This TED talk resonated with me because of my experience of having twice attended the [[Harvard Model United Nations]], once having represented [[Ecuador]] (particularly in debate over [[UNCLOS]] issues) and in the other instance [[Pakistan]].
It gives a glimpse into the clearly-not-black-and-white world of international relations, something that will never be understood from the other side of a newspaper page or television screen.
This is of relevance today because of a shift in foreign policy of “we will not negotiate with terrorists” (meaning anyone “who is not for us is against us”) to non-military solutions, meaning ones that are sustainable solutions rather than lingering reactions, however necessary it may be / have been in the short term to fire first and ask questions later.
This is why we should not treat groups like the Taliban the same way that Metallica treated Napster, no matter how evil we are convinced they are. Dialogue is not admitting defeat; it is neither condonement of their actions nor agreement with their ideology. And even if we cannot see the larger cultural context that sustains their existence (and most of us are oblivously ignorant of), we should have diplomatic contact if for no other reason than the case is closed on there being a viable military solution.