Global Nation

📢 NEW SUBSTACK | Welcome to 2025: can we thrive with less America?   #2025 will be a defining year. This is the time to rethink how we tackle global challenges and build systems that are inclusive and resilient. If poorly managed, 2025 could be taking a step closer to calamity. Yet, there remains a narrow path to a better system, one where international cooperation thrives, even amidst uncertainty and a shifting political order.   In our latest #Substack, Hassan Damluji & Jonathan Glennie highlight 5 key trends that could define this year – and the path forward.   Read the full piece here 👇 https://lnkd.in/d_QUCRRY 

This is some of the work I most enjoy. Global Nation has been partnering with WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence since the birth of both organisations at the tail end of the pandemic’s acute phase (we were founded just a few months apart in 2021/2022). The Hub, based in Berlin, has built an all star team led by Chikwe Ihekweazu that’s dedicated to preparing for the next pandemic in a way that saves lives now by making public health intelligence work better for the diseases that affect communities every day. It’s an honour to be a thought partner to them on this journey. Thanks Catherine (Katie) Smallwood for including me in the fascinating discussions this week.

I have learned as an Iraqi and as an Arab over my lifetime that you should not be overly optimistic about revolutionary moments. When the world was excited about the Arab spring, Iraqis like me said: this will not go well. We had seen it before, in 1920, 1941, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1968, 1974, 1988, 1991, and continuously from 2003. Excited people pouring onto the streets produces a sugar rush of empowerment, but in our region you will be shot at by your own regime, and where you succeed in bringing down your ruler, what follows may not be better. While some countries, like tunisia, seemed to have a hope of coming through it well, we always knew that Syria was the country least well placed to have a successful Arab spring. When the regime was threatened, there was no way Assad, Iran and hizbollah would release their chokehold gladly. And they did not. Well, here we are, 13 years later, and finally, a renewed revolutionary moment has toppled Assad. Will it go any better this time? Syria has suffered so much since 2011 that it is hard not to be jubilant. The conciliatory statements by Jolani and the former regime’s prime minister are very positive. The fact that the regime melted away, but the civilian infrastructure seems to remain in place, is also a far better situation than if it had fought to hold on, or if the whole bureaucracy had evaporated. The Alawites visibly rejecting the regime is a sign that they want to be included in a new order, rather than to resist it. Empathy and solidarity with the long-suffering Syrian people forces me to summon some optimism. But the path from here is perilous. A new settlement has to make everyone feel that they have gained something, or at least not lost out catastrophically. But the “pie” is now so small, that there is not much to share out. And the deep grievances, competing rivalries, and competing ideologies of the different groups make it hard to see them sitting comfortably side-by-side in a new, stable Syria. Let us pray that they find a way.

📌NEW: 'Trump and security in the Middle East: Money talks, but this is beyond business as usual'.   Middle East Expert and Research Fellow at Global Nation, Michael Stephens, sets out what to expect for #US relations with the Middle East when Trump comes into office in our latest substack - https://lnkd.in/dXk9Sqc6   Three key takeaways:   1️⃣The Middle East landscape Donald Trump inherits in January 2025 will be far more turbulent than when he left office in 2021. The aftermath of the October 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s intense response have left the region scarred—thousands of civilian deaths, Gaza in ruins, and longstanding alliances frayed. The Abraham Accords may remain, but the era of stability they promised seems distant.   2️⃣Trump’s upcoming term hints at a recalibrated approach: fewer internal policy conflicts, a MAGA-dominated team, and a transactional outlook. Key appointments, like Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel and Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, signal a hardline stance that prioritizes Israel, yet the strong pushback from Saudi Arabia and Turkey highlights the challenge of balancing competing interests. Their recent diplomatic moves underscore a demand for tangible U.S. action on the Palestinian crisis, pressuring the Trump administration to engage in ways it might prefer to avoid.   3️⃣Navigating these complexities will test Trump's oft-preferred "quick-win" strategy. Regional stability, economic partnerships, and curbing China's influence in the Middle East require sustained leadership—something that hasn't always been his strong suit. If successful, Trump 2.0 could redefine U.S. influence in the region. But with stakes this high, the margin for error is thin.   The Middle East awaits to see if his transactional instincts can deliver enduring solutions—or if history will repeat itself.   🔗Read in full and sign up for more like this on our #substack: https://lnkd.in/dXk9Sqc6

👉 As we continue to navigate the aftermath of the US elections, we wanted to share six powerful tips on how to create unity amidst rising division in our societies. These feature in our Global Solidarity Report 2024, contributed by Alex Evans in his article on how and why we need to become a Larger Us.   1️⃣ Steady yourself. Our automatic fight-flight-freeze mode is great for keeping us safe from physical danger, but terrible for political events. ✅Staying calm! Calmness means more empathy, critical thinking, and seeing beyond our in-groups. ❌Respond impulsively.   2️⃣ Curate your media diet. Many news and social media sources profit from our outrage. Choose info sources wisely to keep a clearer, more balanced view of the world. ✅Intentional choices about the sources you read. ❌Avoid doomscrolling!   3️⃣ Change your perspective. We’re all biased toward “our” group. Step back, see from others’ viewpoints, and you’ll get a fuller, more constructive picture. ✅Try viewing situations through someone else’s eyes to build empathy and gain a fuller picture. ❌Stick only to familiar viewpoints; this keeps us stuck in in-group bias.   4️⃣ Listen before you speak. All of us reach for the megaphone when we feel passionate. But when we listen first, real conversations happen, leading to deeper understanding. ✅Ask open-ended questions and listen to the answers. Curious conversations allow space for both sides to be open to change—a hopeful approach that fosters real progress. ❌Jump straight into speaking or judging, which shuts down true dialogue.   5️⃣ Call in, don’t call out. Public shaming feels powerful but often backfires. Instead, approach with respect and encourage real change in a constructive way. ✅ Approach with respect to encourage real, constructive change. Call people in, not out. ❌ Shaming people often makes them dig into their positions (sometimes unconsciously or performatively) and can ignite ‘mutual radicalization,’ where both sides act contemptuously, widening the divide.   6️⃣ Tell different stories. Our narratives shape reality. ✅ Share hopeful, inclusive stories that unite people and spark collective action .Refuse the extremists’ call to see the world as a ‘them-and-us’, tell stories of a 'larger-us'. ❌ Focus on divisive or fear-based stories that can reinforce polarization.     🔗 Read the article on substack: https://bit.ly/4fMBmNQ  🔗 Read the Global Solidarity Report 2024 here: https://bit.ly/3AImGAf   PS. Subscribe to our Substack here: https://lnkd.in/ddEi4RTD to stay up to date with the latest from Global Nation!

📢 Global Nation stands united with Global Citizen & civil society leaders worldwide in urging French decision-makers to safeguard France’s legacy of global solidarity. We co-signed GCs Open Letter calling on 🇫🇷 to reverse harmful #ODA cuts & uphold the solidarity taxes that support the world's most vulnerable. 🌍✊ 📄As #Paris hosts #PPF & #COP29 starts, #France must maintain coherence with its intl. Commitments - read the full letter in #lemonde : https://bit.ly/40CuVIK

Yesterday’s Financial Times article on the end of the US-led world order (https://lnkd.in/eQF3kcvC) emphasises why we must start navigating international cooperation in a very different way. In his think-piece ‘Collective Action in a Multipolar World’, Hassan Damluji sets out how we can apply the theory of collective action to understand what the decline of US hegemony means for solving global challenges, and the approach we must take moving forwards. “Given our increasingly multipolar world – where hegemony is dissipating and enforcement is a non-starter – indirect reciprocity is our only option. The question then is, how can international relations be managed in a way that incentivises countries to want to maintain a reputation for contributing to global goods? 1. We need to increase the benefits of being a good actor (and costs of being a bad one). 2. We need to connect apparently disparate international issues." Read in full from pages 20 to 25 of the Global Solidarity Report 2024, available to download at https://lnkd.in/eR5-5wwg

Solidarity isn’t just an idea – it’s a radical act of renewal and rebellion 🌍🌱   With COP29 approaching amidst rising division in our world, the call for ecological solidarity has never felt more urgent. In the face of mounting global challenges – from environmental crises to social upheaval – Dr. Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Adviser at the International Peace Institute (IPI) invites us to rethink solidarity. His inspiring piece explores how we can foster a world rooted in compassion, justice, and peace by embracing ecological empathy and the spirit of Ubuntu philosophy.   He argues that we are witnessing a young 'solidarity generation' that is challenging outdated systems to redefine what’s possible across borders, generations, and species. For their efforts to be transformational we must show intergenerational solidarity and engage in 'co-tomorrowing'.   Can we build a future that embodies these values? 🌿 Read the short essay and share your reflections in the comments!   🔗 Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/deRD2WPm     This essay was originally published in the Global Solidarity Report 2024 to explore ways in which international solidarity can be transformative today and for future generations. Read full report here: https://lnkd.in/eR5-5wwg  

Exciting news - we’ll be running three of our workshops on ‘How to have conversations about climate change’ in November, and you're invited! These workshops have so far always been delivered through our partner orgs but so many friends have asked us about joining one that we thought it was time to fling open the doors more widely :-) Places are free, so sign up and join us if you: 👉 Care about climate change and its impact on people and our planet 👉 Want to get better at starting positive conversations about climate in your community, or with friends, family or colleagues 👉 Worry about coming across as preachy, judgemental or not expert enough 👉 Want to spend time with other lovely people who feel the same! Our workshops are fun, engaging and interactive. The vibes are friendly and we’re all learning together. Book your place now! Thursday 14th November @ 10am-12pm  https://is.gd/gNd4h9 Monday 18th November @ 6pm-8pm  https://is.gd/cSn4gA Thursday 21st November @ 12pm-2pm https://is.gd/9xdRno

🌍 In the frame of high-level meetings at #COP16, we have released a report on how Global Public Investment for global missions can unlock financing for climate and biodiversity, building on the Mission-Oriented Approach and the #GPI approach. Let’s drive change together! 🌿 🔗 Read it here (in English & Spanish): https://lnkd.in/dwc8T_U9