All Opinion

Commentary at the Monitor is evolving to better meet reader interests. We'll be minimizing some elements, but adding others. And while the form of Monitor commentary may change, we'll continue to offer the constructive, thoughtful perspectives you've come to expect from us.

The US already destroyed the political, economic, and social infrastructure of Iraq. There is no way it should attempt to re-enter this agony. This is not some jihadi apocalypse. In fact, ISIS is establishing the groundwork for what is emerging as a likely federalist structure of Sunni Arab, Shiite Arab, and Kurdish regions – the only way Iraq can survive for the foreseeable future.

Decades of dam building had decimated migratory fish populations that had long sustained local wildlife and people on the Penobscot River. After years of contentious battles, local stakeholders struck a deal. Today, for the first time in 200 years, river life is rebounding. And the power company has not lost any hydropower generation.

By provoking US allies, Beijing is forcing Washington to choose between abandoning its friends or going to war with China. Both believe the other will back down. But there is a high chance that they are both wrong. America’s best move then is to change the game in Asia, by offering to share power if China behaves responsibly.

At Seeds of Peace, we bring kids from conflict zones together to learn to see each other and their differences in a new light. Now, our first generation of alumni are emerging as leaders of their societies and leveraging their experience to build peace.

The epidemic of military sexual assault requires continued pursuit of reform. With that in mind, we recently introduced the FAIR Military Act, which is aimed at eliminating bias in the military justice system and increasing accountability among all levels of the military.

To read a novel, once upon a time, all you had to do was suspend your disbelief. Now you have to suspend your belief that the world will end if you lose digital access for a few hours. That's a shame. Because reading is still the best way to lose yourself, in my opinion. 

Neither a barrage of facts nor a sense of civic duty alone will make people reexamine their positions. As we've learned at The Village Square, civil discourse requires friendship, humor – and irreverence.

Stepping up America’s direct role in advancing a resolution to the simmering conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan is an essential step to serve not only American interests, but to put Vladimir Putin on the defensive.

For all the debate since Edward Snowden's NSA disclosures a year ago, the only thing more striking than the changes that have resulted is how much has stayed the same. Unfortunately, a lack of evidence of cold war-style abuses has dampened the public push for reform.

As an opposition member of parliament, I can happily say that Modi appears to have realized that he will have to lead the nation from the center and not from the extreme right, where he built his base. But if he backslides, we will resist him robustly. India's democracy deserves no less.

If we are serious as a culture about preventing future atrocities, we need to change the way we socialize boys and men like Elliot Rodger. And we will need to dismantle a culture that routinely treats women and girls as sexual objects and targets of real and virtual violence.

Arab nomads in Darfur have organized interlocking conflict resolution networks to address local disputes before they escalate. Their work could help bring lasting peace to a region plagued by violence. But it requires stronger international support to fulfill its promise.

I worry that in an era of stressed resources for schools and increased emphasis on uniform academic testing, field trips might fall victim to slashed budgets and school reform. As I saw, they can spark critical thinking better than conventional classroom instruction.

Tunisia has many advantages that set it up well for progress. But the country's future will not be assured without international support. It must fortify a weak economy, combat crime and terrorism, and continue government reforms.

On an arctic island 250 miles from the nearest Siberian village, US and Russian scientists are collaborating on wildlife research. Their work proves: Conservation transcends geopolitics.

Myanmar holds the key to improving the lives of millions within its borders and beyond. With international support, it must work to promote social unity and empower and protect minorities. Then it can be an example for a region that has too often failed to uphold pluralist norms.

People of all stripes – whether green-living gurus or thrifty penny pinchers, conservatives or liberals – want to use less energy. Now, technology and behavioral science are giving them the tools to do it.