All The Monitor's View
- What Washington can agree on
Massive spending bills like the two infrastructure measures have brought bipartisan attention to preventing fraud.
- A woman’s courage to end wartime rape in Ethiopia
Out of conscience, the country’s minister for women resigns after campaigning for justice against wartime sexual violence.
- A youth-led movement against Malaysia’s race-based politics
As in other Muslim nations, many young people in this Southeast Asian nation see official discrimination for or against groups as a source of corruption and a denial of individual rights.
- Merkel’s style shaping Germany’s new government
No one party clearly won Sunday’s election to replace Angela Merkel after her 16 years in power. Yet the leading contenders may imitate her methods of seeking compromise to form a coalition.
- A China encircled by freedoms
The Indo-Pacific’s clubs of democracies and free-trade nations may do more to curb Chinese aggression than military pushback.
- Look who’s defending the rights of Afghan women
Foreign aid groups, eager to assist a hungry nation, insist on guarantees for their female Afghan staff to operate freely. The Taliban might listen.
- One victory over the pandemic: Community gardens
At this year’s meeting of community garden experts, one theme is how such shared plots made a difference during COVID-19.
- Biden’s bid for relentless diplomacy
His first U.N. speech as president was a call to supplement military force with cooperation to address today’s common challenges.
- A revival of public art as freedom from a pandemic
From a giant violin-shaped boat in Venice to 500 flags in Albuquerque, cities see liberation from a lockdown in cultural expressions free to all.
- New ways to curb climate migration
Many nations are building better resiliency in places vulnerable to weather disasters, a task as important as curbing carbon emissions.
- How a dinner in Paris guards Europe’s values
The last official meeting between German Angela Merkel and French Emmanuel Macron reflects why the EU remains a beacon.
- Celebrating a well-rooted Israeli-Arab deal
The first-year celebrations of the Abraham Accords reflect how rapidly former foes wanted and needed a normalization of ties, helping cement the pact as a model.
- Germany’s best tool against Russian disinformation
The answer to Moscow’s cyberattacks on German politicians is to counter one of Russia’s false narratives: that the political system is rigged against young people.
- The invite list for Biden’s democracy summit
Just before the summit in December, Iraq holds an election with many reforms that will help define which nations are worth calling democracies.
- When enemies aren’t enemies for Biden
After eight months in office, he has sought dialogue with many U.S. adversaries, hoping respect and listening will be reciprocated.
- West Africa’s neighborly mood of countercoup
To end a trend of military takeovers, the region’s bloc of nations seems eager to turn back a coup in Guinea.
- Charity in China: Can it be coerced?
The ruling party’s command for the wealthy to donate to social causes only highlights how much the party needs philanthropy and the depth of charity among the Chinese.
- Women’s role in a post-9/11 world
In the long struggle against terrorism, women need not be only victims or perpetrators. The world has learned to recruit them as positive actors against violent jihad.
- How a global sports scandal didn’t go to waste
To compensate victims of its mass corruption, world soccer’s governing body will work with the U.S. in distributing ill-gotten money for the good of the sport.
- Boston’s diversity upends old politics
Three centuries on, the city won’t be electing a white, male mayor this fall. The diversity of candidates helps raise issues beyond identity politics.