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A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill, Electrifying a Nation

December 31, 2007
Forced to drop out of school at age 14 because his family could no longer afford tuition, William Kamkwamba of Malawi set out to study energy and build windmills on his own. “Energy poverty” limits development, economies and jobs in the world’s poorest nations, explains Sarah Childress for the Wall...

Two Opposing Middle East Alliances for the US

July 9, 2019
Saudi Arabia and Iran are leading rivals in the Middle East. Religious differences help fuel the rivalry, as Saudi Arabia is primarily Sunni and Iran is Shia, yet oil interests, trade and fears about how democracy could dislodge absolute power matter, too. Alliances in the Middle East are delicate...

Why Does Hollywood Dominate US Cinemas?

August 17, 2004
As the foreign film market in the US continues to shrink, American distributors play increasingly larger roles as cultural gate-keepers. However, says Christina Klein, professor of literature and comparative media studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the newest generation in...

Strict International Patent Laws Hurt Developing Countries

December 16, 2002
In 1998, 39 pharmaceutical companies filed a lawsuit against South Africa. They hoped to stop the government from producing the generic drugs that would have made treatment affordable for the country's AIDS victims. A public outcry ensued, and critics accused pharmaceutical companies of...

Double Whammy for China

December 5, 2019
China had two setbacks in November, reminders that centralized communist governance is not appreciated worldwide. First, Hong Kong reported record turnout for district council elections, widely regarded as a referendum on China’s control. Pro-democratic forces won by a landslide, taking control...

The Crisis of Democracy

March 30, 2017
At the close of the 20th century, democracy was the world’s most popular form of governance, an inspiring force. Then the 2008 economic crisis struck, a result of excess and debt, and eroded trust in national and global democratic institutions to identify and resolve big challenges. Increasing...

Illegal Migration in the 21st Century

January 10, 2003
Globalization is often described in terms of increased 'flows' or 'movements' of money, ideas, or goods. But the movement of people across national borders remains highly regulated and a point of major contention between many countries. Governments of rich industrialized...

Anti-Americanism: Causes and Characteristics

December 10, 2003
A series of public opinion surveys conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project in various countries has found unprecedented levels of anti-American sentiment around the world. Majorities express unfavorable opinions of the US, not only in Western Europe and the Muslim world but also in countries...
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