Certain events in the world act as dividers of time. The world before the event and after the event are fundamentally changed for ever. So, I have often been asked "where were you when Indira Gandhi was assassinated?", "where were you when the deluge of 26th July took place?�€. A very common question that all of us have been asked is �€œwhere were you on the morning of 9/11?" I am sure that all of us remember the answers to these questions very graphically. Where one was standing when you heard the news, who else was around, one's immediate reactions and emotions......

A study by Strategic Foresight Group reveals that there is a strong relationship between business and peace . Conventionally peace is meant to be a business of government and businesspeople are meant to concentrate on profit making enterprises. It is by increasing rate of return on their investments that they create income and employment. If business enterprises can do this, they would eventually contribute to peace and sustainability in their societies. Why should they care to go beyond their conventional responsibilities and promote peace?

The most influential force in the world is the idea. Gods, priests, kings, dictators, democrats, terrorists, anarchists all need an idea to justify themselves.

The 21st Century has been described as the century of the cities. For the first time in history, more people live in cities today than those that do not. To say that cities are growing is to state the obvious- one can see it from our own windows. However the rate of growth is frightening. Fifty years ago, about 30% of the world�€™s population lived in an urban environment. In a decade from now it will cross 60%.

The 21st Century has been described as the century of the cities. For the first time in history, more people live in cities today than those that do not. To say that cities are growing is to state the obvious- one can see it from our own windows. However the rate of growth is frightening. Fifty years ago, about 30% of the world�€™s population lived in an urban environment. In a decade from now it will cross 60%.

The Iraqi government has recently approved a bill that will attempt to reverse a de-baathification law, established in 2003. Initially, abstraction of Baath party members was meant to appease the majority Shiite population, now the reversal aims to pacify the disgruntled Sunni minority. Both approaches, although diametrically opposed, attempt to reconcile the ethnic rifts within Iraqi society. The question is will the new law work? But first what is de-baathification and how have the recent developments contributed to democracy in Iraq?

A couple of years ago, I was attending an academic conference on global governance in Canada . The immigration officer asked one of the speakers to explain the purpose of his visit. The speaker said that he was there to address a conference on global governance. The immigration officer retorted: "Global what?"

In the course of my travels and interactions with people at all levels, the questions that I have been asked most frequently is - have you really managed to make an impact on policy decisions? How do you know that your research reaches the decision makers and is taken seriously by them? Are the right people reading your reports? A look at the response that the SFG series on cost of conflict has evoked answers questions very cogently.