A Foreign Policy magazine survey of 43 global women leaders reported that 84% believe that having more female leaders would alter their government’s policies and 65% believe they would bring more peace.[i] Most had experienced sexism while in office and they said it is the greatest obstacle to more women entering politics, but only about [...]
To find out more about generational differences in an Arab society where Muslim religious leaders and police are dominant, I talked with a young Saudi woman who I will call Aamina. She came to the US in 2006 to study English and computer science. She said things are changing although the religious police will come [...]
A useful illustration of traditional and modern values in conflict is an Iranian film called Leila (1998). At a gathering of wealthy families in Tehran, Leila and Reza meet. Three months later they’re happily married, in love, living in their own home, going on outings in their car. Other that always having her head covered, [...]
Based on replies from over 3,300 young people in 65 countries, I have good news about our future. This is for a book-in-process tentatively titled A Brighter Future: How Global Youth Will Transform The World. The Millennial Generation wants to do good, values family, is spiritual rather than religious, and understands that money and things [...]
I’m writing a book that gives you and other young people around the world an opportunity to say what’s on your mind. This is your chance to be heard. Many of you have wonderful suggestions for how to make our world a better to live in, so I’m asking people age 19 and under to respond [...]
Rita King and Joshua Fouts created a virtual world on the Internet’s international Second Life (only 30% of users are in the US) to help viewers understand Islam, as well as a graphic novel and report. The project is called “Digital Diplomacy: Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds.” King and Fouts point out that new ideas [...]
I’d like to include your observations and experiences about how to solve global problems like climate warming, extremes of riches and poverty, inequality between men and women, and so on. I’ll include your ideas in my next book. Thank you!
One way to look at how change will occur as women assume more leadership and agency is to look at matrilineal societies. They trace descent with the mother, live with her, and children are raised by their maternal uncles rather than their fathers. Examples from the past and those continuing in the present (the latter [...]
International Feminists Organizing Gloria Steinem observes, “We’ve produced the most uppity generation of young women in history.” An Indian college student wrote to me, “I want to eradicate the evils mainly faced by girls and solve the problems of girls.” (Sunihta, 16, f) This implies the need for a woman’s movement. Another confidant Indian [...]
We’ll look at two recent survey reports, one in developing nations and one in the U.S. World Bank researchers interviewed 800 youth who live in eight developing nations, and surveyed more youth ages 11 to 17 in 19 countries, for a report released in 2012. They value education and getting good jobs. A young man [...]
