Newsworthy
Asylum Policy is Foreign Policy
The majority of the world’s refugees are actually hosted in Global South countries bordering the conflict zones. Collectively they have taken in much larger volumes of asylum-seekers than Western nations. Mohamed Ali notes with dismay that Canada’s long-standing pro-immigration consensus has failed when it comes to admitting Afghans who need a safe place to live now.
How They Ended an Arms Race
Yevgeny Velikhov was the most influential scientist in the Soviet Union and Russia before, during, and after the Gorbachev years. Four eminent retired scientists worked with him to make nuclear disarmament feasible. Roald Sagdeev had been Velikhov’s friend since university days. Richard Garwin used to meet with him and other Russians during and after Pugwash meetings. Frank von Hippel and Thomas Cochran organized projects with him proving that violations of treaties could be detected with existing technology. Together, they persuaded politicians to end the nuclear arms race. Sagdeev asks: “What went wrong? Why did we not succeed and now find ourselves in the Putin era? I’m sure Yevgeny probably was thinking about it until the very last second he was alive.”
Emotional Quotient and Nuclear Disarmament
Nuclear deterrence is based on the emotional responses of nations to the perceived threat of nuclear weapons. Leaders, influenced by emotions such as fear, pride, and insecurity, determine the direction of their nations’ policies. Debalina Ghoshal sees greater emotional intelligence and empathy as required to create a safer world.
Enforcing International Law
The International Criminal Court is a global watchdog, holding powerful individuals accountable for unspeakable acts. It goes after the masterminds behind the worst atrocities imaginable. But not all countries are signatories, and Rebecca Shoot and Lawrence Wittner want a system of international justice that will prevent leaders like the current Russian president and Israeli officials from continuing their brutal actions.
Solidarity Pilgrimage with Sabeel
A group of 49 pilgrims gathered in Palestine in solidarity with Sabeel, an ecumenical grassroots organization based in Jerusalem. Elizabeth Raymer describes the courageous Palestinians she met on the tour.
Global Declaration to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance by 2030
During the 2024 U.N. General Assembly, a landmark political declaration was adopted to address one of the most pressing health challenges: resistance to antibiotics. Rose Samadi describes the plan to develop and save the necessary variety of effective antimicrobials.
Daddy, What Did You Do to Save the World?
Instead of lying down in front of a tank or wearing buttons, an activist today needs to keep informed about new threats to humankind and possible solutions. Project Save the World presents a website, forums, and a magazine newsletter to a widening global community, making that easy and fun.
Pour Concrete to Save the World
Concrete produces 8 percent of the world’s annual carbon emissions. But one company is actually producing carbon-negative concrete. If used maximally, Blue Planet concrete theoretically can permanently subtract between 4 and 10 percent of global CO2 emissions per year. Governments can incentivize the adoption of this technology if citizens demand it.