F R O M T H E E D I T O R
State of the wState of the worldorld
Edward Felsenthal, Edward Felsenthal,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CEOEDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CEO
@@EFELSENTHALEFELSENTHALof the video screen.”of the video screen.”
WWith the Omith the Omicron variant on the micron variant on the march, the arch, the
seemseemingly endless physical-virtual conundrumingly endless physical-virtual conundrum
we fi nd ourselves in continues. And yet we fi nd ourselves in continues. And yet
collaboration is mcollaboration is more crucial than ever to ore crucial than ever to
tackling our mtackling our many problemany problems. s.
That themThat theme runs through the special e runs through the special
section in this issue, created with the forumsection in this issue, created with the forum
and with the support of our partners at and with the support of our partners at
SOMSOMPO. Leaders in the worlds of policy, PO. Leaders in the worlds of policy,
business, arts and advocacy share their mbusiness, arts and advocacy share their most ost
powerful partnerships—powerful partnerships—fromfrom form former U.N. er U.N.
climclimate chief Christiana Figueres, who writes ate chief Christiana Figueres, who writes
about a covert eff ort that helped pave the about a covert eff ort that helped pave the
way for the 2015 Paris Agreemway for the 2015 Paris Agreement, to actor ent, to actor
and activist Don Cheadle, who describes how and activist Don Cheadle, who describes how
one strand of his personal activismone strand of his personal activism cam came e
about on the sets of the about on the sets of the AvengersAvengers m movies. ovies.
FormFormer PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi mer PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi makes the akes the
case that collaboration is key for creating a case that collaboration is key for creating a
mmuch needed new balance of work and life, uch needed new balance of work and life,
and Yuval Noah Harari, best-selling author and Yuval Noah Harari, best-selling author
of of Sapiens,Sapiens, asks the world to invest together asks the world to invest together
in min mitigating climitigating climate disaster. TIMate disaster. TIME’s E’s
Billy Perrigo profi les TimBilly Perrigo profi les Timnit Gebru, one of nit Gebru, one of
the world’s leading thinkers on artifi cial the world’s leading thinkers on artifi cial
intelligence, and veteran TIMintelligence, and veteran TIME contributor E contributor
Vivienne WVivienne Walt has a remalt has a remarkable interview arkable interview
with formwith former Danone CEO Emer Danone CEO Emmmanuel anuel
Faber. He talks openly—Faber. He talks openly—rare for a CEO—rare for a CEO—
about being fi red, and stands by the about being fi red, and stands by the
purpose- purpose- driven focus of his tenure even driven focus of his tenure even
as somas some say it cost hime say it cost him his job. “In no his job. “In no
way should that discourage progressive way should that discourage progressive
CEOs,” he says. “They have, ultimCEOs,” he says. “They have, ultimately, ately,
the backing of large shareholders.”the backing of large shareholders.”
And soon, the beginning of the OlymAnd soon, the beginning of the Olympic pic
GamGames in Beijing will put to the test our es in Beijing will put to the test our
capacity in this mcapacity in this momoment to gather froment to gather from all all
corners of the earth. As part of our coverage corners of the earth. As part of our coverage
of the lead-up to the gamof the lead-up to the games, TIMes, TIME’s Sean E’s Sean
Gregory profi led chamGregory profi led champion snowboarder pion snowboarder
Chloe KimChloe Kim. After a rocky period following. After a rocky period following
her domher dominance at the last Winance at the last Winter Olyminter Olympics, pics,
she told Sean, she found greater peace with she told Sean, she found greater peace with
herself—herself—and saw how that sense of self was and saw how that sense of self was
what she needed to bring to Beijing. Perhaps what she needed to bring to Beijing. Perhaps
that mthat message is what we all need to remessage is what we all need to rememember ber
when we’re fi nally able to comwhen we’re fi nally able to come together again.e together again.LAST OCTOBER, LAST OCTOBER, TIMETIME’S SIMON SHUSTER ’S SIMON SHUSTER
reached out to Russian opposition leader reached out to Russian opposition leader
Alexei Navalny with an interview request. It Alexei Navalny with an interview request. It
had been 10 mhad been 10 months since Navalny’s volun-onths since Navalny’s volun-
tary return to Russia and imtary return to Russia and imprisonmprisonment, and ent, and
mmore than a year since he had been nearly ore than a year since he had been nearly
killed by a chemkilled by a chemical weapon. Simical weapon. Simon has in-on has in-
terviewed Navalny a half dozen timterviewed Navalny a half dozen times since es since
he fi rst emhe fi rst emerged as a political force a decade erged as a political force a decade
ago, and the response suggested Putin’s public ago, and the response suggested Putin’s public
enemenemy No. 1 was happy to hear fromy No. 1 was happy to hear from him him..
In the town of Pokrov, where Navalny’s In the town of Pokrov, where Navalny’s
prison is located, “there is probably just one prison is located, “there is probably just one
subscriber to TIMsubscriber to TIME mE magazine,” he wrote back agazine,” he wrote back
to Simto Simon. “And that’s mon. “And that’s me.” His lawyers had e.” His lawyers had
just brought himjust brought him a recent issue that m a recent issue that morn-orn-
ing, which included an article Siming, which included an article Simon wrote on wrote
about a Holocaust mabout a Holocaust mememorial in Ukraine. “I orial in Ukraine. “I
read it and thought: let’s do the interview,” read it and thought: let’s do the interview,”
Navalny said, drawing a little smNavalny said, drawing a little smiley face.iley face.
WWith that, the two started a correspon-ith that, the two started a correspon-
dence that lasted well into January. The re-dence that lasted well into January. The re-
sult is the powerful and msult is the powerful and moving profi le of oving profi le of
Navalny in this issue, a portrait of his life Navalny in this issue, a portrait of his life
and of the political organization he contin-and of the political organization he contin-
ues to operate, imues to operate, improbably, fromprobably, from his bar- his bar-
rack. Navalny’s last letter arrived in mrack. Navalny’s last letter arrived in mid- id-
January, and its tone was a lot darker than January, and its tone was a lot darker than
the other letters had been. Navalny had the other letters had been. Navalny had
been watching the U.S. negotiate with Rus-been watching the U.S. negotiate with Rus-
sia about NATO and Ukraine, and it pained sia about NATO and Ukraine, and it pained
himhim to see the Am to see the Americans get played, he said, ericans get played, he said,
“just like a frightened schoolboy who’s been “just like a frightened schoolboy who’s been
bullied by an upperclassmbullied by an upperclassman.”an.”
No journalist knows this terrain better No journalist knows this terrain better
than Simthan Simon, whose famon, whose family imily immmigrated to the igrated to the
U.S. fromU.S. from Russia in 1989 and who has covered Russia in 1989 and who has covered
the region insightfully and courageously for the region insightfully and courageously for
us for over a decade. In exile, Navalny “would us for over a decade. In exile, Navalny “would
be just another gadfl y, too easy for Putin to be just another gadfl y, too easy for Putin to
ignore,” Simignore,” Simon writes. “In prison he is a re-on writes. “In prison he is a re-
mminder of what Russia has becominder of what Russia has become, and a e, and a
symsymbol of the freedombol of the freedoms that it lost.”s that it lost.”
IN EARLY DECEMIN EARLY DECEMBER, BER, I caught up with I caught up with
Klaus Schwab, chairmKlaus Schwab, chairman of the Wan of the World Eco-orld Eco-
nomnomic Forumic Forum. It was his fi rst visit to New. It was his fi rst visit to New
York since the pandemYork since the pandemic began, and though ic began, and though
we covered a wide range of topics, the themwe covered a wide range of topics, the theme e
we kept comwe kept coming back to is one that has been ing back to is one that has been
pervasive for all of us across the past two pervasive for all of us across the past two
years: the imyears: the importance of physical connection. portance of physical connection.
“To really establish trust in hum“To really establish trust in human relation-an relation-
ships,” he said, “you need personal contact. ships,” he said, “you need personal contact.
You need to have somYou need to have some me momoments on the side ents on the side
4 TIME January 31/February 7, 2022
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From top:
A letter from Navalny; A letter from Navalny;
Shuster at a press Shuster at a press
conference in Mconference in Moscow oscow
in 2015in 2015C O U R T E S Y S I M O N S H U S T E R (2)C O U R T E S Y S I M O N S H U S T E R (2)