A key objective of The Mantle is to provide a forum for the next generation of leaders to be heard—to provide a space for opinions that are different from those found in traditional, established outlets. Moreover, The Mantle encourages emerging voices from around the world to participate in the shaping of social and political discourse. With increasing interconnectedness brought on by the forces of globalization, we believe it is imperative everyone be given a chance to shape social, economic, artistic, and political discourses. On The Mantle, this is primarily achieved through the critique format (in our Books, Films, and Culture and Society pages), through essays that touch on important aspects of daily life, and our growing Blogs section.
Some issues, however, require more space to fully flesh out. Hence, the virtual roundtable, The Mantle’s flagship element wherein emerging thinkers from a variety of backgrounds debate and discuss the merits of a given question. The intention of the roundtable is two-fold: to provide a deeper space for young intellectuals to explore a topic, and to further and stimulate the general discourse of a particular subject. What is the role of the writer in a conflict zone? Should we explore and colonize outer space? Should water be free? These are the types of questions that, when debated, enrichen our lives.
