In line with the traditions of most magazines and newspapers, I have compiled my own ‘great moments’, photographs, lovely magazines, music, big trends, iconic people, etc.
2007 was the year of the Sustainable Breakthrough, of Al Gore, the IPCC and their Nobel Peace Prize, of Sarkozy, Chávez and Ahmadinejad, of weather extremes (again), of droughts and hurricanes, of China ’s continuing breakthrough as economic superpower and major pollutor, of ‘good governance in Africa‘ being rewarded by Mo Ibrahim, (yet another) year of the online social networks breakthrough (Facebook, MySpace, Hyves, LinkedIn, YouTube).
Clearly, 2007 has been a year of further blurring border between a country’s domestic and foreign policy, and a year which showed a stronger link between (inter) national security, conflicts and climate change.
2007 saw the rise and blossoming of some great magazines, which have become my ‘close friends’:
1. MONOCLE, clearly one of the best magazines ever…
2. The Broker - a fresh, newly emerged professional magazine in the field of international development sciences.
3. COLORS - although a relatively old magazine, this year’s issue about Vörland was just lovely, with stunning photographs (as always), bright stories and inspiring quotes…
4. Intelligent Life (by The Economist) - new to me, but lovely to read…
5. The Economist, December 8 issue (thanks to TIME), with a great cover photograph & design
And here are 7 (to my opinion) great books which were published in 2007:
- Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century (Alex Steffen et al.)
- The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It (Paul Collier)
- The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good (William Easterly)
- Beyond Terror: The Truth About the Real Threats to Our World (Chris Abbott) (or the Dutch translation: Het Kleine Boek van de Grote Bedreigingen voor onze wereld!)
- The Shock Doctrine, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (Naomi Klein)
- Het Zijn Net Mensen (in Dutch, by Joris Luyendijk, NRC’s former Middle East correspondent)
- A Thousand Splendid Suns (Kaled Hosseini)
Anothercompany also has an overview of ‘the best of 2007‘ ; or read The Economist’s The World in 2008‘
But what will 2008 bring?
• 2008 will bring the highly controversial but most probably successfull Olympic Games in Beijing
• 2008 will bring the end of charity and the start of a more ‘holistic’ consciousness about and approach to foreign aid, international trade andmultilateral activity.
• On other hand, 2008 will also bring a stronger division between the liberal world and nationalist non-western countries in trade, politics, religion and culture, creating a seemlingly ‘classical’ division of the ‘Clash of Civilizations’, but unique in its multipolar characteristics of our time, eventually culminating in wars which will be largely about about the ‘blue gold’ (water) rather than oil.
• 2008 will be a year in which the majority of the population lives in (mega)cities.
• 2008 will bring about new cultural and religious wars (according to The Economist).
• 2008 will probably bring even more tension and an expexted increasing ‘apartheid’ in the division of governance over climate change;
• 2008 will bring a new peacebuilding mission (UNAMID) to Darfur.
• 2008 will be the beginning of the Himalayas running dry, fuelling Chinese economy…
• 2008 will put the pressure of an increasing European energy demand on Africa.
• 2008 will bring a new president in Russia.
• and not to forget… 2008 will eventually bring the US a new president, probably in its heaviest time in 60 years (a huge - and counting - spending on the Iraq war, a growing budget and trade deficit, a looming credit crisis van falling dollar, a growing pressure to cooperate in global climate goverance, etc.)
A ‘bright’ image for 2008…?
Best wishes for a colourful and international 2008!
Tags
Actuality,
Articles by Christopher Baan,
World
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