WPI Year In Review
As the world’s leaders gather in Paris for climate negotiations, national security vies with personal liberty in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Here at home, divisive rhetoric and political posturing usher the United States into an election year. In every corner of the globe we see the effects of disenfranchisement and marginalization, and what happens when people doubt that their voices are heard, their votes count, and their actions can impact change.
During these complex times, World Policy offers a forum for diverse perspectives from around the world, amplifying the ideas and solutions of local experts and creating a more inclusive platform for policy conversations. As you read on about where we’ve come and where we’re going, we hope we can count on you to invest in our work today by joining as a member or making a year-end tax deductible contribution.
Ahead of the curve
A year before a melting Greenland and President Obama’s trip to Alaska made the front pages of every major 
American newspaper, World Policy’s Arctic in Context began breaking down the myriad challenges and opportunities facing the region through accessible, dynamic reporting and in-person convenings. With the official launch in 2014 by Al Gore, Arctic in Context’s events have continued to build momentum, highlighting notable developments over the course of the year—beginning with the official handover of the Arctic Council Chairmanship from the Canadian government to the United States.
To mark this transition, World Policy convened a high-level discussion with top Canadian and U.S. officials to provide key insights into what to expect during the transition. Other events have shone a spotlight on business and investment opportunities, including a briefing by the Premier of Quebec Philippe Couillard, while our roundtable in Singapore highlighted the often-overlooked relationship between Asia and the Arctic.
From the source: local voices on global challenges
In any conversation we lead, whether print, online, or in person, we prioritize the inclusion of underrepresented voices in order to challenge entrenched notions with fresh global perspectives and identify emerging issues before they hit the front pages.
Our collection of online verticals provides a forum for a diversity of perspectives—particularly those most often marginalized from mainstream policy conversations—to exchange ideas and experiences with a globally minded and interconnected audience. In the wake of the failed coup in Burundi, the African Angle featured Roland Rugero’s on-the-ground insights on how the events shifted Burundi’s role in the region and heightened international competition for influence.
Through the launch of our new Cuban Reset vertical, we plan to continue this tradition of bringing local context to global discussions. The Cuban Reset provides an important conduit for bringing Cuban voices to a wider global audience to help shift a discourse that has been previously been dominated by the diaspora. At a time when brokering international solutions requires more inclusive dialogue and balanced cooperation than ever before, this approach supports a more engaged form of policymaking built on the nuanced understanding of key issues and local contexts that our writers capture each day online or in print.
Impacting policy
In addition to providing on-the-spot coverage of breaking news, we have recently partnered with the African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR) to support in-depth investigative reporting on issues ranging from the World Bank-financed displacement of millions across Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia to the misconduct of Australian mining companies in Western and Southern Africa.
The expansion of this partnership follows the recognition of joint ANCIR-WPI fellow Khadija Sharife’s expose on the Kimberley Process. The article, which ran in the winter 2013/2014 issue of World Policy Journal, provided evidence of the corruption and economic injustice stemming from a flawed process of diamond extraction and sale. The attention the piece attracted and the work of this investigative team generated enough pressure to push the African Union to revisit the legislation surrounding the illicit sale of blood diamonds. And in the fall of this year, Sharife’s article was nominated for the top investigative journalism award—the Global Shining Light Award.
Preparing the next generation of policy makers
To date, World Policy Journal, the website, the podcast, and the social media channels reach a network of almost 2 million people across 180 countries. Notably, nearly 67 percent of them are well-educated, young professional millennials who will undoubtedly influence the political and economic spheres in years to come. 
As part of our continued commitment to preparing the next generation of policy leaders, World Policy has recently expanded to our new offices at Loyola Marymounth University in Los Angeles. This unique partnership provides programmatic opportunities for students to engage with diverse global audiences and gain a strong foundation for applying their academic education to the current global, social, and economic environment, while the Left Coast Perspectives offers insights into LA’s unique perspective from its pivotal location between Latin America and the Pacific Rim.
2016 Outlook
By creating a bridge between the next generation of policy makers and influential leaders like the former President of Mexico Vicente Fox and acclaimed analyst Ian Bremmer, World Policy is doing its part to ensure that policy makers have the necessary tools and insights to create a clear roadmap to navigate the challenges that lie ahead.
In 2016, we will launch a new security series, which will bridge security, diplomacy, and business circles to deep-dive into key security concerns, both those in the headlines and the simmering challenges that are lacking mainstream and consistent coverage. Our live events will feature former Finance Minister of Greece Yanis Varoufakis, a former US ambassador to Iraq, a key NAFTA negotiator, and former advisors to Hillary Clinton and Al Gore. World Policy Journal is slated to take on black protest movements across the globe in Black Lives Matter Everywhere; innovations emerging from urban centers in Renegade Cities; how history’s ghosts impact current events; and education, criminal justice, and resource extraction.
We’re doing our part through our programs, publications, and partnerships, but we can’t do it without you. Please consider making a gift today.
We look forward to further involving you in our ideas and initiatives in 2016 and beyond, and thank you for your ongoing support.
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