Carnegie Council Podcasts

"Technology creates all this open space that needs to be filled. And if you leave space to be filled, people fill it by saying things that don't make a whole lot of sense and so there's less accountability in today's day and age and less care is put into what is said publicly."

"When we talk about international affairs, you can be as 'Realpolitik' as you want, but you're talking about people, you're not talking about assets. You're talking about living, feeling, breathing beings."

"I hope that world leaders will really sit down and think about the circumstances of those people who have been suffering for many years. Why can't we all try to sort it out and give them something better to look forward to?"

"I do believe there is a global ethic. It has to do with the dignity of individuals, the right to security and liberty, both. I do believe that the human condition in its social setting is universal enough to give rise to global rights and global ethics."

"Violence is linked to a continued intolerance of minorities. In many countries in many parts of the world, this is something we inherited from the 20th century."

"The best global governance is local governance. It is not a punch line; it is a rule of thumb."

"I'm a huge believer in role models. I think that pretty much any woman who gets up and puts herself out there, whether she wants to be or not, is a role model."

"I would advise my dear intellectuals of this age and time and place to give us some good imagination, especially to the young people."

"It is amazing that more than 2 billion people do not have access to electricity. All people equally have a right to have a very healthy and comfortable life. Access to energy, access to electricity, is a very important part of the issue that we have to tackle."

With the crisis in Syria escalating, many analysts think a lasting resolution will be found in an internationally negotiated comprehensive settlement. Is a grand bargain possible in Syria? Is this idea overrated, in any case?