{
"authors": [
"William J. Burns"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie China"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie China",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North America",
"United States"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Democracy"
]
}
The murder of George Floyd has underscored the deep inequities that have long plagued American society. In a note to the Carnegie community, Bill Burns reflects on Carnegie’s commitment to build a more just future here at home and around the world, without which peace will remain beyond our grasp.
Dear Carnegie Endowment Community,
The murder of George Floyd, and the pain and anger Americans rightly have expressed in response, has once again underscored the deep inequities, systemic racism, and polarization that have long plagued American society. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident or an aberration. It is yet another profoundly important reminder of how far we have to go in this country, of how much hard work we have to do to end the injustice and inequality that eats away at human dignity.
Like all of you, I remain committed to doing all we can as an institution, and as individual citizens, to build a better and fairer society. I spent many years as an American diplomat, and I know that the power of our example always matters more than the power of our preaching. Today, that example is badly damaged, and the failures of our system have been laid bare.
Across our global platform, with six centers and more than 140 scholars in twenty countries, we will continue to offer honest analysis and practical prescriptions on issues of democracy, governance, civic activism, and political violence. We can do even more to help societies better understand and overcome patterns of civil conflict and exclusion—and we can certainly do more to address the inexcusable under-representation of women and minority voices in our profession and lift up the next generation.
International peace, toward which Andrew Carnegie dedicated this proud institution, is an elusive goal. Its pursuit requires not only the classic work of diplomats and mediators, but a sharp focus on the underlying pathologies of violence and intolerance. Even at this terrible moment, we hear the voices of decent people, here and around the world, raised in shared commitment to a more just future, without which peace will remain beyond our grasp. The Carnegie Endowment will remain dedicated to that crucial cause.
Sincerely,
Bill Burns
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
This piece examines India’s response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, specifically assessing the immediate market consequences, such as alterations in import costs, and the broader strategic implications for India’s energy security and foreign policy orientation.
Vrinda Sahai
On July 30, 2025, the United States announced 25 percent tariffs on Indian goods. While diplomatic tensions simmered on the trade front, a cosmic calm prevailed at the Sriharikota launch range. Officials from NASA and ISRO were preparing to launch an engineering marvel into space—the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), marking a significant milestone in the India-U.S. bilateral partnership.
Tejas Bharadwaj
The India-U.S. relationship currently appears buffeted between three “Ts”—TRUST, Tariffs, and Trump.
Arun K. Singh
As part of the TRUST initiative, leaders of the two countries committed to building trusted and resilient supply chains, including for semiconductors and critical minerals. India and the United States have made steady progress in this area over the years. This essay explores the takeaways from discussions on semiconductor supply chains that took place at Carnegie India’s 9th Global Technology Summit.
Konark Bhandari
This essay takes stock of the early momentum generated by the joint leaders’ commitment to catalyze public and private investments in building Indian manufacturing capacity—both domestically and in the United States—for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for critical medicines.
Shruti Sharma