visions & reflections

Saturday 24th December

2012, an era of uncertainty

Takashi Inoguchi, 24 December 2011

The tsunami and nuclear accident made 2011 an especially hard year for Japan. But the questions raised by the experience are similar to those being asked across the world, says Takashi Inoguchi.

Wednesday 22nd June

The early 21st century is marked by a profusion of initiatives that bring people together to discuss and explore big questions. It amounts to a great river of change - but to realise its potential the movement needs a formal designation, says Keith Kahn-Harris.

Monday 2nd May

Terrorism in historical perspective

Fred Halliday, 2 May 2011

All human beings are locked into a conflict that will endure for decades, the outcome of which is not certain. In face of it, says Fred Halliday, citizens need five resources: a clear sense of history; recognition of the reality of the danger; steady, intelligent, political leadership; the building of mass support for resistance to this major threat; and above all, a commitment to liberal and democratic values.

(This article was first published on 22 April 2004)

Tuesday 5th April

How to be radical? An interview with Todd Gitlin and George Monbiot

George Monbiot and Todd Gitlin, 5 April 2011

What kind of radicalism can help turn protest against injustice into a coherent movement for a progressive global politics? Here, leading voices of different generations – Todd Gitlin (‘Letters to a Young Activist’) and George Monbiot (‘The Age of Consent’) – discuss activism, nationalism, violence, and world government in an interview with Anthony Barnett and Caspar Henderson of openDemocracy.

(This article was first published on 5 September 2003)

Wednesday 23rd February

Libyan justice: medicine on death row

Michel Thieren, 23 February 2011

Libya's conviction of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor for infecting child patients in Benghazi with the HIV virus was judicial scandal and medical disaster - and still offers crucial insight into the Libyan regime

Wednesday 12th January

The 2011 outlook: ideas and agents

David Hayes, 12 January 2011

Where are the sources of inspiration that can improve global and national prospects in 2011? openDemocracy writers across the world offer their thoughts.

(The first contributions in this collection were published on 3 January 2011)

Monday 6th December

Is the world getting larger or smaller?

Doreen Massey, 6 December 2010

"The world is not getting so small that there is room for only one story." The changing spatial dimensions of human life and thinking are creating the need for a new imagination and politics of space, says Doreen Massey.

Monday 18th October

A tale of miners, presidents and nations

Goran Fejic, 18 October 2010

The Chilean miners’ rescue, a inspiring story of human solidarity, offers the nation’s president a miraculous political reward. There are lessons for a European counterpart, says Goran Fejic.

Chile's global drama

Isabel Hilton, 18 October 2010

An extraordinary Latin American country gifts another story to the world. But Chile's latest epic carries many ghosts in its train, writes Isabel Hilton.

Wednesday 22nd September

The world's progress: aims, tools, realities

Stephen Browne, 22 September 2010

A United Nations summit in New York on 20-22 September 2010 is measuring progress in the fulfilment of global commitments to improving human security by 2015 - the Millennium Development Goals. But the focus should be on the instruments of delivery as much as the objectives, says Stephen Browne.

Thursday 13th May

The Indian experience

Rajeev Bhargava and Tani Bhargava, 13 May 2010

What connects elections, democracy, and poor people's life-chances? Rajeev & Tani Bhargava draw a lesson from India in this, openDemocracy's first article, originally published on 13 May 2001

Monday 22nd March

Amnesty International: the politics of morality

Stephen Hopgood, 22 March 2010

The expansion of Amnesty International's remit to include "full-spectrum" human rights may entail costs as well as benefits, says Stephen Hopgood.

(This article was first published on 7 June 2006)

Thursday 4th February

The blizzard of the world

Paul Kingsnorth, 4 February 2010

The exhaustion of the planet and existing ways of life presents a creative challenge: exploring “uncivilisation”. Paul Kingsnorth introduces the Dark Mountain Project.

Tuesday 22nd December

2010: global cracks, human prospects

David Hayes, 22 December 2009

A volcanic decade in global politics ends amid deep unease about the world’s ability to rise to key 21st-century challenges. openDemocracy writers draw breath and look ahead by reflecting on three questions:

1) What was the most significant trend in the century's first decade?

2) What do you most hope for, and most fear, about the decade to come?

3) What idea do you see fading and/or emerging in 2010 and beyond?

Monday 21st September

Forward, Mr President!

Kenneth Yalowitz, William Courtney, and Denis Corboy, 21 September 2009

Three former Western ambassadors to countries in the post-Soviet space applaud President Medvedev’s call for sweeping reform and suggest key paths to modernisation

Friday 14th August