Inside the issue

This issue of CADMUS explores the profound transformations reshaping the world at a time of mounting global turbulence. The articles examine the interconnected challenges of geopolitical conflict, technological disruption, ecological degradation, economic inequality, and declining trust in institutions, while advancing integrated, human-centered approaches to building a more peaceful, sustainable, and resilient future.

The issue opens with the report Global Social Turbulence: Sources & Solutions, which synthesizes fifteen months of international dialogue into a comprehensive framework for understanding the root causes of global instability and identifies practical pathways for transformative action. Complementing this broad perspective are thought-provoking analyses of emerging cognitive power in the age of artificial intelligence, the application of transdisciplinary thinking to conflict prevention, Edgar Morin’s enduring legacy of complexity, and the role of finance, technology, and innovation in accelerating the transition toward sustainability. Building on this diagnosis, the issue explores the emergence of a new global era characterized by aggravated superpower rivalries, inter-state conflicts, shifting geopolitical alignments, accelerating technological change, and the resurgence of conflict in an increasingly uncertain world. It argues that this historic transition calls for renewed commitment to diplomacy, multilateral cooperation, a more inclusive vision of global security, and the essential role of the UN system.

Other contributions examine the psychological, social, and political forces that perpetuate climate inaction; the growing scientific understanding of how environmental exposures contribute to chronic disease; innovative frameworks for mobilizing citizens, institutions, and civil society in the service of peace; and new approaches to global governance capable of addressing today’s increasingly interconnected challenges.

The issue also explores the unique human dimensions of creativity and imagination in an age of intelligent machines; education and integrated perspectives as essential foundations for human development; the fundamental laws governing social evolution and human progress; and the transformative role of technology in connecting communities and advancing the evolution of a global society.

Complementing these themes are contrasting perspectives on the promise and risks of artificial intelligence; the influence of social bonds and shared purpose on the shaping of social groups as living organisms; and the enduring significance of cultural heritage and cross-civilizational dialogue in fostering mutual understanding, peace, and shared human values.

The issue closes with a profound question: What it will take to level up the world using and transforming global systems of capital, thereby closing the SDG gap? And a provocative answer: The real question is not whether the Goals can be met by the fixed date of 2030, or whether a new program similar to the SDGs should be launched, but whether the abundance that is now materializing can be inclusively generated and shared by levers to build an inclusive architecture.
Together, these contributions advance a common message: the world's interconnected challenges cannot be addressed through fragmented thinking or isolated solutions. They call instead for solutions based on integrated knowledge, ethical leadership, international cooperation, and renewed commitment to human values and human security as the foundation for a more peaceful, just, and sustainable global future.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Editors