Our January 2011 Issue: New Global Power Brokers
As we begin a new year, Foreign Policy Digest is proud to bring you a flurry of diverse articles highlighting the new global power brokers who are reengineering political, economic, and social dynamics across the globe.
This issue explores the roles of emergent power brokers and rising stars in the international community who seek to leave an imprint in numerous spheres of society from governance to regional hegemony to economic mobilization to philanthropy. This new generation of power brokers consists of reinvigorated former political heavy weights, iconic sports stars, strategic adversaries and tiny but sophisticated nations.
South Asia Regional Editor Mahanth Joishy conducted an exclusive interview with Mike Fratello, the longtime National Basketball Association (NBA) coach and respected commentator. They discussed the rapid globalization of professional basketball in recent times. Fratello answered questions such as why basketball, as an American sport, is gaining traction abroad, whether foreign players will continue to pour into the NBA and the roles of iconic international sports stars in facilitating better relations among nations.
No longer an exclusively American domain, fans across the world can now enjoy Chinese or European players shooting the ball as impressively as NBA stars, often closer to home. Nobody understands these trends better than Coach Fratello, who himself has coached foreign players and traveled abroad for coaching and commentating. FPD is honored to present this unique interview with “The Czar.”
For the Europe Russia section, John Lyman, FPD’s Administrative Editor discusses the increasingly unpredictable relationship between the U.S. and Russia and addresses steps that Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has taken to wean Russia away from dependence on the U.S. in order to reassert its power globally.
Africa Regional Editor Mohammed Hamid Mohammed writes on Southern Sudan, which is on the verge of becoming a brand new country with the upcoming January 9, 2011 referendum. All eyes are watching whether the largely-Arab north will peacefully grant the oil-rich Juba south full independence. Power dynamics on the African continent and with neighboring Arab countries are also at stake during this critical period of transition.
For the South Asia region, Karthik Nagarajan explores the future political career of Rahul Gandhi, a rising global power broker and likely heir to the world’s most powerful political dynasty. The article examines the high expectations placed on Gandhi by the media and public, how the current political state in India creates a path for Gandhi to come to power in 2012, and the challenges ahead in achieving the post of Indian Prime Minister.
In the Americas section Adam Isacson writes about the presidential transition from Luis Inacio Lula da Silva to his hand picked successor Dilma Rousseff. Lula da Silva leaves office with an approval rating hovering around 80% and a tenure marked by a more robust Brazilian foreign policy and the seventh largest economy in the world. Mr. Isacson explores some of the roots of Lula da Silva’s success and Brazil’s prospects for the future.
In the Middle East, Robert Walters zeroes in on a new global power broker state: Qatar. This nation of 840,000 exhibits a rather independent brand of international relations that transcends traditional divides, enabling it to enjoy a notable importance as a respected power broker. Located in a volatile region marked by primordial animosities, Qatar, the successful bidder of the 2022 World Cup, maintains ties with nations of all stripes across the political spectrum. This nimble nation manages to actively pursue investment opportunities for its sovereign wealth in countries like Zimbabwe and Syria while bringing together warring groups in Sudan and Yemen with equally remarkable skills.
Asia Pacific Regional Editor Jung Hwa Song writes about how the brazen North Korean attacks on Yeonpyeong Island have put unprecedented pressure on China to take decisive actions vis-a-vis North Korea. Although China has maintained a quiet, conservative stance toward North Korea thus far, it is no longer politically feasible for it to remain reticent about the country’s latest provocations. All eyes are on China to live up to its leadership role, reign in North Korea and bring the major regional stakeholders back to the 6-party talks. China’s actions thus far suggest that it just may succeed.
Finally, in his monthly column, FPD Managing Editor Robert Friedman queries whether Bill Gates and Warren Buffet can attract international billionaires to their ambitious philanthropic endeavor called the Giving Pledge. Their effort, which has largely focused on attracting the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving over 50 percent of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death, has now begun to recruit the global super-rich. Will they succeed?
FPD’s January 2011 issue weaves together the complex dynamics and power stratifications of the new global power brokers. The articles reflect emergent trends and actors that help steer regional and global events of consequence. We hope you find this month’s issue interesting and useful, whether you are a practitioner or casual reader of international affairs.
Foreign Policy Digest
