What will 21st-century security look like? Navy Admiral James Stavridis suggests that dialogue and openness will be the game-changers.

Why you should listen

In the world of security, says James Stavridis, "we are generally focused on risk. But I think we should spend a bit of our most precious resource — time — on thinking about and developing opportunities." The first US Navy officer to hold the positions of Commander of the US European Command (USEUCOM) and of NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Stavridis has been advocating the opportunities perspective for a long time. He sees dialogue and collaboration — between nations, and between public and private sectors — as key to the future of security. As a Navy officer, he thinks deeply about protecting the value of our "global commons." And he's a rare high-ranking military officer who tweets and blogs.

He has led the recent military effort in Lybia, among other NATO engagements. Previously Stavridis commanded US Southern Command in Miami, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.

What others say

“What is the top American military officer in Europe up to today? For the answer, simply search for Adm. Stavridis on Facebook or Twitter.” — Washington Post

James Stavridis’ TED talk

More news and ideas from James Stavridis

Global Issues

8 great talks on war and peace

July 23, 2012

“Walls don’t work,” James Stavridis declared at TEDGlobal 2012. A highly accomplished Navy Admiral, Stavridis recalls 20th-century phenomena like trench warfare and the Berlin Wall. “Instead of building walls for security, we need to build bridges.” In his brass-tacks talk, Stavridis lays down a vision of “open-source security,” which he defines as “connecting the international, […]

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Technology

Open-source security: James Stavridis at TEDGlobal 2012

June 26, 2012

Photo: James Duncan Davidson Admiral James Stavridis is the Supreme Commander of NATO. He is a proponent of what he calls open-source security. He is looking at 21st century security in a very different way than we’ve looked at security before. From walls to bridges Looking back to the security paradigm of the recent past, he […]

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