From the late 1990s through the present, globalization has become a buzzword. Despite very different meanings attached to the term and even more divergent evaluations of its likely impact, globalization has not yet become as global as it sounds.

The reality within Africa makes this very clear. There may be a global village, but there is not a door through which the majority of citizens may enter that village. Only a few make it. This may change. It is clear that we are in an accelerated process of transition to a new period in world history.

But what does this mean today for the African peoples and cultures, for humanity at large, both in the northern and in the southern hemispheres, and especially for vulnerable groups and the poor everywhere? The contributions within this volume address these questions