There is no such thing as coincidence. Geneva and New York are the two world capitals of “Global Issue Players,” with members of this formidable tribe thick on the ground in both cities. And so, it is only logical that The Global Journal should have headquarters in both cities in order to cover the news concerning this growing global elite. Just as the Cold War created a heyday for press correspondents congregating in Western Europe and America, so does the current demand for global transparency in media give rise to the importance of both Geneva and New York.

The cities are natural twins—both are open cities in the best sense (as ports of entry and of call) and both promise refuge to the citizens of the world. Manhattan is quite literally the foot that fits the Lake LeÅLman shoe (take a map and have a look).

The truly dynamic link between these two cities are people, their views of the locations as varying as their own personalities. An Asian Diplomat in Geneva, passing an Australian on his way to Peshawar, would quote an African Diplomat: “Geneva is the kitchen for diplomatic menu served in New York”; a U.N. Blue Helmet peacekeeper may think of New York and Geneva simply as his two base camps; a geographer might notice the abundance of water surrounding each (always a good omen for a settlement) and draw lines between the Rhône and the Hudson, the East River and the Arve; a refugee might express her gratitude for the Geneva Convention; a soldier, his thanks for Henry Dunant’s fight to establish the Red Cross. Every GIP would recall the birth ninety years ago of a certain institution in Geneva in a French-style palace called the Hotel National, and a second birth in New York in 1949—that of the United Nations.

Geneva and New York are complementary in their differences. The former is graced with a calm that allows for reflection; the latter throbs with an energy that encourages voices to call out, bringing people together. At the heart of Europe,

Geneva’s population is half foreign-born; New York, at the proverbial heart of the Americas, is the very symbol of the cultural melting pot with over 200 languages and nationalities in its schools and upon its streets. Together, Geneva and New York embrace the whole world and open themselves to all.

Both cities are the creatures of extraordinary osmosis, products of the commitment of men and women who have been affected by world events and its thousand-and-one construction projects. Both are seemingly unlikely frontrunners in the quest for peace—who could expect this turn of events from the early, violent Swiss guards (mercenaries on the payroll of the kings of Europe) or the insolent American colonists? Every region in the world has its own claim to fame and to infamy and the paths that result from such histories, though varied, prove that each individual on our planet has a right to make sense of his own life and events. Waging peace often requires a much more bitterly fought and drawn-out war than we sometimes realize. May the other major capitals of the world rejoice in having these two headquarters of global negotiation, because the path to world harmony still largely lies ahead of us.

Today, Global Issue Players, with two privileged spots in which to meet and work, cover the world as members of local, regional, national, private, and public elites. GIPs inspire and drive the international organizations, the NGOs, the diplomatic corps, the multinationals, the institutes, and the universities. Attracting both young talent and those of experienced seniority, the ranks of the Global Issue Players continue to grow. They are the vanguard of global governance, building the future locally, brick by brick, and safeguarding the world of tomorrow. It is high time that the media took a closer look at them, their doubts, their certainties, their accomplishments, their questions, their limits, and their acts of courage. This is The Global Journal’s goal.