New century : whose century? the evolution and interaction of technology, economy polity and society

Each century is a landmark in time and change, but it does not write on a clean slate. As we enter the 21st century, we carry with us the legacy of the 20th as well as of our longer past, our history and traditions. How will the new century be shaped by this legacy and how will it, in turn, reshape it? What trends are visible today that will influence the future?

Running like a thread through the deliberations of the Seventh Indira Gandhi Conference, held in New Delhi in November 1999, was the accelerating impact of technological innovation on all aspects of our lives. The information revolution, in particular, is reshaping politics, economics and society in all parts of the world. We need new mental maps to navigate our way through this uncharted territory.

In this volume, thinkers from different lands and backgrounds look at this terrain and try to map it. The problems of governance in an age of complexity, the intensifying collision of human beliefs, the challenge both to individual cultures and multicultural societies, the consequences for the world's poor of the seemingly unstoppable momentum of globalisation are examined from diverse perspectives. The disconnect between the pursuit of military power and the needs of human security are laid bare. Will we be able to avoid a nuclear holocaust in the 21st century? The anxieties of our age are exposed in an impassioned debate led by Robert McNamara.