All The Monitor's View
Did North Korea just make a try for trust?Its conditional offer to get rid of its nuclear weapons is quite a reversal, suggesting sanctions are working. The Kim regime may realize it must rebuild trust with the US to avoid internal regime change.
Gentleness as a German exportChancellor Merkel’s fourth term in office reflects a rare set of qualities in leadership, from patience to tender reason. They help both Germany and Europe find stability in rough times.
The moral question behind Trump’s plan on metal tariffsThe president’s proposal may not bring the jobs, economic boost, or better security that he suggests. But on one point – his moral claim of reciprocity – Trump deserves a hearing.
Prepare to meet the Parkland generationThe teen survivors of the Florida shooting are leading two mass events in March, reflecting the values of Generation Z.
A light for Afghanistan's long, dark warThe Afghan president’s offer to engage in talks with the Taliban includes the possibility of the militants becoming a political party in elections. Such leniency implies the Taliban may be more sensitive to civilian opinion.
What a pause in Syria’s war can meanA reluctant Russia calls for a temporary cease-fire in Ghouta, reflecting the idea that the sovereignty of innocent lives matters more than national sovereignty.
The quality of mercy in stemming violenceMore than 100 former terrorists are offering private apologies to their victims this week in Indonesia. The goal: preventing violence through contrition, reconciliation, and mercy.
Helping the world’s largest group of homelessThe UN and Europe have put out a plea to assist 4.1 million displaced people in Congo. Such aid might help the country become Africa’s next democratic success story.
What is really scarce in a water droughtAs places like Cape Town and California deal with less water, their leaders must see the abundance in innovation and cooperation.
More than one way to prevent mass shootingsThose on the front lines of dealing with young people can be given the support needed to instill qualities of character that might preempt violent behavior.
‘Black Panther’ challenges limits on identityThe blockbuster action movie illustrates the potential for infinite expression, not the limits of one racial identity.
After large-scale killings, aid groups find new ways to comfortFrom Florida to post-ISIS Iraq, incidents of mass violence have pushed humanitarian groups to offer care for trauma and ways for communities to rebond.
An antidote to despair over yet another mass shootingProgress to prevent large-scale violence in the US can seem slow. Yet any exasperation can be countered with gratitude toward humanity’s progress over many ills.
South Africa’s struggle for honest leadersThe ruling African National Congress turned on President Zuma in response to the same kind of civic activism that ended white rule, only this time the cause is honest governance.
Bending the arc toward national serviceFrance and Canada have each proposed ways for young people to engage in national service. The US, meanwhile, has seen a drop in volunteering. A special panel could help reverse that trend.
India links women’s safety and economic growthEven as its economy spurts ahead, India cites a need to end violence against women, girls, and female fetuses in order to maintain growth.
A veiled truth in Iran and the USIn Iran, women protest a law imposing the hijab while in the US many Muslim women oppose the stigma against headscarves. The common demand is to recognize an individual’s dignity and freedom of choice.
Signal of hope for VenezuelaA trip to Latin America by the top US envoy reveals the extent of Venezuela’s crisis. By helping the country’s refugees, the rest of the region might send a message about respect for innocent lives.
Europe revives its power of attractionAfter years of internal woes, the EU looks to expand its values into the troublesome Balkans with a renewed offer of membership. Its positive narrative can counter competition for influence from Russia and China.
How the Olympics can reshape the KoreasYoung South Koreans, in protesting the forced kinship on a joint hockey team, display a civic identity above ethnic nationalism. Perhaps that is a path toward peace on the peninsula.
