Music and language likely share the same ancient roots, emerging from early humans’ need to connect, communicate, and thrive as social beings. When NASA launched Voyager 1, currently the farthest human-made object from Earth, they included a tribute to humanity— a Golden Record. This record features music, sounds of nature, greetings in multiple languages, and…
Of all the arts, theater has always been a powerful force in bringing people together. In Ancient Greece, the birthplace of Western theater, audiences of 15,000-20,000 would gather to witness the playwrights compete, forging a shared cultural and social experience. More than 2,500 years later, theater remains a vital tool for community building and bonding….
John Gast, American Progress, 1872 Columbia, the female figure of America, leads Americans into the West and into the future by carrying the values of republicanism. MANIFEST DESTINY Manifest Destiny is defined as “the concept of American exceptionalism, that is, the belief that America occupies a special place among the countries of the world.” The…
In an insightful interview, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations at the United Nations, discusses the evolving landscape of peacekeeping, its challenges, and its future in a world fraught with conflict. Here, Lacroix shares his perspective on the relevance of peacekeeping, the complexities of peace operations in Africa, and the role of diplomacy in…
In the wake of Assad regime’s collapse, sanctions, religious zealotry, local enmities and geopolitical competition shape Syria’s complex and volatile landscape, in which HTS has become a dominant force, fueling not only hopes, but also concerns. According to UNDP, fourteen years of conflict in Syria have undone nearly four decades of economic, social and human…
Yamazaki Kazuyuki (left), Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, attends the Peace Bell Ceremony on the occasion of the International Day of Peace 2024 (21 Sep). The theme of the International Day of Peace 2024 is Cultivating a Culture of Peace. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s…
Is the country still the diplomatic hub it once was? ‘It is in our DNA,’ says the Swiss envoy. At a time when diplomacy is being tested like never before—from the war in Ukraine to escalating tensions in the Middle East—Switzerland, a cornerstone of international mediation, now faces questions about its neutrality. Is the country…
What is Climate Change? The World Weather Attribution (WWA) is an international group of scientists focused on uncovering how climate change influences extreme weather. By using climate modeling, statistical analysis, and comparison to historical occurrences of specific events, WWA has shown how climate change is making natural disasters more frequent and intense. Their simple yet…
As the son of a career Foreign Service Officer, our family moved every 18 months, changing countries, climates, and languages. Starting in the 1950s, much of the travel was by ship. It is hard to imagine 2025 climbing on a boat in Jakarta and three weeks later climbing off in Genoa – across the Indian…
The collapse of the Assad regime liberated Syrians from decades of brutal and repressive rule and has opened the way for a better path forward. But the group that has taken over—HTS led by Ahmad al-Shara—has an extremist past, the state and economy are in shambles, and the country continues to suffer from deep divisions….
Trump Trade War 2.0: Tariffs bring more questions and fears As soon as US President Donald Trump took office, he signed an executive order that would impose additional customs duties on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. On February 1, the White House announced that an additional 25 percent customs duty would be imposed on…
Refik Anadol, the visionary Turkish artist who captivated millions with his ground-breaking MoMA installation Unsupervised, is now shaping the future of art and technology with the opening of the world’s first AI art museum, Dataland, in Los Angeles in 2025. Recently recognized at the prestigious 2025 TIME100 Impact Awards, Anadol has spent nearly two decades…
Advocating for human rights in the halls and corridors of United Nations headquarters is not easy, but it’s what some of us do every day. Most global crises and conflicts involving human rights abuses end up on the agenda of one or more UN body or agency. It could be the Security Council, General Assembly,…
Nestled across from the United Nations in New York City stands the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza, a hub for world leaders, diplomats, and international dignitaries. At the helm of this prestigious property is Ratna Hendrianto, a General Manager whose impressive journey in hospitality spans over two decades and three continents. With a…
I am a former refugee from Karabakh, born in the Jabrayil region of Azerbaijan. When I was three years old, Armenian armed forces took over my home, forcing my family to flee and become internally displaced persons (IDPs). We spent many years in refugee camps, moving from one city to another in Azerbaijan, searching for…
The collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has marked a turning point in Syria’s protracted conflict. While it has opened the door to potential political and social reforms, it has also intensified power struggles among local factions, regional powers, and international actors. The emergence of the interim government led by HTS, the continued impact of…
