Poverty is a political problem, says Mikhail Gorbachev. There will be no development until we face up to its true causes – in Russia as much as in the developing world The new century has already provided much proof that – although we have entered a new, global era – we still live by old…
To succeed, the war on terror must be fought on three levels – military, political and cultural. But what’s clear, says Fred Halliday, is that it has only just begun It is now more than three years since the attack by al-Qaeda forces on the US – the first time in 500 years that a…
The pressure to perform has created an alarming tendency to bend – and sometimes break – the rules, says Patrick Harker Enron, WorldCom, Parmalat, Martha Stewart – just a few names that could make up a global roster of “Who’s Who in Corporate Ethics Scandals”. And despite wide-ranging publicity, court cases and even new laws,…
The Washington economic and security doctrines are subverting the benefits of globalization, according to David Held. The world needs new multilateral economic and security institutions We live in a world of “overlapping communities of fate” where everyday life – work, money, beliefs, as well as trade, communications and finance, not to speak of the environment…
One of America’s most renowned diplomats, Richard Holbrooke was widely seen as the likely secretary of state for the last two US Democratic presidential candidates. He tells Taimur Ahmad what he would have done differently GLOBAL AGENDA What are the main foreign policy challenges currently facing the United States? And where do you think the…
True social justice is still a long way off for much of Asia, says Anwar Ibrahim. It is time for leaders to wake up to the demands of their people If you were walking out of prison after serving a lengthy term, you would more than likely experience the curious, eerie feeling of stepping into…
Globalization is a fragile and incomplete experiment, says United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan. But it can – and must – be a force for good – More than 50 years ago, a positive vision of world peace and prosperity prevailed among the postwar architects of the global governance system. The United Nations and the Bretton…
There is a striking similarity between the behaviour of dominant states and that of fringe terrorist groups: both are governed by the pursuit of power over principles. In this dangerous world order, argues Sundeep Waslekar, new rules are needed to rein in the unrestrained use of force. But to break the vicious historical cycle, these…
Relations between China and India are improving, as each of the Asian behemoths comes to realize the combined trade and economic potential that their respective and complementary strengths could unleash. But, as Marsha Vande Berg describes, there is still much about which the two countries disagree – and plenty of room for competition and conflict…
Adair Turner highlights the global challenge of aging populations for pension systems, noting that while immigration and increasing retirement ages may offer short-term solutions, the fundamental issues of declining birth rates and longer lifespans require a profound redesign of economic and social models worldwide.
