There’s a great problem in the West.

For all the news we read, almost nobody pays attention to what foreign leaders actually say. Other than in extremely filtered form (through traditional media) – which often isn’t faithful to the sentiment of what’s being said – we don’t hear from them.

Contrast this with the 1960s and JFK’s Ambassador to Japan, Edwin Reischauer, making important cultural documentaries to help Americans better understand Japan and the Japanese way of perceiving the world. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone went on to say: “I know of no other man who has so thoroughly understood Japan.” Such diplomatic attempts at empathy have deteriorated sharply ever since. We’re looking to make a humble attempt at reviving Reischauerian spirit.

At large, we in the West are not listening to other parts of the world. And cooling relations between countries is becoming a serious resultant global problem. Without global cooperation, all other things we in the West might worry about – climate targets, AI safety, global preparedness for the next pandemic… – are not going to get resolved. Sustainable development cannot work in the context of a world at war.

Looking back to the early 1990s, and the hand the West had then, there is no reason why young people today should be being bequeathed a world descending into instability and monetary woes. This is the product of bad management, and in international relations, a severe atrophying in diplomatic ability that did exist in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The post-Cold War generation has largely failed us. (We are allowed to say this. Our eldest team member is 31 years old.)

We need a new Council on Foreign Relations. A “Council on Foreign Relations – for a multipolar world”, if you will.

This is to be an organization that attempts, in earnest, to understand foreign leaders and (where appropriate) peace-make. We will not be content with mere publication of papers, but strive to craft viable solutions, as well as fact-check and hold to account influential traditional media when we consider it is misrepresenting, or being blind to, reality on the ground. We will aim to provide such value to government decision-makers that instead of us having to lobby for our ideas, they will be actively solicited.

Our focus will be live conflicts and simmering points of global tension. We will not look at trade wars or low-level tariff disputes. But rather: stopping active hot war.

We believe that in opposing sides being frank and conversing, occasionally creative middle paths can be sought.

You can read our first pieces on the Ukraine conflict here.