The Bretton Woods Conference established the post-World War II economic order 70 years ago. The global south is just reaching its half-century mark. The reason for the rise of the latter is the failure of the former.
The global economic system was (...)
Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
— Winston Churchill, House of Commons speech, 11 November 1947
The current Internet governance system may be messy, but it is better (...)
Thinking and writing are quintessentially solitary endeavours. In that plenitude of solitude that the learned mind can bring, where one reflects on things that people living unexamined lives pass by with unseeing eyes: I reflect on the city. The (...)
Recently we celebrated the third anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution, a milestone that calls for reflection on those three years of chaotic action, great moments, dashed dreams, great achievements, sacrifice and betrayal, and all the components (...)
Violence abounds in the land. The young, the idealists and the dutiful, along with fanatics, are dying in the streets and towns of Egypt. Hatred and attacks on the Christian minority have reared their ugly heads again. Differences of opinion (...)
The Egyptian revolution corrected its path on 30 June 2013 when unprecedented numbers of Egyptians — in their tens of millions — having individually signed declarations asking president Mohamed Morsi to step down took to the streets and said “No” to (...)
The Egyptian revolution is ongoing. It got its second wind and corrected its path 30 June 2013 when millions took to the streets to say “No” to the rule of president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Then, after president Morsi was toppled (...)
Egypt is once more doing things in its own unique way. After millions of Egyptians went into the streets and in 18 days that shook the world succeeded in toppling the regime of Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of rule, they came back again in their (...)
Societies generate an overall climate that can be open and supportive of new ideas or it can be closed and stifling. There are many specific factors that go into creating this overall climate.
In general, openness, inquisitiveness, and a (...)
As the world moves into the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century, it is increasingly clear that Egypt, like many other developing countries, must retool its educational and training system (ETS) to better fit the needs of the age. This is a (...)
A few years ago, before the 25 January 2011 Revolution, Egypt considered passing a “terrorism law” to replace the vast powers given to the state under the “state of emergency” legislation that was invoked and remained in place for 30 years. Such a (...)
We have to understand that change is now part of daily life, and with it come new challenges that new constitutions should be flexible enough to address, writes Ismail Serageldin
As Egypt drafts its new constitution, we must recognise that we are (...)
Ismail Serageldin * argues that we do not necessarily have to leave for posterity what we had
We live in a world of plenty, of dazzling scientific advances and technological breakthroughs. Adventures in cyberspace are at hand. Yet, our times are (...)
Ismail Serageldin* pays tribute to the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner who will be receiving his award
On Sunday, 10 December 2006, a Bangladeshi economist and the institution he founded 30 years ago will receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. (...)
Excellence in education is essential to a prosperous future for Egypt, writes Ismail Serageldin*
As the world moves into the knowledge- based economy of the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly clear that Egypt, like many other developing (...)
Following months of controversy over the publication of cartoons insulting to the prophet it is clear that those who have benefited from the episode are extremists from both sides, writes Ismail Serageldin*
The Danish cartoon controversy, subject of (...)
Speech that offends is speech that needs to be protected, argues Ismail Serageldin*
Freedom of expression is today recognised as a universal good. It was not always so. Even in the golden age of ancient Greece Socrates was put to death, and Plato's (...)