Time is the best healer when it comes to the wounds of history. Generations change and new eras arrive; the pain and suffering of victims of old conflicts is not forgotten, far from it, but it becomes less acute and is not transferred to children who didn’t bear witness to it. Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, wonders if it will be possible to overcome the era of global disorder by 2040. This article was prepared especially for the Valdai Club Youth Conference.
For the international conference “The Valdai Club: The World in 2040”, held as part of the World Youth Festival in Sochi, a group of young experts prepared a special report under the auspices of the Club, titled “Charting the 2040: Younger Generation Insight on the World in the Making”.
In our opinion, the report turned out to be very interesting and instructive. Indeed, who, if not the youth, can talk about the future in 16 years? After all, for them, these years will be the time when they reach maturity in establishing themselves as professionals. If they do not become disillusioned with foreign policy expertise and practice as a worthy occupation for their life, then they will have to deal with the problems that previous generations have left for them.
In this regard, the general optimism of the report’s authors is very indicative. Characterising the current state of the world as an era of global disorder, they conclude that sooner or later, and perhaps even by 2040, it will transform into an era of real and (as is sometimes felt from the subtext and thoughts of the authors) conflict-free multipolarity.