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Europe is trying to build a single market for data at the very moment when cities and ministries across the Middle East are scaling cloud infrastructure, national digital IDs, smart mobility, and AI‑enabled public services. From the Gulf to the Levant, large projects in health, energy, logistics, environment, and finance all depend on reliable data flows and trustworthy AI. What Europe decides now will travel through standards, procurement rules, and supply chains, shaping ho

The interception of the Sumud Flotilla in international waters is more than a violation of maritime law; it is a rupture in our ethical order. From an ecosystemic view, this event is a node in a vast, oppressive network.

In the face of escalating climate threats and environmental degradation, the way we manage waste has become a defining issue for urban resilience. A new report, Circular Waste Systems for Urban Resilience, produced by Leading Cities and the Afkar Collective, offers a compelling examination of how circular models can address the urgent shortcomings of our current linear systems. Authored by Domenic R. Brown, the report invites readers to rethink the very foundations of waste m

AI offers transformative potential for sustainable urban development, yet governance and policy gaps hinder its impact. Fragmented decision-making, short-term priorities, and limited citizen engagement undermine long-term resilience. Cities must adopt integrated frameworks, inclusive participation, and ethical standards to ensure AI supports climate adaptation, equity, and sustainable futures.

Apathy is not just a lack of feeling—it’s a mechanism of abandonment. In societies where your skin isn’t in the game, disengagement becomes the norm. But this distance is rarely innocent. It’s structured, rewarded, and often complicit in sustaining injustice. What would it mean to resist apathy—not just emotionally, but politically? To stay with the discomfort, even when you could look away?

Hyperobjects like climate change and digital networks are vast, interconnected forces that shape our world.

Data poisoning poses huge AI risks with legal gaps. Urgent technical and policy actions are needed to secure AI systems globally.

With Nature at the center of decision-making, it is part of the series of white papers from the Manuel Ballbé Chair of Human Security and Global Law.

Hypernormalization shapes our world through illusions and distraction, making us accept a fragile system. It relies on technocratic control, manufactured distractions, and the myth of no alternatives. To break free, we must name the phenomenon, embrace local action, and reclaim agency—showing that, despite the narrative of powerlessness, real change is possible through collective resistance.

Urban forests—our parks, street trees, and green corridors—are far more than scenery. They’re dynamic climate shields, cooling heat-trapped cities, boosting food security, and defending against disasters.

Urgent call for global environmental data sharing to tackle ecological crises and harmonize conservation efforts worldwide.

AI's data feast: A recipe for climate crisis. As algorithms devour energy, can tech's hunger be tamed before Earth's pantry empties?

From war booty to restitution rights, art theft in conflicts highlights the evolving fight for cultural justice.

Labels simplify complex issues, but true change demands we look deeper. Beyond hashtags lies the work of systemic reform.

LLMs lack domain-specific grounding for critical infrastructure. Physics-driven AI integrates real-world principles.

Embrace uncertainty: Ecosystemic thinking offers a path to navigate complexity, fostering resilience in an unpredictable world.

Tariffs reshape industries, impacting climate change. From steel to solar, they can accelerate or undermine green progress.

EU's history offers a blueprint for data federalization, transforming fragmented data into a shared resource for global challenges