ABSTRACT
The state of human society today can be characterised as one of rapid and accelerating change in all its aspects: social, political, economic, cultural, and moral (Commission on Global Governance, 1995). Chaos and confusion plague humanity; civil wars and unrest, increased incidents of domestic and international terrorism, growing materialism, acts of moral depravity, and economic hardship are seen world-wide. People everywhere have become disenchanted by ineffective, traditional systems of government and social organisation, while new solutions are yet to be discovered. The social needs of a world that has shrunk to a village, owing to the incredible advance of science and technology during the past century and a half, require us to forge new relationships and organizational structures and to develop a conscious understanding of the transformation which society is undergoing (United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 1995; Commission on Global Governance, 1995). Confronted by such a distressing situation, more and more people are searching for ways to resolve it. Signs of hope and a vision of a ‘new world order’ are becoming increasingly evident as world leaders gather more often to deal with global issues and as the grassroots arise together to address local problems (Mathews, 1997); the need to cooperate is apparent (Havel, 1995).
