Per la Pau / Peace in Progress

Sanromà Moncunill, Món. Qatar: el país més ric del món. Barcelona: Edicions de 1984, 2013.

In current geopolitics, Qatar is both the great unknown and the most important player of all those that have emerged in recent years. With an intelligent and subtle diplomacy which makes use of the smooth power of money and the appeal of communication, it is probably the state whose influence is the most disproportionate in the world in view of the size of its population.

The book discusses these questions and many others, with brushstrokes of sociological analyses on the lives of people in the Arab emirate to the living conditions of the immigrant workforce, which can be quite similar to a sophisticated system of modern slavery.

Written in a fresh, yet polished style, as any piece of good journalistic work should be, it makes use of the necessary information at all times. However, the picture he paints of the situation is a disturbing one. In between the lines, this piece appears to warn of the - often difficult to balance - compromises being made in international politics between democracy, economic growth and respect for human rights. Somehow, the author challenges us, prompting us to question things we might not have considered before. In other words: are we prepared to follow the example of Qatar?

X.A.