In The News

Denmark the “Happiest Country” and Burundi the “Least Happy”

March 21, 2016
Wealth and weather may not influence happiness as much as many may assume, and inequality contributes to unhappiness. The UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network ranked 156 countries by analyzing surveys in which people are asked to evaluate their lives on a scale of 1 to 10 and measurements of GDP per capita, social supports, health and life expectancy, freedom to make life choices,...

Whisper It Softly: Muslims Are Part of Europe's Future

Shada Islam March 10, 2016
Violent conflict in the Middle East is driving hundreds of thousands of refugees toward Europe – a crisis that is straining resources, explains Shada Islam, policy director of Friends of Europe based in Brussels. The continent is divided over welcoming the refugees and settling them in different countries, with some politicians stoking fear and warning about a clash of cultures. “Muslims, also,...

What the US Campaign Can Teach China about How It Is Viewed

March 7, 2016
A good test for US presidential candidate is how they respond about a rising China. While both countries can display nationalistic tendencies, the Chinese anticipate the next US president, regardless of campaign rhetoric as well as Republican or Democrat, to strive for middle ground and dialogue while embracing a more pro-active foreign policy. “As China rises in prominence in the global economy...

Growing Chorus of Experts Raising Ethical Questions About the Future of Robotics

Ian Munroe February 25, 2016
Japan, struggling with a labor shortage, leads in developing robotic technology. Robot development is underway in the defense, health care, transportation and other sectors, and as many as half of Japan’s workers could be replaced by robots by 2035, notes one research firm. “Japan remains one of the largest markets in the world for automated industrial machines, and the government is keen to stay...

Abe and Blair: Political Apologies, East and West

Joji Sakurai January 26, 2016
Globalized communications ensure that national wrongdoings do not go forgotten. Official apologies for past wrongs are strategic affairs, crafted for public scrutiny. Journalist Joji Sakurai explores the cultural nuances of recent public apologies by Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s for sex slavery involving Korean women associated with World War II and by former British Prime Minister Tony...

Iran Unveils Western Art Largely Unseen Since 1979

Kia Makarechi November 26, 2015
An exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art features works by some of the great names in modern art. The works were acquired by Farah Diba Pahlavi, whose husband was deposed as Iran’s leader in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Works by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock serve as context for a collection by Farideh Lashai, an Iranian artist who died in 2013, explains Kia Makarechi for Vanity...

ISIS Rampage: A Threat to Cultural Heritage That Belongs to All

James Cuno November 26, 2015
The self-proclaimed Islamic State is ruthless in imposing its version of Islam on others. The rigid beliefs cannot withstand the joys of the modern world or a cultural heritage and ancient history that is a connecting force for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. ISIS contends the world is borderless and belongs to Allah – and claim their leaders alone interpret Allah’s wishes. “This complicates the...