Building Bridges in a Changing World

Historians such as Steven Pinker might claim that humanity is currently in the most peaceful period of its existence.

However, reality often appears to deny this notion of peace. With the ever-present spectre of civil wars, the constant tug of war between nation-states, the desecration of planet Earth in the race for resources, and socioeconomic obstacles that defy all predictions of population growth and creates the trend of falling birth rates  – we live in times of intense turmoil and upheaval. 

The Russo-Ukrainian War's destabilizing effects have violently ruptured the global economy and severely fractured relationships between countries, while climate disasters have caused massive destruction to infrastructure, livelihoods, and quality of life worldwide. At the same time, other countries fight to keep their populations balanced in the face of unprecedentedly high—or low—fertility rates.

As inheritors of the unique set of challenges of the 21st century, can we build the bridges required to repair precarious relationships, establish effective channels of climate finance, and reverse the tides of demographic crises?