ABSTRACT
The Bellagio Declaration was launched in the spirit of 1989, when optimism about the ability of humanity to make a positive difference for itself and for future generations was on the rise. Although participants were careful to identify the structural constraints on human betterment, notably heavy debt burdens, environmental degradation, and continued rapid population growth, emphasis was still on the prospective dividends of peace and democracy. The meeting took place before the full implications of the ongoing political turmoil in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were known, but even so, the participants sensed that this was a turning point, an opportunity for concerted action. A year later there was little doubt about the fundamental nature of the changes that were occurring: the world would not be the same again.
