Days after viewing “District 9,” a quirky but compelling film set in South Africa that reveals much about human behavior, I cannot shake its troubling images and lessons. This mock documentary vividly presents what can happen when we succumb to our worst fears, insecurities and tendencies in dealing with those (in this case, extraterrestrials) whose [...]

Too many of the world’s small countries, those with populations of less than 1.5 million, are sinking fast — in more ways than one. The latest warnings come from the Pacific region. At a recent conference in Australia, it was reported that some members of the Pacific Islands Forum — a 16-state group dedicated to [...]

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, formerly archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, is the author of multiple books, including “God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time” and “No Future Without Forgiveness.” He discussed human rights and other global issues with foreign-affairs columnist John C. Bersia.