Overlapping existential questions to start with The war in Ukraine is first and foremost a response to what Russia considers as existential threat, in the face of NATO’s continued expansion on its borders. The so-called “denazification” of Ukraine remains a smokescreen with no real substance intended to justify the special military operation against its neighbour,…
Introduction As the G7 recalibrates its global priorities around economic resilience and geopolitical control, a new architecture of fragmentation is emerging, which is one that sidelines multilateral institutions. This piece examines how recent shifts in trade, security, and climate diplomacy reflect not a failure of global coordination, but a deliberate strategy of selective engagement. Drawing…
I was reading Erik Larson’s In the Garden of Beasts when I came across the line: “This isn’t America and you can’t say all the things you think,” said by an officer to a United States ambassador’s daughter in Nazi Germany. I warn against drawing too many comparisons between that time and place and our…
Introduction / Our Research Question The world is changing quickly. Generative AI and data centers are growing fast. They are meant to help with sustainability and progress. However, their energy use and material needs could actually harm global climate goals. For example, some estimates suggest that data centers in the United States could use up…
As the curtains rise on the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, the picturesque landscapes of Switzerland serve as a reminder of the contest’s origins and its enduring mission to unite Europe in harmony (pun intended). Walking through the host city Basel, Switzerland’s cultural capital, there is a buzz in the air. Eurovision brings together artists and…
“Fourteen thousand babies could die in the next 48 hours in Gaza.” – United Nations, May 20, 2025 When I read this line, something ruptured deep inside me. Fourteen thousand babies—not numbers, not statistics, but breathing, crying, nursing newborns—are being consigned to death in the very first hours of life. How does one carry that…
A new kind of state is born Reflecting on what is happening in the US since the (second) Trump inauguration on 20 January 2025, people say it is becoming an authoritarian state, a corrupt state, an anti-immigrant state, a human rights crushing state, a white nationalist state, an oligarch-controlled state, and a state that is…
“Make Politics Great Again.” That was the parting remark following a conversation I shared with fellow participants at the Delphi Economic Forum (9-12 April 2025), featuring none other than Dimitrios Avramopoulos, former European Commissioner, former Mayor of Athens, and a long-serving Minister across more government portfolios than one can count. The discussion covered a wide…
Aspects of the ecological thinking and action of Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople* For the past forty years or so, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has been undertaking important initiatives aimed at raising awareness on environmental protection issues. This is due, to a large extent, to Patriarch Bartholomew, who, immediately after his election to the…
The Sahara and the West Sahel region of Africa have long captured the Western imagination, known for their vast landscapes and rich cultural heritage. However, in recent decades, these areas have become synonymous with violence, instability, and crime. The early 1990s marked a turning point for the Sahel region. Following the coup in Algeria, which…
