<p>The History Behind The Headlines - Introduction:</p><p>Politically, culturally and even psychologically, the past, often tragically, helps shape our world's present and its future.</p><p>So, by more fully understanding history in its broadest terms, we improve our chances of tackling our world's problems.</p><p>Planet Earth is a pretty horrifying place. Last year statistics show that 120,000 people lost their lives in more than 30 wars in virtually every region of our world.</p><p>Finding just and lasting solutions to those crises requires huge skill and perseverance.</p><p>But it also requires the public globally and their politicians to more fully understand the nature and histories of those conflicts.</p><p>For without a better global public and political understanding of how and why those conflicts and crises evolved in the first place, it's much more difficult to solve them.</p><p>For the past 15 years my tiny contribution to seeking solutions has been to study and publi
