THE AUTHOR
John Bell has worked for over 30 years on Middle East politics, policy development and mediation. He is Director and Co-Founder of The Conciliators Guild, an organization dedicated to highlighting the critical role of underlying psychological motivations in political decision-making, and to developing a network of excellence in diplomacy and international relations in increasingly difficult times. He is also a former United Nations and Canadian diplomat and a founding member of the “Jerusalem Old City Initiative” (University of Windsor), an effort to find creative options for this contentious issue. He has written extensively on politics, culture and Middle East issues in newspapers and media outlets across the world, including Al Jazeera International and The Globe & Mail (Canada). He has written a book about a core challenge in politics, the role of the ego: “How to Tame the Political Animal: The Missing Piece” (Human Givens Publishing, September, 2021). Mr. Bell is fluent in English, Arabic and French, his interests range from film to philosophy, and he currently resides near Oxford in the United Kingdom.
ESSAYS
“THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT MADE GLORIOUS SUMMER…”
BY JOHN BELL
A performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in a grand Parisian church leads John Bell to consider the modern world's spiritual recession. Bell argues that the "electronic miasma" of the digital age has fractured our attention, replacing genuine awe with soul-deadening distraction. His essay suggests that resisting this tide, and turning toward the real, is the only way to reclaim the "glorious summer" of a whole, present life.
THE COINCIDENCE OF OPPOSITES
AMERICA TODAY: “MY OPINION, RIGHT OR WRONG”
'Right or wrong, it's my opinion!'—this fierce certainty, fueled by social media's abstracting power, is ripping America's political fabric apart. Forget nuanced debate; today's discourse traps us in echo chambers, where challenging our pre-set views feels impossible. Discover how this retreat from complex realities denies the vital "coincidence of opposites" essential for a unified nation.
THE COINCIDENCE OF OPPOSITES
WINSTON CHURCHILL AND NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN
History casts Churchill as the defiant hero and Chamberlain as the weak appeaser, but were they actually two sides of the same coin? This article challenges our black-and-white view, exploring how these "coincident opposites" were both necessary for history to unfold. Discover the surprising argument that Chamberlain's failure was the essential preface to Churchill's ultimate victory.
RECLAIMING OUR HUMANITY IN THE AGE OF AI
SILVA KANTAREVA AND JOHN BELL
THE VILLAGE OF THE WATERWHEELS
THE CRUCIAL NEED FOR A LESS MECHANIZED LIFE
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