All Opinion

It took three weeks for President Obama to publicly address the crisis of more than 250 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Evidence is mounting that, beyond its strategic self-interest, the US does not have an operating philosophy on defending human rights.

Boko Haram’s depredations, while horrific, are symptomatic of longer-term problems. With US support, Nigeria must curb political corruption to improve security, ensure religious freedom, and begin the process of reconciliation among its people.

The US and Britain must lend surveillance and other technology help locate the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. By doing so, they are sending a message that friends of Nigeria will not stand by if the terrorist campaign continues. A new 'safe schools' initiative must also be put in place to reassure worried parents that schools are secure.

After the African National Congress was un-banned, my family returned to South Africa after years of exile. In 1994, I voted proudly for the ANC in the first democratic elections. While I will forever love the movement that freed us, I recognize that it, too, needs its powers checked.

Mention European youth, and most people think about unemployment and a bleak future. To get the stories behind the stats, we talked to youth in 14 countries. What we found is two-fold: Yes, they are suffering. But they also have the power to save Europe – if they will engage.

When you’re standing at the altar, you are taking a colossal leap of faith. No matter how well you know each other, you really have no idea what’s up ahead. It doesn’t have to be this way. We married couples could do a better job of sharing our stories from the front lines.

US pork producers should heed food company and consumer demands to end gestation crates. Integrating humane treatment of animals can save companies money, help maintain and attract consumers, and even recruit talented employees.

It is tempting to focus on big-ticket questions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the heart of the issue is in the daily 'facts on the ground' that most affect people. Our study found that Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank impede Palestinians – but also Israeli and regional security.

History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. We have seen that isolationism only results in greater conflicts later. It is only through the cooperation of nations that firm and clear lines can be drawn and that others can be enticed in.

Facebook must do more than invade our privacy, bombard us with ads, and make us feel sad. To stay relevant, it must address users' privacy concerns, adjust its ad strategy, and engage users in developing and emerging markets.

I’ve been observing Lent by getting rid of at least one household possession each day in the run up to Easter. I've found that simplifying your life is harder than it looks. Consumer culture enriches our standard of living, yet complicates it, too.

In this interview, South African writer Nadine Gordimer speaks about the disillusionment of post-Mandela South Africa, her distrust of the digital era, and her decision to retire from writing fiction.

For a radical progressive who once harbored negative stereotypes about folks on the right, it was a turning point for me: Though Sean Hannity or Sarah Palin and I disagree profoundly on politics – they're personable, kind, and human. If you want to persuade people, you can’t demonize them.

The genocide in Rwanda was an emblematic failure of the international community. The world has since made important strides in acting on those lessons, but this work still faces setbacks. The international community cannot claim to care about atrocity crimes and then shrink from the commitment required to prevent them ­­– whether in the Central African Republic or Syria.

Growing cyber threats demand leadership that can only come from the US. Europe and the world must move beyond qualms about NSA spying and accept a US leadership role on global cybersecurity. The US must work to rebuild trust to ensure the Internet is kept open and safe.

Girls outshine boys in most aspects of college. And men have not historically suffered discrimination as a group. Yet colleges routinely reject talented young women in favor of less qualified young men. Instead of rewarding girls for success, they discriminate against them.

The progress Rwanda has achieved since its genocide may be the most significant example of human development of the past 20 years. Its governance should not be the subject of criticism, but should stand as a model for other nations seeking reconciliation.

The education debate should not be over whether students spend too must time testing, but on which tests are actually useful to teachers and improving instruction. Then we need to make district, state, and federal policy decisions based on this information.

A changing economy is precisely why we need young people educated in the humanities. These disciplines teach us to question – and better – the world around us. The crisis is not with the humanities. The crisis is with the failure to value them enough.