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2022 has been rough. Will 2023 be any better?
2022 has been the year of converging crises: the ongoing pandemic, climate change, economic turmoil, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lots of gloom and doom, indeed.
But in all these crises, there is an opportunity to bounce back with solutions to make the world a better place. Think of how the war in Ukraine united the West more than ever against a common enemy.
How? Good question. We asked several experts during the Global Stage livestream conversation "The Road to 2030: Getting Global Goals Back on Track," hosted by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft.
For Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and GZERO, the main reason for hope in 2023 is that this year some people realized that there are big problems worth fixing. Although we definitely live in a G-zero world with a vacuum of global leadership, he adds, we've also seen unprecedented Western unity that would not have happened without Russia invading Ukraine. Ian believes that resistance to a negotiated solution to the war will come from the developing world and that Elon Musk is definitely complicating things with how he's running Twitter.
Microsoft President Brad Smith discussed the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which at their halfway point he sees as a "glass half full, half empty" but questions how progress is being measured. Also, Smith sees Russia turning to civilians in Ukraine because its military is losing against Ukrainian soldiers, which he regards as the opposite of what the world agreed to do after World War II. On climate, he doesn't see things in good shape after COP27 but hopes today's multiple ongoing crises will push us to do more things together.
Melissa Fleming, the UN's Undersecretary-General for Global Communications, laments there is so much more to be done to make the world a better place next year, but there's so much lethargy amid all the gloom and doom. She also braces for Ukraine's tough winter as Russia targets the country's energy infrastructure. Fleming is worried about a disturbing spike in climate change disinformation, which has returned to the denial narrative when people most need to be informed about what's happening to the planet.
Khadija Mayman from the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative underscores the need for young people in her community to get mental health support. Other types of support would be welcome, too — youth want to do the work, but they can't wait forever for jobs, so we need to help create businesses that'll employ them.
Hindou Ibrahim, co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, says that we can't protect biodiversity without first recognizing Indigenous peoples' rights to land and access to finance. We must all be partners, she adds, and Indigenous peoples are the "CEOs" (chief ecological officers) of the planet's biodiversity.
Dr. Omnia El Omrani, Youth Envoy for COP27 and SDG Champion, resents how young people's voices are excluded from the global climate conversation while they are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. She wants to create a space for young people to be able to shape their own futures without killing their dreams.
This livestream is the latest in the Webby-nominated Global Stage series, a partnership between GZERO and Microsoft that examines critical issues at the intersection of technology, politics, and society.
- COVID's impact on education and its long-term geopolitical consequences: Gerald Butts ›
- Who can solve the world's "emergency of global proportions"? ›
- Is the world coming apart? Drama at Davos ›
- Top Risks 2022: We’re done with the pandemic, but the pandemic ain’t done with us ›
- Russia freezing out Ukrainian civilians because it can't beat military, says Microsoft's Brad Smith - GZERO Media ›
- We can't fix climate change without protecting biodiversity, says UNFCCC official - GZERO Media ›
The road to 2030
The past two years have brought devastating setbacks for global development goals including poverty reduction, gender equality, and climate action. GZERO Media will gather an expert panel of leaders from politics, the private sector, and international organizations to discuss how to get back on a path to greater peace and prosperity.
Join us on Thursday, December 15th at 11 am ET / 8 am PT / 5 pm CEST for a Global Stage livestream discussion, presented by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft. The conversation will be moderated by Julia Chatterley of CNN International, with Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media; Dr. Omnia El Omrani, Youth Envoy for COP27 and SDG Champion; Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications; Hindou Ibrahim, Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change; Khadija Mayman, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative; and Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of Microsoft.
The Road to 2030: Getting Global Goals Back on Track
Thursday, December 15, 2022 | 11:00am – 12:00pm ET
Putin would rather die than admit defeat in Ukraine, says former Croatian president
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović knows a thing or two about Vladimir Putin, who she met multiple times when she was Croatia's president. So, how does she see the future of Russia's war in Ukraine?
It's not looking good.
In a Global Stage livestream conversation held at United Nations headquarters, Grabar-Kitarović says that Putin is unlikely to back down from a "special military operation" driven by what the Russian leader sees as Western humiliation during the Cold War.
Although the war has weakened Russia's economy and military and made the country a junior partner to China, the former Croatian president thinks Putin “would rather die than admit defeat."
Since Ukraine will also not cede an inch of sovereign territory, Grabar-Kitarović believes the fighting will continue. And a ceasefire won't stop Putin from trying to realize his ultimate ambition of taking over all of Ukraine.
- Putin improves his hand in Ukraine - GZERO Media ›
- Putin, Ukraine, and the Rat Story - GZERO Media ›
- Risks of Russia losing: Putin, Ukraine, and potential for escalation ... ›
- Russia struggles in Ukraine, Putin escalates - GZERO Media ›
- Putin cornered - GZERO Media ›
- Finland “investing in security and stability” with NATO push - GZERO Media ›
- One year in: Ukraine war will last as long as Putin is in power - GZERO Media ›
Live from the UN: Rescuing a world in crisis
Live from the UN General Assembly: Rescuing a World in Crisis
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
11 AM ET / 8 AM PT / 5 PM CEST
https://www.gzeromedia.com/globalstage
WATCH LIVE TODAY: The UN General Assembly is meeting at a time of financial and geopolitical crises, and while the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to get back on track. How will the world advance these global goals amid converging, compounding challenges of climate change, growing inequality, recessionary pressures, and an ongoing global pandemic?
In partnership with Microsoft, GZERO Media hosts a Global Stage livestream to discuss rescuing a world in crisis. Julia Chatterley, anchor and correspondent for CNN International, will moderate the discussion with:
- Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group and GZERO Media
- Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO, UN Foundation
- Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, former President of Croatia
- Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate
- Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair, Microsoft
For more information and to watch today, September 21, visit: gzeromedia.com/globalstage
Sign up to get alerts about this and other upcoming GZERO events.
Who's winning the global battle for tech primacy?
How is China able to control their tech giants without suppressing innovation?
For Ian Bremmer, one important reason is that there's a big difference between Jack Ma questioning Chinese regulators and Elon Musk doing the same to the SEC.
"In the United States you've got fanboys if you do that; in China, they cut you down," Bremmer told CNN anchor Julia Chatterley in an interview following his annual State of the World Speech.
Still, he says China knows it cannot kill its private sector because it needs to keep growing and competing with American tech firms.
So, who's winning the global battle for tech primacy?
Right now, Bremmer believes the US and China are at tech parity — thanks to their tech giants.
"When we're talking about tech supremacy, we can't just talk about governments anymore."
- The next great game: Politicians vs tech companies - GZERO Media ›
- Will China's tech sector be held back? - GZERO Media ›
- Nicholas Thompson on China's tech U-turn - GZERO Media ›
- Why is Xi Jinping willing to slow down China's economy? - GZERO ... ›
- Why is China trying to game the gamers? - GZERO Media ›
- Security flaws in China’s My2022 Olympics app could allow surveillance - GZERO Media ›
- State of the World: On the verge of fragmentation? - GZERO Media ›
- Watch Ian Bremmer's State of the World speech live on Dec. 4 - GZERO Media ›