On 24 March, I had the privilege to moderate a fascinating virtual conversation on the role of narratives in shaping societies. Titled ‘Stories of Love and Hatred – Narratives that Shape our Present and future,’ (Historias de amor y odio – las narratives que dan forma a nuestro presente y futuro), the panel was made…
Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí People all over the world tell one another – and ourselves — stories, both explicit and implicit, that shape the way we look at the world around us. Narratives about how that world came about and how it works, who its heroes and villains are,…
The world’s governments will come together in Glasgow in November to re-energize international cooperation on climate change. The gathering, “COP 26” in its climate negotiations nomenclature, comes at a critical time. Humanity’s response to the climate problem, manifestly now a “crisis”, has fallen far short of what is required, a fact that is increasingly recognized…
History cannot be allowed to repeat itself The detention of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the civilian government in a military coup staged earlier this week put Myanmar’s young and fragile process of democratic transition at serious risk. Suu Kyi, de facto leader of the country, and President Win…
Great sadness at the loss of a giant who touched my life in a unique way. In his long life, M. Cardin was met and fêted by countless celebrities, political leaders, royalty, and just about every “important” person. However, what always floored me was his belief that the Artist had the most important role of…
Political scenarios – negative and positive* Back in May, Georgios Kostakos and I published two articles (see them here and here) on the global and national responses to Covid-19, and its implications for global governance. The biggest impact, we said, will be determined by the responses of China and the US. In this article…
by Richard Kinley, Georgios Kostakos and Harris Gleckman* On 21 September 2020 world leaders will observe the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, mainly through the delivery of pre-recorded speeches and not physical presence in New York because of Covid-19. Is the UN going hybrid/virtual and transitioning to the next phase of its existence, or…
An Open Letter to Friends of the United Nations The only head of state so far committed to physically addressing the opening of the new UN General Assembly session is US President Trump. As the rules for COVID-19 allow only one of the six seats of each country’s delegation in the General Assembly Hall to…
24 October is celebrated every year as UN Day because it was on this day in 1945 that the United Nations Charter entered into force. The charter, the closest we have to a constitutional document for the whole world, is an international treaty that the victors of the Second World War agreed to abide by…
In recent years both Europe and the USA, have increasingly witnessed fears about the impact of immigration that have almost managed to rip apart the European Union. Yet scientists are delivering new answers to the question of European identity and ancestry. Their findings suggest that the continent has been a melting pot since the Ice…
