Kosovo became the youngest country in Europe when it declared independence in 2008. Sadly though, Kosovo continues to suffer from mounting problems, including a lack of experience in governing, rampant corruption (especially at the top echelons of the national government), dislocation of human and natural resources, bitter political rivalries, and undue influence by foreign powers….

The recent agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, brokered by the US, to normalize economic relations between the two countries fell short of the needed reconciliation process that would lead to full recognition of Kosovo’s independence by Serbia. Some elements of the economic normalization agreement are positive, including operationalizing the peace highway and the rail link…

The Palestinians cannot afford to miss yet another opportunity, which may well be their last. I am addressing this article to the Palestinian Authority with a warning—having missed so many opportunities in the past to settle their conflict with Israel, it has now reached a point of no return. The mutual recognition between the UAE…

The peace agreement between Israel and the UAE lays the foundation for a future Israeli-Arab alliance, which has been quietly developing behind the scenes over the past several years. I believe that over a relatively short period of time, such an alliance will emerge, eventually including nine Arab States: the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia,…

Even a cursory review of our prison system reveals the outrageous inhumanity to which hundreds of thousands of prisoners, especially young adults, are subjected to, many of whom are imprisoned for non-violent crimes, sometimes for life. Some of the cases I came across are simply heart wrenching, bringing tears to my eyes. The over-policing of…

We are in desperate need of unity, public engagement, and spiritual renewal to rediscover the faith in our ability to overcome any adversity and prevail. As I survey our state of the Union, I feel deeply troubled and dismayed, wondering why and how we here in America got to this dire state of affairs in…

Trump is unlike any of his predecessors; he is corrupt to the core and his self-interest comes before the nation. He will stoop to any low, cheat, lie, threaten, viciously attack his opponents, suppress voting rights, and continue to delegitimize the upcoming elections even before they take place. I, like many of my fellow Americans,…

The continuing demonstrations throughout the country suggest not only the obvious—that Black lives matter—but that racism is consuming America from within, that injustice affects the perpetrators just as much as the victims, that enough is enough. The rage, desperation, and determination which continue to bring tens of thousands of Americans to the streets in protest…

During his nearly 20 years in power, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has violated human rights in his own country of Turkey and destabilized and exploited others in order to promote his nationalist agenda abroad. Western powers, especially his allies in NATO, have ignored his transgressions as the price they are willing to pay to keep what…