THE QUESTION

The U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving this week. What changes would people in your part of the world be grateful to see in the coming year?

Posted by David Ignatius and Fareed Zakaria on November 22, 2007 8:34 AM

FROM THE PANEL

Mustafa Domanic is an online activist and blogger. He contributes to several blogs on Turkish current affairs as well as global political issues including foreignsight.blogspot.com.

Turks Want Change, A Louder Voice, and Sympathy

Turkish people's expectations for the coming year are threefold: They want change. They want more of a say. And they want sympathy from the international community.

Mustafa Domanic Istanbul, Turkey | 19 COMMENTS
Nov 24, 2007 at 10:03 AM
Ibsen Martínez is a Venezuelan playwright and novelist. A former telenovela writer based in Caracas, he is now a freelance writer and regular contributor to a number of newspapers, magazines and websites in both Spanish and English. He writes a weekly column for the Caracas daily "Tal Cual." Spanish language newspapers such as Madrid's "El País" and "ABC" as well as Buenos Aires's "La Nación" run his articles on a regular basis. His essays on literary and political subjects have appeared in prestigious magazines such as "La Nouvelle Revue Françoise", Mexico's " Letras Libres", Washington's "Foreign Policy" and The Washington Post's "Outlook" magazine. He also writes a monthly column on Latin American economic issues for the Liberty Fund's website, "Econlib Library (www.econlib.org).

Populism Won't Bring the Change We Want

Latin Americans would be grateful to see less poverty here. The only way that will happen is by embracing growth via democracy.

Ibsen Martinez Venezuela | 18 COMMENTS
Nov 24, 2007 at 8:48 AM
Sami Moubayed is a Syrian political analyst and historian based in Damascus, Syria. Moubayed is the author of "Damascus Between Democracy and Dictatorship (2000)" and "Steel & Silk: Men and Women Who Shaped Syria 1900-2000 (2006)." He has also authored a biography of Syria's former President Shukri al-Quwatli and currently serves as Associate Professor at the Faculty of International Relations at al-Kalamoun University in Syria. In 2004, he created Syrianhistory.com, the first and online museum of Syrian history. He is also co-founder and editor-in-chief of FORWARD, the leading English monthly in Syria, and Vice-President of Haykal Media.

Give Me Education First, Then Liberty

Social, mental, and educational reform must come before political freedoms will do the Arab world any good.

Sami Moubayed Damascus, Syria | 12 COMMENTS
Nov 22, 2007 at 8:42 AM
Former Washington-based columnist for The Hong Kong Standard, The New York Sun, and Insight on the News, an online weekly published by The Washington Times. Covered economic and political relations between the United States and East Asia, with an emphasis on China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association. Currently a business executive at a Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong.

Three Wishes for Three Societies

Three very different wishes for the three Chinese-speaking societies in my part of the world.

Kin-ming Liu Hong Kong | 3 COMMENTS
Nov 22, 2007 at 8:40 AM
Dr. Ali Ettefagh serves as a director of Highmore Global Corporation, an investment company in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, CIS, and the Middle East. He is the co-author of several books on trade conflict, resolution of international trade disputes, conflicts in letters of credit, trade-related banking transactions, sovereign debt, arbitration and dispute resolutions and publications specific to the oil and gas, communication, aviation and finance sectors. Dr. Ettefagh is a member of the executive committee and the board of directors of The Development Foundation, an advisor to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and an advisor to a number of European companies. Dr. Ettefagh speaks Persian (Farsi), English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Turkish.

Give Thanks – Next Year Might be Worse

Give thanks now! World leaders' logic tomorrow might be even more warped than it is today.

Ali Ettefagh Tehran, Iran | 3 COMMENTS
Nov 22, 2007 at 8:39 AM
Originally from Pakistan, Anwer Sher is based in Dubai and writes for Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Emirates Today. His varied career experience includes banking, consulting, and real estate development. He has a Masters degree in International Relations.

Sharing is Caring

U.S. actions in the Middle East should reflect the spirit of the many Americans who will share their Thanksgiving meal with those who are less fortunate.

Anwer Sher Dubai, UAE | 3 COMMENTS
Nov 22, 2007 at 8:36 AM

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