About Colin Greer
Colin Greer is president of the New World Foundation in New York. He was a founding editor of Change and Social Policy magazines.
Articles by Colin Greer
Colin Greer
In 2050, the world has been at peace in most areas of historic and ongoing conflict for about 30 years. In 2015 all the most powerful nations of the world decided to reduce their exposure to increasing numbers of costly retirees by making military service compulsory but only for those between the ages of 60 and 65. Medical technology had already made agile longevity a fact of life and battle field exposure was expected to reduce the increasing aged population of men and women. However, older people did not want to fight and so for the most part war in the world ended.
World War II veterans Margie Zwick, Women's Army Corps, and Arnold Strauch, U.S. Army, look on before the annual Veterans Day parade November 11, 2009 in New York City. Mario Tama/Getty Images North America.
Colin Greer
In 2050, stigmatized differences (race, gender, religion, local or national origin), especially biological and historical, are no longer a meaningful justification for war, assault, imprisonment, inequality, privilege, authority, value. Following massive geopolitical, national and local economic, political and social meltdowns leaving people as devastated as by any natural disasters, as a result ‘human fellowship’ is a shared worldview.
Leaders emerged out of creative and effective constituency groups with a shared message of why and how to renew and secure the bases of common humanity, and interpersonal/intersocial wellbeing. Local wealth and assets developed anywhere in the world are recognized as the result of joint application of multi-dimensional human effort and well stewarded natural resources.
With no-one to blame, blame grew rusty and the rickety record of high and low level intergroup conflict over resources gave way. Decade by decade, new perspective and infrastructure was developed–each step forward strengthened by the step already taken toward an ethical and collaborative platform for democratic global politics.
Şirin Tanrıtanır/Flickr/Some rights reserved
Philanthropy as solidarity
Michael Edwards is right to be critical of entrepreneur philanthropy - both in his openDemocracy essay, "Philanthrocapitalism: after the goldrush" (19 March 2008) and in the book on which it draws, Just Another Emperor: the Myths and Realities of Philanthrocapitalism (Demos/Young Foundation, 2008).
The politics of calm
Fear and caution are paralysing progressive politics in the United States. It's time to believe that boldness can win, says Colin Greer.
A new majority for the American left
It is time for Democrats to realise that the future of progressive American politics lies at its vibrant grassroots, says Colin Greer.
How the Democrats can win: an interview with Colin Greer
Colin Greer, director of the New World Foundation, tells openDemocracy’s Solana Larsen that the Democrats must learn a different way of thinking and acting – in effect, to become a real political party rather than a “message machine” – if they want to regain legitimacy and support across the United States.
This week's guest editors
Our guest editors James Ron, Leslie Vinjamuri, Sophie Arie and Archana Pandya introduce this week's theme of:
Our guest editors James Ron, Leslie Vinjamuri, Sophie Arie and Archana Pandya introduce this week's theme of:
A Turkish Spring?
Woolwich - terror or conflict?
Palestinian borders
Nobel Women's Initiative
Europe from the bottom up
The media in Europe
Mali: the plot thickens
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Remote control war
oDRussia at journalismfestival .com
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Lis Howell On broadcasting
Dan Hancox Revel, Riot and Rebellion
Martin Rose Bliss Was It in that Dawn to Be Next Door
Vron Ware Up in Arms
Jim Gabour Sunday Comics
James Warner Standing Perpendicular, as books do
Markha Valenta Inter Alia: religion, politics, culture
Paul Rogers on Global security
Mary Kaldor on Human security
