Building a Global Vision
The future of Asia will shape the world in unprecedented ways. It is a continent in great transition—home to dozens of fledgling democracies and developing economies, many facing the additional challenge of reconciling deeply rooted religious and ethnic frictions. How successful the nations of Asia will be at establishing or maintaining accountable and just governments, providing for their people amid difficulties, and developing their economies in fair and environmentally responsible ways will have repercussions for the entire planet.
Many Asian countries are still developing by modern standards, but the cultures of those areas have extraordinarily rich histories, often beyond that of the more developed nations of the West. This fact is at the heart of Asia’s potential. If the region can build on the beauty and wisdom of their ancient cultures while continuing to build their economies, they stand to make enormous contributions to the global community. As the East and the West work together in our interconnected world both sides need a better understanding of each other, and the developed countries of the West also need to contribute to the long-term, sustainable development of Eastern economies and civil societies.