Knowledge Bank

Natural resources empower the world's most coercive men. Autocrats like Putin and the Saudis spend oil money on weapons and repression. ISIS and Congo's militias spend resource money on atrocities and ammunition. For decades resource-fueled authoritarians and extremists have forced endless crises on the West -- and the ultimate source of their resource money is us, paying at the gas station and the mall. By our own deepest principles, more than half of the world's traded oil is stolen. But now the West can lead a peaceful global revolution by finally ending its dependence on authoritarian oil, conflict minerals and other stolen resources. Upgrading world trade will make us more secure at home, more trusted abroad, and better able to solve urgent problems like climate change. Citizens, consumers and leaders can act today to dissolve tomorrow's crises -- and how we can together create a more united human future.