A few months ago, I published a piece entitled "Was There Really Good News from Africa in 2008?" I highlighted all the inspiring things which African countries were doing which made me believe that 2009 would be a banner year for the continent.

It now seems that was premature.

This month, ten underprivileged youth from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in order to draw international attention to climate change in Africa. The U.N. Special Advisor on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfred Lemke announced, "This year's climb will highlight-with the melting ice of Mount Kilimanjaro as...

What's the difference between Sunni and Shi'a Islam and why does that matter to Iraqi reconstruction?

What's the history of America's role in Middle East peace negotiations?

Why does the U.S. give billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan if they can't control their terrorists?

Will we ever...

On January 23rd, justice caught up to Congolese warlord General Laurent Nkunda. The leader of the Tutsi militia which caused nearly 200,000 deaths in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was arrested by Rwandan soldiers, some of which were former allies. Nkunda joins other...

Headlines from Africa in 2008 recounted brutal riots in Kenya, a war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and election-driven chaos in Zimbabwe. But there was also good news. The International Monitory Fund has estimates economic growth for sub-Saharan Africa in 2008 at 6%, compared to global growth...

On any given day of campaign press coverage, the most pressing foreign policy issue is either Iraq, terrorism, or nuclear proliferation. But U.S. foreign policy must have more than just three prongs. And the only way the United States can address the full spectrum of foreign policy challenges is if...

Nuclear power is complicated. But it's not rocket science. John McCain wants to bring 100 new plants online, while Barack Obama demands that we solve the problem of waste disposal first. As is usually the case, the most common sense approach is somewhere in the middle. So in order to...

The debate over immigration reform is about to heat up. But in order for that debate to be worthwhile, we must be ready to learn from other countries mistakes where possible, with the understanding that America's immigration situation is unique. For all its problems, immigration policy in America could be...

Every candidate must articulate a vision for American leadership in the world. The three candidates' rhetoric is indistinguishable in this regard. It is difficult to imagine a candidate who doesn't want the United States to "collaborate with its allies" or strengthen an international regime that promotes freedom and security.

Economic sanctions are supposed to drive the target government to reform their policy by cutting off their access to funds. But after fourteen years of U.S. unilateral sanctions on Myanmar, not only has the brutal military regime refused to cede ground, but it has even obstructed relief efforts in the...