Jerry Glenn, a futurist, serves as the executive director of the Millennium Project, and authors an annual publication, “State of the Future.” He was the executive director of the American Council for the United Nations University and was deputy director of Partnership for Productivity International. The State of the Future 20.0 Report is the most comprehensive and largest document covering 15 global challenges that affect the world.  It is a tool for The UN Council of Presidents of the General Assembly which is an organization to help the 193-UN Member States determine its logical role in dealing with one of the thorniest:  AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Managing the transition to AGI is the most difficult management problem humanity has ever faced, A few other challenges to confront include Zero-Sum power geo-politics; the climate crisis; and global collective intelligence systems for water, energy, food, economics, education, gender, crime, ethics, and demographics.

Dr. Desmond Dinan is a professor of public policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government and holds the Jean Monnet Chair in European Public Policy at George Mason University.   His most recent book is,” A Concise History of the European Union.” The EU concept grew out of WW2, but the EU was relaunched in the 1990s to deal with monetary issues, the end of the Cold War, globalization, and the unification of Germany.    Putin’s illegal attack on Ukraine and the Trump administration’s belligerency toward the EU and NATO have helped refocus European interest in cooperation and multilateralism.  Few Europeans realized how negative Trump2.0 would be for the continent, especially through undermining the Trans-Atlantic System, partnerships and shared values. In response to a variety of threats, the EU is starting to improve its defense procurement industry and organizing a military response, while ramping up its potential international peacekeeping activities.

Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher is a Connecticut complex litigation judge and former lawyer, legislator and lobbyist. He is the author of “The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce it.”    President Trump has consistently tried to delegitimize the courts, which is weakening our democracy and deteriorating the Rule of Law.    For decades, the international community has looked to the US to promote democracy and establish functional legal systems, especially with the ICC, ICJ, and human rights treaties.    The Trump Administration may possibly use Gunboat Diplomacy and manifest destiny   regarding the Panama Canal, Greenland and Canada. War on Terror   legislation allowed the President to take aggressive, and possibly illegal action. The NATO Treaty requires Greenland and Canada be defended if attacked; therefore, Democrats, Republicans and the Judiciary need a united front to protect the Rule of Law and rescue US international prestige which is plummeting worldwide.  

Mark D. Walker, a Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer from Guatemala, is an award-winning writer and President of Million Mile Walker. His new book is “The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories”.  Today we are focusing on the important soft power vs. hard power concepts that are under intense discussion.  Soft power, as opposed to hard power, is an example of how international overseas groups interact to make a difference in the lives of people abroad as well as benefiting their country’s image, business opportunities, diplomatic initiatives and partnerships. Some of the most prominent soft power organizations are the US Peace Corps, USAID, CARE, Rotary International, faith-based groups and other humanitarian service clubs. America’s credibility is devastated through the slash and burn of the USAID programs by Elon Musk and DOGE.  Russia and China are delighted that the US has weakened itself and is unilaterally surrendering its international leadership.    

Dr Phil Williams is Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, where he taught from January 1990 to April 2022.  In the first part of his career, at Aberdeen University, Southampton University, and Chatham House, he wrote books on Crisis Management, The Senate and US Troops in Europe, During the last 30 years his research has focused primarily on transnational organized crime, His most recent book is “The Mediterranean Connection: Criminal Networks and Illicit Economies in North Africa.” Aspects of criminal networks usually include the smugglers’ toolkit: concealment, deception, circumvention and facilitation   North Africa itself can be understood as a space of flows – primarily south to north, but also north-south (hazardous waste) and horizonal flows, cannabis from Morocco moves Eastwards while counterfeit cigarettes move from Dubai to the Atlantic and through Algeria into Europe.    Some international assistance is provided by Interpol and the United Nations agencies to counteract this.

Michael Albertus is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Albertus is the author of five books. His newest book, Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies, tells the story of how land came to be power within human societies, how it shapes power, and how its allocation determines the major social ills that societies grapple with. The Great Reshuffle   determines society's winners and losers in a variety of ways in the USA, such as establishing and reinforcing racial hierarchies, dealing with the housing crisis and potential solutions, including using federal land and pushing for eased zoning restrictions. Other examples include major disruptions to home insurance markets due to climate risk affecting availability and influencing relocation decisions. One notable situation is the Trump administration’s increased territorial competition and land grab for Greenland, Gaza, the Panama Canai and Canada.

Morten Bøås (PhD) is a Research Professor at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. He works on violent conflict, insurgencies, and fragile states in Africa and the Middle East. From 2020 to 2023 Bøås was the Principal Investigator of the EU Horizon 2020 funded Project PREVEX – Preventing violent extremism in the Balkans and the MENA: Strengthening resilience in enabling environments. His latest book is “Resisting Radicalization: Exploring the Non-Occurrence of Violent Extremism.” Out of 9-11 attacks, one major conclusion is it was a Black Swan Operation which means it could happen, but intelligence services missed the signals. Grievances or underlying causes may push someone into a violent life due to lack of education, food insecurity, or poverty.  Soft Power programs, such as Peace Corps, UN assistance and USAID may provide a better life for people who are susceptible.  USAID is rated as an extremely efficient and effective self-help program.

Tony Payan, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. His most recent book is, “U.S.-Mexico Relations: Structuring Alternative Futures.”  The US-Mexico relationship is very complicated in the areas of climate, migration, security and trade. Mexico is the US’s largest trading partner with trade at almost $850 billion a year.  Candidate Donald Trump threatened to put a 200% tariff on John Deere tractors produced in Mexico. Generally, any tariff will be paid by the customer and raise the purchase price, increase the inflation rate and could lead to a Smoot-Hawley international recession or depression, whereas selective tariffs can be helpful in some cases.  Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum does not have a strong team; whereas Donald Trump may have the same problem, or a brain drain of expertise, if he fires more than 50,0000 knowledgeable professional public administrators. 

Felix Dodds has been a leading thinker in the area of global governance and sustainable development for thirty years. He is now an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina.  Felix chaired the UN conference in 2011 that put forward the first set of indicative Sustainable Development Goals. He set up the Water and Climate Coalition at the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). He attended the COP29 held in Baku Azerbaijan in November of 2024.   The COP-29 presidency announced the “Baku Financial Goal,” a new commitment to allocate $1.3 trillion annually from climate financing for developing countries. Additional achievements include: Establish a Global Carbon Market Mechanism; Full Operation Guarantee for the Loss and Damage Fund; Launch of the Water for Climate Action Program; and, Emphasis on Public-Private Partnerships:  A major criticism is that the fossil-fuel interests have played too large of a role in the COPs.

Dr. Michael Cairo is a Professor of Political Science and the Program Director of International Affairs at Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky His most recent book is  “American Presidents and Israeli Settlements since 1967.” 

 American Presidents and Israeli Settlements since 1967Tracing presidential administrations since Lyndon B. Johnson, this book argues that the Trump administration's p...

Since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, 90% of Gaza has been destroyed, 46,000 Palestinians were killed and 100,000 wounded. Given the continued development of many illegal settlements, it will be even more difficult for the US to be a neutral broker. UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) has 13,000 employees, but only 5 have been accused of collaborating with Hamas. UNRWA is critical to providing educational, nutritional and medical assistance to the Palestinians.   Without a two-state solution, it will be difficult not to have an official Apartheid System. Emphasis should focus on humanitarianism to get more aid and revitalize UN operations on the ground such as UNRWA and the World Food Progra