All The Monitor's View
- How Libyans shaped a unity government
Remote public participation and a case of competing generals finding consensus led to the election of an interim prime minister mandated to promote reconciliation.
- Sprouts of freedom in Africa
Enough polls of young people and a few examples of democratic practices hint that Africans may be demanding better governance.
- Local givers rise to the COVID-19 challenge
Of all charitable grants given to meet the needs during the pandemic last year, more than half came from community foundations.
- Asia’s security in a different light
The first summit of a group of Asian-Pacific democracies known as the Quad provides a chance for it to not be seen as only an enemy of China.
- China’s quest for “sources of innovation”
One source, as officials now admit, is freedom for scientific researchers to fail. To achieve its goal as a tech giant, China may be forced to grant more social freedoms.
- Police trials as benchmarks for racial justice
The verdict in the trial of a police officer for George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis must be seen against the progress made in states since that tragic yet galvanizing moment.
- A welcoming that defines power in the Middle East
A historic meeting between Shiism’s most respected iman and the pope signals how the Abrahamic faiths can influence the region’s conflicts.
- What France can learn from US Black churches
A French bill indirectly targeting the Muslim minority can take a lesson from the role of Black churches in achieving progress.
- Alternatives to a boycott of Beijing Olympics
For the 2022 Games, athletes can protest China’s abuses in clever ways. Foreign officials and advertisers can stay away. The purposes of the Olympics can then endure.
- Biden's first use of force overseas
A retaliatory airstrike on Iran-backed militias in Syria opens an opportunity for the president to show leadership in setting thresholds and responsibilities for any U.S. military action.
- Why protest signs in Myanmar are in English
The anti-coup demonstrators are appealing to a more sophisticated global “peace industry” that can track peaceful assembly and shine a light on local conflicts.
- Shaping a new Syria, one verdict at a time
Syrian refugees carried the ideals of the Arab Spring into a German courtroom that convicted one of the regime’s torturers.
- The only path for India, Pakistan
A truce in Kashmir and an agreement to discuss “core” issues between the two rivals makes sense in light of bigger concerns and opportunities.
- How might pro sports bounce back?
During the pandemic, the altered scheduling generally has led to dips in viewership. But the comeback for sports could bring surprises.
- Why China's homeowners prefer universal rights
Despite the ruling party’s dismissal of “universal values,” resident associations are demanding free elections of their leaders based on ideas such as equality and liberty.
- Taking measure of Biden's unity call
As Congress takes up his proposals, it can also reflect his request to “eliminate the vitriol.”
- A bright light on Russian justice
A European court with jurisdiction in Russia has ordered the release of leading dissident Alexei Navalny, exposing the weakness of arbitrary rule under President Vladimir Putin.
- Blackouts in Texas put a light on how to make energy choices
The Arctic cold snap that shut down power sources has forced Texans to rethink their own role in electricity supply.
- The saffron color of power in Myanmar
The military’s Feb. 1 coup has focused not only on pro-democracy civilian leaders but Buddhist monks, whose moral and spiritual legitimacy holds sway over who rules in Myanmar.
- The world’s answer to pandemic nationalism
To counter rising protectionism, the major countries picked an African woman to lead the World Trade Organization, one who seeks “a new spirit of kindness” to counter the pandemic’s effects.