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March 11, 2010 | A New Strategy for Climate Diplomacy

Following the Copenhagen Accord, there is a danger that Europe and the United States will fall back upon old strategies in international climate politics and hope to see matters through with new patience. But the debacle at Copenhagen clearly …More

March 8, 2010 | The World Should Not Give Up on Somalia

Somalia is typically associated with war, displacement, terrorism, and piracy, but the country is not the failed state it’s portrayed as. ++ “Somalis are resilient and committed to peace, and sickened by the nihilistic violence of the …More

March 5, 2010 | Alliance Asymmetries

Jackson Janes: In order to maintain its relevancy, NATO must convince the world that is as important now as it was 60 years ago. To to this, NATO should re-affirm its commitment to collective defense within a twenty-first century security context, properly resource deployments, and more equally share burdens. …More

March 12, 2010 | Taking the Temperature of Arctic Governance

Editorial Team: The Arctic region tops the agenda at atlantic-community.org for the next week. As the melting ice cap reveals unprecedented commercial and resource exploiting opportunities, we invite our members to reflect on and debate how to make the fight against climate change prevail over states’ interests and consider the need for transatlantic leadership in Arctic governance. …More

March 11, 2010 | Norway and the Arctic: The End of Dreams?

Paal Sigurd Hilde: Norway is a bright example of how moderation can prevail even when the stakes seem high. Those dreaming of an Arctic El Dorado have been sorely disappointed. Will the other states rushing to the Arctic also come to their senses?

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March 10, 2010 | Sea and State Change

Klaus Dodds: The Arctic is in a state of interregnum. The opening of new shipping routes and possible resource exploitation are points of contention. While it is overblown to suggest inevitable geopolitical disorder, tensions will run high. …More

March 12, 2010 | Will the US Become More Active in the Arctic?

Ingrid Lundestad: The United States has stated an intention to become a more active and influential player in the Arctic. What is currently the US position in the region, and what will it look like in the future? …More

March 11, 2010 | The Arctic Region: Great Game or International Cooperation?

K. S. Yalowitz & R. A. Virginia: The economic downturn is lifting pressure off further harmful resource exploitation development in the Arctic region. Will the international community however seize this unexpected opportunity to tackle environmental challenges? US commitment to UN multilateralism is key. …More

March 11, 2010 | The Spill Over Effect of Oil in Iraqi Politics

Oil, far from the blessing it was expected to be, has failed to lift Iraq out of war and economic stagnation. ++ As demonstrated by high levels of corruption in many oil-exporting nations, overreliance on oil for economic growth can …More

March 8, 2010 | Yemen: Challenges of Counter-Terrorism

Roland Popp: Counter-terrorism operations in Yemen have proven to be difficult. While the West has recognized that a broad civil-military strategy for Yemen is required, strengthening the central government in Sanaa does not lead to a diminished terrorist threat. Western governments should prioritize the country’s regional integration and mediation efforts. …More

March 1, 2010 | Al Qaeda - A Geopolitical Interpretation

Antonio Buttitta: Contrary to the common assumption that terrorism is an irrational and unfathomable threat, having a closer look at the place and nature of the terrorist attacks helps us understand terrorists’ logics. …More

March 1, 2010 | The West Should Proceed with Caution in Yemen

Brian O’Neill: The West needs to address structural problems in Yemen and not just focus on taking out Al-Qaeda. A strategy that fails to address poverty and corruption in the country will fail in the long-term. Any approach to strengthening the central government should take internal conflicts into account. …More

March 9, 2010 | Adding Teeth to Iran Sanctions

The Obama administration is currently working on new UN sanctions designed to cut off funding to Iranian nuclear and missile activities, as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s vast network of companies. ++ Chinese participation is a …More

February 18, 2010 | The Iran Nuclear Weapons Programme: Toward Renewed Diplomatic Engagement

Saeb Sal Kasm: Successful resolution of the Iranian nuclear dilemma requires creative and skillful diplomatic engagement. Otherwise, the parties risk further isolation, politically charged rhetoric, and eventually escalation toward military confrontation. …More

February 9, 2010 | Emerging Countries Backing Iran on Nuclear Program

China has replaced Russia at the UN Security Council as the one remaining obstacle to coercive sanctions on Iran’s military nuclear ambitions. ++ The possible Chinese veto finds a sound echo among the emerging countries. ++ Brazil …More

March 12, 2010 | A Renewed Commitment to the MDGs

Much progress has been made in the last decade in the area of international development, yet right now the developed world needs to re-affirm and strengthen its commitment to the Millenium Development Goals. ++ With enough effort, millions of people …More

February 19, 2010 | Soccer Star Pushes Countries to Meet MDG Targets

French soccer star and UN Goodwill Amb. Zinedine Zidane is trying to raise support and awareness of the MDGs. ++ The financial crisis has set back the efforts of Asian countries to meet MDG targets. ++ The Asian Development Bank …More

January 26, 2010 | Tobin-Tax Revival

Haiti reminds us of our common responsibility to help poor countries in both short and long terms. ++ The climate crisis and the Millennium Development Goals push us to fulfill our duties. ++ The UK will do more by giving out 0.7% of its GDP in aid. Still new …More

March 11, 2010 | How to Better Prepare for the Next Financial Crisis

The financial crisis demonstrated that economic difficulties arise as a result of misguided financial as well as monetary policies. With the crisis a recent memory, the chances are good for tackling the root of the problem and …More

March 11, 2010 | European Economic Government Wanted

What used to be inconceivable, is today desirable and even essential. ++ As mentioned by the President of the EU, a European economic government should be the centre of all the EU efforts and attention for three reasons. ++ First, the crisis …More

March 10, 2010 | Women Can Do It Better

Empowering women in Asia is not only a requirement for basic human rights but also an economic asset in recovery form the global recession. ++ It remains the best way to lower the illiteracy, malnutrition and child mortality rates in the long term. ++ A …More

March 9, 2010 | The New Public Diplomacy

Joseph S. Nye: The world of traditional power politics was typically about whose military or economy would win. In today’s information age, politics is also about whose “story” wins. Social media is an essential tool in public diplomacy, but can easily turn into credibility-killing propaganda when misused. …More

March 1, 2010 | Social Media Shapes Public Opinion

Interviews at DLD: Peter Berger of the website Suite101.com asserts that it is essential for governments to participate in social media. New media is making the spread of information across borders instantaneous. …More

February 23, 2010 | The Wiki Way to Create Change in Global Politics

Interview with Jimmy Wales: The founder of Wikipedia discusses the importance of websites like Atlantic Community where people come together to create solutions for how to make the world a better place. The key to constructive online debates is to amplify the more moderate voices. …More

November 12, 2009 | Asia Should Focus on its Own Markets

Asia faces dramatic economic change in the coming decades. In order to preserve economic growth, Asian markets need to abandon their excessive export orientation and reliance on foreign markets such as the American and European ones. As a result …More

October 13, 2009 | The Renminbi Needs to Float

The key cause of the current financial crisis is a lack of balance in the world economy. ++ Whilst China has built up immense financial reserves, the US has seen its account deficit grow and grow on the back of infinitely increasing interest payments …More

October 9, 2009 | Financial Crisis Requires Continued Action

Although there is lots of talk of green shoots, the recession is not over and the crisis demands that we finish what we started. ++ Stimulus packages are helping to stabilise our economies, but we are still in danger. ++ “Premature …More

December 8, 2009 | When Climate Change Takes Over

Although climate activists have been successful at attracting the world’s attention to the receding ice on Mount Kilimanjaro, with an influx of tourists as a direct result, they fail to bring attention to the people of Tanzania. ++ Although scientists …More

December 7, 2009 | Politicians in Copenhagen Must Rise to the Challenge

“Politicians in Copenhagen can and must agree on the essential elements of a fair and effective deal and, crucially, a firm timetable for turning it into a treaty.” ++ The required transformation will demand that we all rethink …More

November 26, 2009 | "Climate of Denial"

A series of email-exchanges from Britain’s Climate Research Unit, that were released by a hacker, show how researchers should not respond to global warming sceptics. ++ Although none of them undercuts the scientific consensus on climate change, a call …More

January 11, 2010 | Designing Financial Sustainability

The United States and the European Union are establishing a series of new tools for ensuring financial control and preventing new financial crises. The EU is setting up a European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) for macroprudential control and a …More

December 16, 2009 | Hold On To The Expats

In the present financial crisis many expats are dropped by their home company in favor of local hire. ++ Although this presents a significant cost reduction to the head office initially, the mid- to long term effects of dispensing with key personnel are …More

December 4, 2009 | Reminders from Dubai

The financial turmoil in Dubai last week, following the state-owned Dubai World conglomerate’s request for a six-month standstill on its debts, is a reminder for investors that they should not assume implicit government support. ++ It also demonstrates that the …More

March 1, 2010 | To Be Green or Not to Be Green? Biofuels in Question

According to a report from the British government, “using fossil fuel in vehicles is better for the environment than so-called green fuels made from crops.” ++ Firstly, because clearing rainforests for biofuel plantations …More

February 26, 2010 | Dumped Hummers Are for the Better

The American hummer is an endangered specie. ++ 9000 of these “gas guzzlers” were sold this year against 71 000 in 2006. ++ Even the Chinese Communist Party is suspected to have rebuffed GM’s offer to buy the sinking brand because of its …More

February 10, 2010 | The Global Warming Movement is Cooling

There has been a sharp shift away from the urgency for a climate deal in the lead up to Copenhagen. ++ “Climategate,” the failure to reach a meaningful deal at Copenhagen, and the faulty evidence produced by the IPCC have all …More

January 25, 2010 | Watching the Clock

Frank O'Donnell: On January 14, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists repositioned its ‘Doomsday Clock’ by only one minute, from five to six minutes to midnight. This incremental adjustment symbolizes the global uncertainty regarding the future of the nonproliferation regime. …More

January 22, 2010 | Accepting American Hegemony

Jerome Grossman: A world without nuclear weapons would do much in terms of security, but more so, it would enhance and protect the superpower status of the United States. Giving up nuclear weapons and accepting US hegemony may be the price humanity must pay to avert the threat of total annihilation. …More

September 28, 2009 | Böll Conference Videos: The Middle East and the NPT - Keys to Zero!

Editorial Team: Two of the most important issues regarding nuclear disarmament were discussed at the second day of the conference: How to prevent a nuclear arms race in the middle east and how to adapte the Non-Proliferation Regime to new realities. The videos prove, that the questions instigated a hot debate amongst the experts. …More