Amid the mistrust and hate fed by terrorist attacks in Britain, we spoke to a community of individuals countering the fear by building bridges of trust and respect.
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David Clark Scott
Is the United States going to war with Russia? It鈥檚 a fair concern in light of recent events. But a better question might be this: Is the US sliding into a war with Iran?
What prompts the talk of war is an escalation of conflict above Syria. After a US jet shot down a Syrian fighter plane, on Monday Russia sternly warned that it would shoot down any aircraft flying over western Syria.
But on Tuesday, a more telling event occurred. The US shot down an Iranian-made drone. It was the fifth such incident in the past six months. The US says it鈥檚 protecting rebels (and American advisers) who are battling Islamic State (ISIS) near the Syrian-Iraqi border. That appears to be true and we wrote about that two weeks ago.
Iran is fighting ISIS, too. But there鈥檚 a bigger picture 鈥 and pattern 鈥 emerging. As ISIS retreats, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel see Iran鈥檚 influence expanding. They fear an emerging 鈥淪hiite crescent鈥 of control from Iran to Lebanon.
The Pentagon says it isn鈥檛 picking a fight with Russia or Syrian President Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 forces. But given Iran鈥檚 rising military reach, any path to progress in the region will likely go through Tehran.
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Amid the mistrust and hate fed by terrorist attacks in Britain, we spoke to a community of individuals countering the fear by building bridges of trust and respect.
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Even as attention focuses on the results of Georgia鈥檚 hotly contested Sixth District, we thought it was timely to look at how one Democrat in the Midwest is winning the trust of voters who supported President Trump.
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In response to high unemployment rates, even among white-collar workers, Europe is finding innovative ways to tackle the problem. This next story is a lesson in flexibility.
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Have you ever been hacked?聽Chinese scientists are working on one aspect of the problem: They鈥檙e toppling the barriers of time and space and taking the first steps to the ultimate in cybersecurity, an unbreakable quantum code.
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What鈥檚 the best path to progress on democracy and human rights in Cuba? We asked Cubans, and their answers have been shaped by the off-again, on-again US embargo of the Caribbean island.
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One of Africa鈥檚 worst conflicts may have finally ended through a rare type of diplomacy. On June 19, more than a dozen armed groups in the Central African Republic signed a peace accord. Yet they did not do so through an official negotiator. Rather a religious group in Italy used what it calls a 鈥渟piritually inspired鈥 method 鈥 building empathy and compassion 鈥 to help forge a truce.
This diplomatic feat was achieved by the Community of Sant鈥橢gidio, a Roman Catholic lay group that works quietly and discreetly around the world to end conflicts. It puts prayer at the heart of its mediation. Its efforts have been so successful that the United Nations formally signed an agreement on June 9 to cooperate with Sant鈥橢gidio in ending other conflicts. Its president, Marco Impagliazzo, says the group鈥檚 success lies in being seen as a neutral party that relies on patience and shared values to create trust between foes.
A Dutch scholar, Gerrie ter Haar, explains such faith-based diplomacy: 鈥淏ringing the spiritual dimension into the peacemaking process can create access to the more deep-seated, affective base of the parties鈥 behavior, enabling them to examine critically their own attitudes and actions.鈥
The conflict in the Central African Republic erupted in 2013 when the mainly Muslim Seleka rebels took power, triggering violent reprisals by militia groups that are nominally 海角大神. As many as 6,000 people have died. From the start, however, local religious leaders 鈥 Islamic, Catholic, and Protestant 鈥 played a key part in protecting civilians and initiating talks. They described their 鈥渨eapons鈥 as 鈥減rayer and dialogue.鈥
As fears of genocide grew, however, the UN, France, and the African Union sent in troops to quell the fighting. This allowed the election of a new president last year, although his influence barely extends beyond the capital. When fighting erupted again in May and more than 100,000 people had to flee, Sant鈥橢gidio was able to bring 13 rebel groups to Rome for talks and reach a deal.
Many details of the pact still need to be implemented. And victims of the violence await the establishment of a commission to document the atrocities and achieve a level of justice and social reconciliation.
But the country, which is one of the poorest in Africa, is now rebuilding. And that is due in part to a type of conflict resolution that uses spiritual qualities to transcend divisions and end wars.
Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication 鈥 in its various forms 鈥 is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church 鈥 The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston 鈥 whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.
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We all have a variety of daily needs, and one thing we all undoubtedly require is health. At times, we may feel this need isn鈥檛 being met. But contributor Cate Vincent has learned, through 海角大神 Science, about the mental and spiritual nature of health, and that God provides everyone with perfect health. More than just a positive thought, this is a spiritual fact that can bring healing. Cate shares an example of a time when warts covering her daughter鈥檚 hands completely cleared up through a better understanding of her relation to God.聽Nothing can prevent our daily needs from being met, including the need for health, since it is God who cares for us in every way.
Thanks for joining us today. We've got a bonus for you from Tuesday's Monitor Breakfast in Washington: How the new聽Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin plans to improve treatment for vets. Mr. Shulkin served in the Obama administration and was also President Trump's choice.聽
And come back tomorrow: We're working on a story about the US military: Is civilian control slipping?聽