When my family were permitted to visit me in 1992, my husband brought me a copy of The Power of the Powerless. I have just flicked quickly through the pages of this now shabby, well-thumbed volume and reread some of the phrases I underlined in the book. "... an examination of the potential of the 'powerless' -- can only begin with an examination of the nature of power in the circumstances in which these powerless people operate ..." "... freedom is indivisible ..."

Liu Xiaobo, 56, is the first Chinese citizen living in China to win the Nobel Prize, and is a national embarrassment for the Chinese authorities, who view his peaceful campaign for democracy as dangerous criminal activity. 'No Enemies, No Hatred' comes as China steps up its repression of dissidents and activists across the country. China's approaching leadership transition, combined with the upcoming first anniversaries of the so-called Jasmine Revolution and Arab Spring, have led to severe crackdowns.

Despite the seemingly endless stream of news stories focusing on violence, crime and death that are splashed across the world's front pages, humans are now living in one of the most peaceful periods of our existence. That's according to a new book by Steven Pinker, a Harvard Psychology professor and one of the "World's Top 100 Public Intellectuals" according to Time magazine.

Many Egyptians watched a warning message in a YouTube video that began to circulate last year named "Message From Iranian Women to Tunisian and Egyptian Women." The video features pictures of the life of Iranian women before and after the Islamic revolution there in 1979. Depicting a reversal of women's rights with the implementation of Islamic rule after the revolution, the video warns women in Egypt and Tunisia to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to them.

At least 15 ethnic Tibetans - most of them current or former Buddhist clergy members - have set themselves on fire in the past year, including four this month, part of a wave of anti-government protests in Tibet and the western Chinese province of Sichuan. "The blame lies with the Chinese government and its very hardline, insensitive policies,'' said Lobsang Sangay, the Dalai Lama's political successor. "This vicious cycle of crackdowns and repressions by China seems likely to continue."