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The weight of memory on a changing Russia © Illustration by Paola Bilancieri
Russia at a crossroads: a society in transition
The long tail of Soviet rule and the complex forces defining Russia’s future
An artist's impression of a Soviet ballistic missile submarine base from the 1980s
The uncertain future of the Russian Navy
Russia’s stalled warship ambitions expose a deeper struggle between global reach and limited resources
European politicians attempt to engage in dialogue with Trump
Europe must wake up: from peace project to power player
The end of illusions
A line of Syrian refugees crossing the border of Hungary and Austria on their way to Germany. Hungary, Central Europe, 6 September 2015
How migration became the language of global politics
The hidden politics behind borders, diplomacy, and the movement of people
A lone silhouette rallies a silent crowd, capturing the atmosphere of rising authoritarianism in uncertain times
The Mein Kampf of the “new” global far right
How old fascist doctrines are recycled to shape today’s authoritarian politics
Trump's second-term foreign policy seeks to reshape the international system through a combination of military pressure, selective alliances, and unilateral actions
Washington's strategic compass points south
Strategies, conflicts, and alliances in the United States' geopolitical offensive against China, Russia, and Latin America
The 1702 Visscher Stoopendaal Map of Israel, Palestine, or the Holy Land is a historical map that illustrates the geography of the region during that time
A closer look at claims in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Foundational myths and historical claims in the debate over land ownership and legitimacy
On the margins of a wealthy world, a man’s plea for support speaks to the urgency of making poverty unacceptable
Make poverty illegal
The “war on poverty” may not be the best answer to fight poverty
A group of people in Jakarta, Indonesia, hold a white banner promoting the Sustainable Development Goals
The sustainable development goals ten years after
Why the sustainable development goals faltered and what a changing world means for the future of global governance
Seeing clearly begins when we learn to assemble what we’ve taken apart
The true cost of stereotypes in leadership
How to use listening, asking, and learning to dismantle the walls of disunity and drive growth
A woman holding a laptop, representing gender equality in business, corporate board diversity, and women in leadership, all contributing to gender balance in the workplace
Rethinking gender quotas on corporate boards
Examining the impact of the European Commission’s “Women on boards” directive on merit and diversity
A woman stands in a serene meadow, next to a book that symbolizes life, knowledge, and the secret wisdom to be learned from nature and the human spirit, blending reality with a touch of fantasy
The responsibility of wisdom in society
How wise individuals shape ethical progress and social responsibility
The NATO symbol resting on blue satin, conveying how global order is often staged as harmony while driven by strategic profit
NATO and EU: instruments for the military-industrial complex
With the war in Ukraine, the Western world has embarked on the largest arms build-up ever seen
Climate Smart Village project under the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS), South Asia program, in Vaishali, India. Photo credit: V. Reddy
The rise of the 'she-conomy' in South Asia
Women reshaping economic futures
The Valley of the Fallen — proof that in Spanish politics, the dead never truly rest
Frankenstein politics: the propaganda of the dead
When the past becomes campaign material: Spain’s uneasy dance with its dictator’s ghost
Despite its economic power, the EU's current defense capabilities are inadequate and bureaucratic, leaving a critical gap in global security
Why the EU needs an offensive military force
In a destabilized world, the European Union's reliance on external defense is unsustainable, demanding a proactive and unified military strategy
The China–Pakistan Friendship Monument stands along the Khunjerab Pass near the scenic Atabad Lake tunnels in Hunza Valley, marking the deep bond between the two nations on their shared border route
The enduring partnership between Pakistan and China
A strategic, economic, and geopolitical nexus
Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus championed his concept of social business as a way to release deprived people from the ‘prison’ of welfare at a special summit hosted by the University of Salford, 2013
Dr. Muhammad Yunus: architect of change in Bangladesh
From microfinance pioneer to interim national leader
In a war zone, a man grips a rifle beside heavy machinery
Gamification and the attention economy
The hidden consequences of gamification in apps, social media, and war
A city in motion, representing the pulse of everyday life shaped by invisible political choices
The politics of everyday life
How laws on labour, housing, and safety shape daily life
Maasai children using a laptop while sitting in a desert area of Tanzania, highlighting the contrast between poverty and access to technology
Breaking free from the illusions of progress
Our inherent development obligations and the challenges ahead
On 5 September 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya where she participated in the Africa Climate Summit. Pictured here (from left to right): Ursula von der Leyen, Alice Wahome, Member of the Kenyan Parliament for Kandara Constituency, and Rigathi Gachagua, Deputy President of Kenya
Can Central and Eastern Europe boost soft power in Africa?
Declining Western influence and the growing Russian and Chinese presence in Africa
Argentina finds itself once again at a historical crossroads, torn between the promise of modernization and the risk of repeating old pacts of dependency
The future of Argentina after the legislative elections
Trump, Milei, and the re-establishment of an old alliance: the promise of freedom in times of debt
UNRWA staff member comforts a distressed child at a school shelter in Nuseirat camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine
When NGOs dance with terror
The soft face of hard power in a world where saving lives pays dividends
Polish soldiers and intelligence agents operate amid a backdrop of Warsaw’s skyline, symbolizing Poland’s ongoing struggle against espionage, cyberwarfare, and disinformation in its hybrid conflict with Russia
Poland: NATO’s first line against the Kremlin
Behind diplomatic formality lies a relentless shadow war of spies, hackers, and propaganda defining NATO’s eastern front
Barbara Kruger’s mural on the housing crisis poses a striking question—‘Who is housed when money talks?’—highlighting inequality in access to shelter
Is Europe still a place to call home?
Europe’s housing crisis and the theft of a generation
Individual refilling a big agricultural drone for farming use
Precision agriculture: sustainable ways to grow food
A look at how precision agriculture and new technology can make food production more sustainable and climate-friendly
A woman gently holds a diamond ring in her hand
A consumer's guide to lab-grown vs. mined gems
A closer look at how technology, transparency, and shifting values are transforming the diamond industry forever
Hands raised in peaceful protest: a collective call for memory, justice, and democracy that continues to resonate across generations
Only non-violent resistance can save America
As democratic institutions falter under Trump’s authoritarian grip, the nation’s survival may depend on a moral uprising of peaceful defiance
A woman in a green leather jacket sits on the floor surrounded by plants, taking a moment to relax
From sourdough to side-hustles
Why our hobbies aren't just for fun anymore
Reclaiming healthcare as care: for the people, by the people
The game: if I were President, what would I do? Part 2
Reimagining healthcare: a holistic approach to national well-being
Aerial view of the Citadel of Alessandria, the largest European fortification, Italy
Italy: the country of contradictions
A night of flood, loss, and reflection on Italy’s fragile relationship with its land and the forgotten duty of care
Nino Ramishvili is a compassionate and visionary leader who believes true success comes from authenticity, empathy, and empowering others to find their voice
The story of Nino Ramishvili
From building Carrefour’s communications to empowering women, her journey shows leadership starts with empathy
These women stand boldly, challenging the idea that gender roles are biologically predetermined, and embracing the belief that gender is a social construct shaped by power dynamics
The great lie of patriarchy
How gender, power, and masculinity are constructed and why it all must change
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known in China as the One Belt One Road and sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure development strategy launched by the People's Republic of China in 2013. This initiative aims to invest in over 150 countries and international organizations
India's strategic response to the Belt and Road Initiative
India's countermeasures and regional alliances amid China's global infrastructure push
A glowing block of ice under a rising sun; a stark reminder of what’s melting away as nations falter on climate commitments
COP30: keeping the faith
As nations gather to confront global warming, the United States stands apart—its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement turning it from a climate leader into a global outlaw
A stethoscope lying on currency bills, representing how the healthcare industry is often driven by profit and financial incentives rather than patient care
Africa’s health boom: the business of being sick
A continent where illness feeds growth
A sign reading "Refugees Welcome" displayed on a building
Germany needs immigrants: luckily, they are coming
A new law is a positive sign for immigration to Germany
The PRINCOSER theoretical framework proposes a new scientific vision of business sustainability by establishing a quantifiable relationship between ethics and organizational durability
A scientific law for business sustainability
The ethical formula based on the PRINCOSER framework
Demonstration against the Global Security Law, Paris, France, December 2020
Justifying political power in the face of the polycrisis
Challenges and limits of public reason in addressing interconnected global crises
Fortified by debt: Europe’s welfare state under siege
The United States, NATO, and the 5% for defense
Between debt and weapons: the political cost of an alliance that threatens the European welfare state
Hiroshima Nights, watercolour 16 x 12 cm, Mark Weighton 2025
Remembering our ancestors in the pursuit of peace
Taurus Full Moon
Lisbon, Portugal a child holding a Palestinian flag during a protest
The question of Palestine: a struggle for freedom
Tracing the historical roots, human cost, and enduring hope of a people’s fight for self-determination
Burkina Faso Soldiers react to an ambush practical exercise during Flintlock 2017, March 1, 2017 at Camp Zagre, Burkina Faso
Paramilitaries, coups, and foreign powers in the Sahel
How military coups, foreign actors, and local insurgencies are reshaping the region’s future
A shallow focus photo of a person holding a Donald Trump sign during an immigrant rights protest in the West Village, New York City, USA
Inclusive societies: a threat to the far right?
The rise of far-right ideologies and the war waged on diversity in the United States
A woman walking beside an AI-powered surveillance camera, emphasizing themes of security, privacy, and biometric technology
Facial recognition: a step forward for security or danger?
Benefits, privacy concerns, and its impact on society
A U.S. Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States on February 3, 2023.
When balloons ruled the news
A look at the unexplained aerial objects of 2023: was it a lot of hot air?
The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judicial authority and the highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India
More than just a shoe attack
Shoe hurled at India’s top judge reeks of caste discrimination
A nation at the edge: the United States faces its own constitutional reckoning
Dictatorship or decentralization in the U.S.
Examining the potential for a new constitutional convention amidst concerns of federal overreach and the erosion of democratic principles
Woman wearing a white hijab, her face veiled with white textile
TikTok’s dark mirror
How digital prostitution is distorting Egypt’s moral compass
A close-up of a chainsaw cutting through a tree trunk in the forest
Axes, egos, and ecosystems: rethinking manhood
What masculinity has to do with the forest crisis
People filming an act of protest, demonstrating how young people use social media to spread awareness during times of conflict and war
How Palestinian youth are resisting online
Posting through the pain and turmoil
On December 9, 2011, during COP17 in Durban, hundreds protested inside the UN Climate Talks, urging nations not to sign what they called a “death sentence” for those already suffering from climate change
Climate data matters: conferences not so much
Why COP30 and the 29 before it fail to measure what really matters in the climate crisis
Data "Papa" Vanishvili. Woke up one day to find himself behind the barbed wire installed by Russian troops through his yard at the South Ossetia-Georgia ABL. Data Vanishvili died on 19 March 2021 at the age of 90
The voids no one fills
Displacement, borders, and absence in the South Caucasus
A young woman leans on a rooftop railing in New York City, overwhelmed and exhausted — a quiet moment of burnout in the pursuit of unpaid opportunity
The labor behind the dream
How young professionals are paying the price for “opportunities”
The statues of four South African Nobel Peace Prize laureates, located on Breakwater Boulevard at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
South Africa: a nation in perpetual conversations
Is another comprehensive national dialogue warranted or vexatious?
A young man overwhelmed with political fatigue and the question of whether to stay or leave
Indonesia’s uncertain path under Prabowo
The new Indonesian administration stirs political controversy, economic anxiety and digital resistance
Image of two deceased children in Gaza, wrapped in shrouds, displayed during protests
Gaza escalation: the collapse of the ceasefire
Israel's airstrikes spark humanitarian crisis and diplomatic strains
Beyond statistics, the human face of poverty reminds us that a world without want is still a dream for many
A world without poverty is not a just world
Questions for the Second World Social Summit
A man appears distressed and overwhelmed by the banking crisis
Government bank bailouts: the moral cost
How politicians’ deals with bankers hurt the public
A city sign in China set against the backdrop of factories and trade hubs, reflecting the nation’s growing technology industry and global economic influence
Jeffrey D. Sachs on Trump, China, and Western hegemony
Why U.S. foreign policy lacks coherence in a multipolar world
Confident and accomplished businesswoman with arms crossed, symbolizing economic participation, women in business, and female entrepreneurship
The economic imperative of gender equality
A path to inclusive growth through women’s empowerment and targeted policy interventions
U.S. and China: competing visions for global leadership
From military to markets: America’s path to global power
Competing with China's Belt and Road Initiative through a new approach to aid and development
A NATO pin badge in front of bullets, representing the military alliance between member countries to promote peace and security
NATO after the fall of the USSR
From deterrence and defence to confrontational warmongering
Outside the National Assembly, the symbol of ‘The Law’ stands over a political arena where the meaning of democracy and popular sovereignty is fiercely contested
Interview with La France Insoumise: where will France go?
A conversation on the deepening political crisis in France and its implications for the left and the alternative.
Part of the Arch of Titus, a Roman triumphal arch, depicting Romans carrying The Ark of the Covenant after destruction of the Temple. c. 81 CE
Gaza, Rome, cyclical geopolitics and peace
The echoes of past empires resound from ancient tunnels to today’s wars for peace
Morocco's Hassan II Mosque, set against a blue sky, representing the country's dedication to preserving its traditional architecture and design
Structural economic advances for an emerging Morocco 
Morocco’s development through infrastructure, energy transition, and innovation
A person placing push pins into a world map, symbolizing the power of naming, cartography, and the marking of geopolitical boundaries
The politics of place names
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico and the power of cartography
A stock market chart displayed over the American flag, symbolizing the intersection of financial trends and national economy
The fragile future of the US stock market in 2025
Economic instability, geopolitical tensions, and technological risks threaten the markets
Saint Porphyrius Church and cemetery (Gaza), view from SW. 1922, Ecole biblique de Jérusalem
Once upon a time in Gaza
A reflection on public health, cultural resilience, and the enduring struggle for humanity amid devastation
A young woman and fellow volunteers sort and distribute humanitarian aid, highlighting resilience and compassion in the face of hardship
Multidisciplinarity and ideology in development work
A critical reflection on how dominant frameworks and ideological blind spots influence the practice and limits of development work
General View of the meeting Foreign Ministry of Estonia at NATO on 28 November 2023
The implications of a United States-Russia reconciliation
An unthinkable alliance might be taking shape right before our eyes – what to expect onwards?
Anxious faces in Brussels: Europe grapples with political stagnation and a crisis of leadership as the EU flag flutters in uncertainty
The degradation of Western elites
Economic stagnation, political paralysis, and a loss of trust leave Europe unable to define its own future
A portrait of silenced resistance—remembering the prophetic leaders whose visions of justice, sovereignty, and freedom were extinguished by the forces they sought to challenge
Requiem for political leaders not yet assassinated
A reflection on the silenced visions of justice, sovereignty, and emancipation in the struggle against imperial domination
The Anonymous mask often associated with the hacker, showing how the digital age has blurred the lines between activism and cyberextremism
Digital extremism and cyberterrorism
Analysis of online counterterrorism strategies and global inter-cooperation in the Near East Region
A photo of Golden Dawn members holding flags featuring the meander symbol during a rally outside the party headquarters in Athens, March 2015
The contemporary challenge to democracy in Europe
The rise of neo-fascism and the urgency of rational dialogue
Four people wearing Guy Fawkes masks protest against disinformation, boldly demanding truth and transparency
Between control and freedom
National strategies against disinformation
Authoritarian power rises from the smoke of industries that profit while people and planet pay the price
Is the USA on the road to totalitarianism?
The systematic dismantling of democratic institutions in 21st-century America
A financial advisor explains structured notes to a client during a meeting in a modern office overlooking the city skyline
How new hubs open sophisticated investing
From Dubai to Singapore, financial centers are bringing once-exclusive products to individual investor
One individual is seen attempting to make the dominoes fall, symbolizing the pressure placed on employees to meet unrealistic expectations
Overcoming performance punishment: fostering fairness
Addressing the detrimental impact on high performers and organizational success
An artistic depiction of the balance between state power and market forces, symbolizing the tension within modern society’s political and economic systems
Roberto Siconolfi on the limits of modern society
In the final part of this interview, the sociologist reflects on neoliberalism, capitalism’s decline, and rising bureaucratic control
When one action can stop a collapse: the power of human risk management
Understanding human risk management
Navigating the complexities of human behavior in organizations
A new dawn for leadership: reimagining governance through compassion, integrity, and love
The game: if I were President, what would I do?
Radical love in the midst of madness
80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at U.N. Headquarters in New York City
Europe prepares for war
Between exhausted diplomacy and a booming military industry
A man cycles near a wind turbine, symbolizing the connection between sustainable living and renewable energy
Climate investment: insurance and opportunity
A fraction of global wealth growth could close the climate investment gap
The world economy bound by financial chains: wealth exists, but distribution and governance remain broken
Winds of change
Reimagining our economic and political landscape
The world bears the scars of pollution that goes unpunished
Climate clouds keep gathering
All we need is the courage to break the carbon cartel’s grip
An aerial view of a container cargo ship navigating global trade routes beneath a bridge, symbolizing economic diplomacy and international transportation
IMEC corridor: strategic realignment to counterbalance China
The potential of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor amidst geopolitical tensions
​A map showing parts of the Global South set alight by connections and development, representing the ongoing transformation and growth in these regions
Yes, the Global South can be global too
The rise of the Global South as a hub of innovation and social change
A French lithograph illustrating the concept of universal suffrage, featuring individuals from various social classes and occupations casting their votes
An unexplored dimension of deglobalization
How does moral deglobalization look like?
Greta Thunberg on board the Madleen, on her way to Gaza
Enough already: from ancient hunts to modern chaos
Aries Full Moon
Mounted Hungarian police officers patrolling the external border between Hungary and Serbia
Schengen showdown: Romania, Bulgaria & the Netherlands
When the Dutch blocked Romania and Bulgaria from Schengen
The courage to become: embrace your authentic self and cultivate what only you can provide
Entrepreneurship: the category of one
The ultimate aspiration for entrepreneurship and for life
An individual is placed in handcuffs by an officer of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
A tale of two deportations
What expatriation taught me about bureaucracy and belonging
AI-generated image of a crowd joyfully celebrating graduation together
The looming redundancy of higher education
The pipeline of valuable educational experiences turning into diploma factories
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