Our planet, nation and generation face incredible challenges. Youth in the US age 16-24 have the highest unemployment rate in over 50 years; worldwide, the youth unemployment rate is over 2.5 times that of adults. Every year almost 750,000 teens in the US become pregnant, and 82% of these pregnancies are unplanned. Worldwide, 1500 women and girls die from pregnancy-related causes every 24 hours. Over 49 million Americans live in poverty, and worldwide over 1 billion people live on less than $1.25/day. However you slice it, we are at a critical moment.
While these challenges may feel overwhelming, our generation has the power to set a better course. A wise man once said “Problems cannot be solved by the same consciousness that created them” We have the fresh insight, the creativity and the hope that’s needed to build a better future. It is our great challenge to step up, get informed, get engaged, and make it happen.
The World InSight is a platform for young people to debate specific global challenges, and to propose solutions for addressing them. We see the journal as the first step in a continuum of engagement. These articles should hopefully inspire readers to get involved in making change happen. Read the journal.
Kyle Fluegge, Michaela Maynard and Sydney Kornegay kick things off by examining challenges to global health. Kyle explores the specific challenges of drug-resistant tuberculosis in the US, while Michaela unpacks obstetric fistula, a preventable pregnancy-related disability affecting over 2 million women worldwide. Sydney puts things in broader context by using photographs to illustrate challenges women face in the developing world.
Rachel Stanley, Emily Burlinghaus and Sky Mangin delve into national security debates. Emily discusses challenges to engaging with Iran around nuclear proliferation, while Sky explores international norms intended to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity. Rachel takes a step back to challenge perceptions of American exceptionalism in a post-9/11 world.
During this tenth anniversary year of 9/11, two of our contributors discuss US-Muslim world relations. Brandon Fischer explores the impacts of the House Homeland Security Committee’s hearings over the radicalization of American Muslims, led by Peter King. Hannah Nemer in turn discusses the meaning of religious pluralism through an interview with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the Park 51 Project near Ground Zero.
Matlab Asgar continues the conversation by detailing the impact of American education in his homeland of Baku, while Patrick Corcoran debates the prospects for democracy in the Middle East. Finally, Catherine Bugayong and Krystle Corpuz discuss national economic challenges and their global implications. Catherine looks at regulation on Wall Street, while Krystle ponders the relationship between foreign assistance and economic growth here at home.
Each of these pieces will also be published on our website individually, where we will invite comments, responses and conversation. Thanks to everyone who made this first edition of The World InSight possible. Together, let’s get inspired and make change happen.
Happy reading,
Karen Showalter
About AIDemocracy
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