Commentary | From the Editors

The nation’s first “trial of the century” was not just a conflict between science and religion.

An armed rebel group’s takeover of Goma is just the latest chapter in decadeslong instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But this moment could blaze a path to effective governance long-awaited by the Congolese people.

Geopolitics never exist in a vacuum. The regular people who live near the results of international deals – like the Peruvian fishermen whose coastline has been overtaken by port construction – often best describe the real impacts of those deals.

In New England, the push-pull between independence and interdependence makes for fertile soil for an emerging local food system.

The 1798 Alien Enemies Act has been used to devastating effect in the past in the United States. Now, as President Trump employs the law to speed up deportations, it's facing legal battles.

Bangladesh emerged last summer from autocratic rule through a student-led revolt. Less than a year later, its diverse communities are engaged in a vibrant contest over what kind of country they hope to build.

In the face of divisive rhetoric and a societal shift away from diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s have a lesson to share about perseverance and honesty.

Rewilding efforts are often fueled by a desire to right an ecological wrong. But an ecosystem is not a vacuum, and reintroducing animals to the wild often means that people must, once again, learn to live with them.

A person’s native language carries the key to their patterns of thinking and ways of making sense of the world. For societies emerging from systems of repression, reclaiming language is an act of restoration.

There are leaders who encourage their team to be more than the sum of its parts. The Monitor newsroom has benefitted from one such leader for over 30 years.