Despite war and economic crisis there is hope for human progress

There is immense hope for human progress despite the seemingly endless intractable wars and repeated economic crises, writes think-tank vice-president Kemal Dervis

The year 2015 was difficult, punctuated by horrific terror attacks, massive refugee flows, declining growth forecasts, and serious political challenges, with populism on the rise in many countries.

In the Middle East, in particular, chaos and violence has continued to proliferate, with devastating consequences. This represents a disappointing turn from the undoubtedly flawed, but far more hopeful world of just a few decades ago.