Author: Barry Carin, CIGI

The G20 is again in the news following the February 2011 Finance Ministers’ meeting with media coverage dominated by news that leaders agreed on a ‘list of indicators to identify and reduce trade imbalances.’

This development comes under France’s G20 presidency, which inherits an unfinished agenda from past G20 summits. Read more…

Authors: Barry Carin, CIGI, and Peter Heap, University of Victoria

Observing the G20 scene from a North American country with pretensions to an Asia-Pacific vocation, we are reminded that over 10 years ago, Kishore Mahbubani, Singaporean Ambassador, wrote the book ‘Can Asians Think?’ Mahbubani provocatively questioned Asian acceptance of Western leadership and paradigms, and Asian tolerance of the West’s condescending attitudes.

Prompted by Mahbubani’s insights, we wonder why Asians continue to acquiesce to outdated, ineffective global institutions designed by Westerners more than 50 years ago in very different circumstances. Read more…