In the postwar decades, the United States led the way in creating a multilateral order. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (later to become the World Trade Organization), the U.N. Declaration on Human Rights, and, of course, the United Nations itself. American leaders were present at the birth of all of these enduring institutions, which were intended to facilitate international cooperation in law, human rights, economic development, social progress and global security.

Those same principles are a good starting point for American policy today. The economy, our food system, the environment and security all call for global solutions, which can only emerge from a renewed commitment to international cooperation.

In this article IATP presents a vision for reconnecting with the global community using creative thinking and policies. We focus specifically on this being a time for reconciliation of the U.S.and the U.N., protecting our common environment, a trade policy for people, communities and the environment and global food security.

 This article was included as a chapter in "New Progressive Voices. Values and Policies for the 21st Century", published by The Progressive Ideas Network..