http://www.project-syndicate.org/about_us/rss en 05:44:55 22-Mar-2010 webmaster@project-syndicate.org http://www.interglacial.com/rss/about.html http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/demaiziere1/1 When it comes to home-grown terrorists, prevention is better than repression. We should do everything in our power to avoid radicalization, to interrupt radicalization processes early, and to reintegrate radicalized individuals into our societies. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/eparker1/1 In April 2009, young people in Moldova used Twitter to organize protests against their government, and, two months later, it famously helped Iranians assemble and share information during their post-election protests. Now, the same thing is beginning to happen in China. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ma4/1 The Chinese government's imprisonment of the writer Liu Xiaobo is a blatant attempt to criminalize democratic thought, and the real criminal in this case is, of course, the Chinese state. But the world’s democracies are guilty as well, for they appear to have lost their willingness to stand up for their beliefs. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/soros56/1 Continued discrimination against Roma in Europe not only violates human dignity, but is a major social problem crippling the development of Eastern European countries with large Roma populations. Spain, which has been more successful in dealing with its Roma problem than other countries, can take the lead this month as it assumes the EU presidency. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/mann2/1 When the problems riddling Afghan society are listed – violence, insecurity, corruption, religious fundamentalism – one dominating factor is usually left out: the influence of customary law. But Afghanistan cannot begin to solve its many problems until it criminalizes the privatized violence of this antiquated code. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/barroso1/1 There are plenty of summits to choose from this year, but the World Summit on Food Security deserves not to be lost in the crowd. This meeting in Rome from November 16-18 provides badly needed political momentum to three linked issues that rank among the most challenging of the current era: food security, biodiversity, and climate change. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/wolfensohn6/1 Hated, alienated, and shunned, the Roma have for too long been easy and defenseless targets for Europe's disgruntled racists, with violent attacks escalating in recent months. Only through much stronger efforts can European countries break the nexus of poverty and educational deprivation that traps too many Roma – and leaves them vulnerable to unspeakable abuse. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ysasakawa1/1 TOKYO – Earlier this month, Father Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. This religious and spiritual ceremony is an opportunity to reflect on Father Damien’s life and the lives of those with whom he is most closely associated – people affected by leprosy. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/robinson2/1 The UN HUman Rights Council has focused in recent years so intently – even exclusively – on Israel's treatment of the Palestinians that many accuse it of anti-Israel bias. Let us hope that, when the Council this week examines Judge Richard Goldstone's report on human rights violations by both Israel and Hamas during the Gaza conflict earlier this year, it proceeds fairly. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/haykel2/1 Al-Qaeda’s leadership, beliefs, and ideology are rooted in Saudi Arabia, but the organization has been all but crushed in the Kingdom by the government carrot-and-stick policies. The attempted assassination in Jeddah last month of Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the deputy interior minister for security affairs, demonstrates both elements of the Saudi strategy. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/kmalinowskasempruch3/1 Throughout the former Soviet bloc, there is a disturbing trend in using outdated, conservative, and heavy-handed policies to address drug abuse. This approach is not only inhumane, but also economically untenable: leaders in these countries should be encouraged to redirect scarce law enforcement, court, and prison resources towards more pressing causes. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/schlesinger1/1 Ban Ki-moon, who has just marked the half-way point in his five-year term as UN Secretary-General, has so far not been able to attract a large worldwide audience for his activities, for stylistic and other reasons, and also because of the vagaries of UN diplomacy. Nevertheless, in his own quiet way, Ban has accomplished much over the past 30 months.