to keep building—when uncertainty, instability, and resource constraints are the norm rather than the exception?

We will explore how human behaviour, agency, and leadership shape resilience outcomes, alongside the structural conditions that enable or constrain them. Drawing on practical frameworks such as Resilience Science Must Knows, the discussion will connect evidence to action, helping decision-makers understand how to apply resilience thinking across sectors.

The session will also center the voices of those working closest to sustained crises, examining what is working, what is not, and how philanthropy and policy can better support locally grounded, long-term resilience.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about moving beyond the illusion of control—toward leadership, funding, and systems that can adapt, absorb, and transform under pressure.

Speakers

• ​Henry Majed is Social Entrepreneur & Visiting Fellow at Portfolio Career, applying systems leadership to help organisations navigate complexity and scale sustainable impact.

• ​Riana Brewer is Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships at Global Fund for Women, building trust-based partnerships to resource grassroots gender justice movements worldwide.

​Discussion Questions
What does resilience actually look like in practice across different crises?
How do behaviour, agency, and leadership shape resilience at individual and community levels?
What are funders and decision-makers getting wrong about supporting resilience?
How can we translate resilience science into actionable strategies across sectors?