BibSonomy ::  BibTeX ::

The human race has multiplied tremendously since its origins in Africa millions of years ago. During its stay on earth, it has changed the world dramatically through social and technological innovation. In spite of great success in increasing its numbers and gaining dominion over much of the planet, the problems that humankind has created – war, famine, environmental degradation, injustice, and a host of others – may be increasingly immune to its attempts to correct them. Unfortunately there is ample evidence that the economic and political elites of the world are not able – or willing – to actually address these problems effectively, humanely, and ecologically responsibly. Civil society is emerging as an important force to address these problems, but in spite of best intentions civil society efforts are often disjointed, duplicative, inflexible, ineffectual and destructively competitive.