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Editors’ Note Over the last year, the international stage has been dominated by states struggling to IRUJH QDWLRQDO LGHQWLWLHV DQG LQVWLWXWLRQV ,Q 6\ULD UHYROXWLRQDULHV Ă€JKW DJDLQVW WKH DXWRFUDF\ of Bashar al-Assad; in Iran and North Korea, authoritarian regimes develop nuclear programs; DQG LQ /LE\D 7XQLVLD DQG (J\SW QHZO\ IRUPHG JRYHUQLQJ ERGLHV DUH GHĂ€QLQJ WKH OHJDF\ RI the Arab Spring. Yet the international community still hesitates in its role in these internal conĂ LFWV 7KH 8 1 6HFXULW\ &RXQFLO GHEDWHV LQYROYHPHQW LQ WKH 6\ULDQ FRQĂ LFW DQG LWV UHVSRQVH WR continued nuclear activity in Iran. Meanwhile, South Korea and the United States are unsure whether to respond to North Korean provocations with concessions or with demonstrations of strength. In keeping with the spirit of these events, this issue of World Outlook focuses on internal struggles over national identity and the intersection of international institutions and national interests. We begin with a paper by Jeongu Gim that explores the relative strength of norms within international institutions when opposed by the self-interests of member states. Using the response of Chad and Kenya to the arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir as a case study, Gim argues state interests ultimately prevail over international norms when states have to choose between compliance and self-interest. Our next paper continues to explore the role of the international community in facing global problems – Daniel Bornstein examines the failure of the international community to solve the global food crisis by analyzing differential access to agricultural resources and state alliances with global agribusiness. Our focus then shifts to internal struggles over national identity. In our third paper, Richard Medina analyzes the history of democracy in Costa Rica. His conclusion – that Costa Rica’s democratic success story is based on geographical and cultural factors – has implications for the infant democracies of North Africa. 2XU Ă€QDO SDSHU LV RQ WKH IRUPDWLRQ RI 7LEHWDQ QDWLRQDOLVP ZULWWHQ E\ $DPLU +XVsain. Hussain discusses the role of religion, medicine, and politics in creating a “cultural nationalismâ€? in Tibet, challenging traditional paradigms of national identity. Also in this issue, World Outlook is pleased to include two interviews with leaders LQ WKH UHDOP RI LQWHUQDWLRQDO DIIDLUV ,Q WKH Ă€UVW IRUPHU 6WDWH 'HSDUWPHQW 8QGHU 6HFUHWDU\ Maria Otero lays out her vision for the future of American foreign relations and security. We also sat down the host of CNN’s The Lead, Jake Tapper, to discuss the evolution of U.S. counter-insurgency strategy, the implications of drone warfare, and the role of journalism in international affairs. We conclude this issue with a series of three op-eds. Chris Looney argues for reform of the U.N. Security Council, while Kyooeun Jang emphasizes the power of cultural exchange LQ EULQJLQJ DERXW IDVWHU UHXQLĂ€FDWLRQ RI WKH .RUHDQ 3HQLQVXOD ,Q WKH Ă€QDO SLHFH 6WDII (GLtor Jiyoung Sohn examines recent North Korean belligerence and argues for continuing the hardline response of the United States, South Korea, and the international community. 0D\ \RX Ă€QG RXU VHOHFWLRQV WR EH ZLGH UDQJLQJ LQ WRSLF DQG SURYRFDWLYH LQ VFRSH Thanks for reading, The Editors