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Canada keeps hope after attacks, Turkey needs to talk with neighbors, Zambia must work with diaspora, Japan's push to increase green energy, and the problems in Jerusalem

This week's round-up of commentaries covers Canada's hope after a string of violent attacks, why Turkey should work with its neighbors to combat extremism, what Zambia gains from working with its diasporas, Japan's push to increase renewable energy production, and why Jerusalem is a center for conflict.

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Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press/AP/File
The coffin of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo is towed on a gun carriage during his funeral procession in Hamilton, Ontario, on Oct. 28. Cirillo was standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa last Wednesday when he was killed by a gunman who went on to open fire on Parliament Hill before being shot down in a hail of bullets.
  • By Monitor Editors

The Globe and Mail / Toronto
After a string of attacks, hope remains in Canada

“One Canadian soldier murdered by a vehicle turned into a weapon ... [then] another gunned down at the War Memorial in Ottawa...,” states an editorial about recent attacks targeting Canadian military. “There will be questions about whether our laws need to change. There will be questions about whether Canada needs to change. And yet, we kind of like Canada the way it is.... Any changes made, from security at public buildings to a long-standing system of laws that criminalize action but not thought, should be done only for the benefit of millions of law-abiding Canadians – and not as a panicky reaction to a ... small number of men....”

Hurriyet Daily News / Istanbul, Turkey
Turkey should moderate peaceful dialogue between neighbors

“The history of the Middle East in the post-colonial era has been one of wars and conflicts with long-standing regional antagonisms and rivalries that show no signs of abating. The answers to the challenge that wars and conflicts pose cannot emerge from unilateral approaches, but through processes of wider consultation and cooperation among regional and international actors...,” writes Dlawer Ala’Aldeen from Erbil, capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government. “Through dialogue and engagement, Turkey can recruit plenty of support for shaping the Middle East via promoting de-radicalization, nation-building and good governance.... Of course, shaping the future of the region via dialogue and engagement is a slow process, but it is never too late to begin a thousand-mile journey with the first step.” 

The Post / Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia must work with its people who live abroad

“[A]ny government that ignores its citizens in the diaspora does so at its own peril.... Diasporas can and, in many cases, do play an important role in the economic development of their countries of origin or ancestry. Beyond sending remittances, diasporas can also promote trade and foreign direct investment, create businesses and spur entrepreneurship and transfer new knowledge and skills. While we continue to see our nationals abroad as a loss, more and more [it is] recognised that an engaged diaspora can be an asset...,” states an editorial. “Zambians in the diaspora are a vital element to our country’s development and ...  they have the knowledge and skill and they need to be put to good use by any government in power.”

The Japan Times / Tokyo
Increase green energy production and end reliance on nuclear power

“The sudden decisions by five power companies to stop purchasing electricity from renewable energy sources under a feed-in-tariff (FIT) system have forced the government to start reviewing the system itself....   [A] more important thing than tinkering with the FIT system [is] improving the power grid and the related technological basis so that the share of green electricity will greatly increase...,” states an editorial. “Green electricity, except large-scale hydraulic power, accounted for a mere 2.2 percent of total electricity generated in Japan in 2013. This volume is too small.... Japan should make concrete efforts to greatly increase the percentage of green energy by setting ... clearly defined goals while aiming [to end] reliance on nuclear power.” 

Haaretz / Tel Aviv
Jerusalem at the heart of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians

“[A] vehicle attack in Jerusalem ... brought the wave of violence that has afflicted the city for the last three months to new heights.... [T]he problems in Jerusalem won’t be solved by employing more force or beefing up law enforcement...,” states an editorial. “The roots of the violence lie in the despair and fear felt by Palestinian residents of the city.... [T]he ongoing neglect of Palestinian neighborhoods on one hand and the government’s encouragement of the spread of Jewish settlements in the heart of those same neighborhoods on the other [form] the swamp from which violence and terror grow.... What is needed is a political horizon that would include discussion of one of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – namely, the status of the city of Jerusalem.”

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