In the absence of intelligence, baseless opinion rules

Dan Bavly explains how the post-Cold War immigration of Muslims to many Western countries, as well as the increasing globalization of the 21st century, have exacerbated the modern era’s clash of civilizations. In Bavly‘s opinion, terrorism should not be shocking as it is simply an updated form of warfare in a world that has always been dangerous. But to meet this new threat, Bavly writes, the West must improve its intelligence systems, and open up dialogue with the countries that it has placed in the axis of evil based upon mutual respect, equality, and understanding. Only then can the baseless opinions that have been ruling Western foreign policy be replaced with more innovative and intelligent approaches to peace.

The Iranian Nuclear Crisis and Politics of the Western Powers

Sohail Mahmood explains how despite Iran‘s insistence that it is developing its nuclear program for purely pacific means, it can be reasonably assumed that Iran wants to obtain nuclear weapons. The possession of nuclear capabilities would reduce Iran‘s historical sense of insecurity, and allow the ambitious country to become a leader in the Muslim World. In Mahmood‘s opinion, in order to avoid the further escalation of the crisis, the US and Western powers must learn to be patient, and establish multilateral negotiations with Iran in order to convince the country to give up its nuclear program without losing face. Given the weakening of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran‘s history of prominence in the Middle East, and the lack of support for sanctions, diplomacy is the only viable option available.

Juan Pedro García explains why, with the advance of the Internet, printed newspapers are coming up against a great number of challenges. In Garcia‘s opinion, it is essential for the printed media to adapt itself to fit the new times and technologies, not only to ensure their own survival, but also to avoid negative impacts on free expression, and objective reporting. A reduction in the diversity of printed news sources could present a backsliding for pluralism and democracy. The press, therefore, needs to look towards the future, taking advantage of new technologies and offering readers a diversity of viewpoints. If not, we may very well see in our lifetime, the end of printed news.

Luciano Anzelini analyzes the challenges that the United Nations will face in taking on the undeniable reform of its Security Council, suggested by Kofi Annan in 2005. In Anzelini‘s opinion, the stagnation of the reforms process is due to the fact that the Security Council is an exclusionary organism, which fails to faithfully represent the international reality. In order for the United Nations to finally advance to the path towards democratization, Anzelini outlines some reforms that should, and should not, be taken.

Bernardo Kliksberg analyzes the role that businesses play in society, pointing out that corporate responsibility not only produces benefits for the companies and institutions, but also for society as a whole. Kliksberg explains why corporate responsibility is taking on an ever more important and urgent role in developing countries, and why it is essential –in a world of increasing inequality, with over 3 billion poor– to ensure that businesses take on an active role in solving society’s problems. With corporate responsibility, everyone wins.