This volume presents multiple viewpoints on the possible future of the planet, as well as on what people in different parts of the world hope for and fear about the near future.
 
Our current era can be described as the beginning of a new historical phase: the ‘Anthropocene’ age, in which humans are becoming increasingly conscious of the effects of their actions on nature, culture, and human relationships. This realization is acquiring greater significance in current development discourse and policymaking, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The fate of the human species rests on a sustainable collaboration with nature, as is apparent by the impact of climate change on food, energy, and water. The book discusses the encouraging opportunities that a possible decline in American importance could create, as well as the future of both ‘citizenship’ and national self-determination. It also focuses on the re-emergence of religion and civilisational identities as significant factors in world affairs, along with an exploration of alternative forms of secularism that could respond to changing cultural expectations, and considers the arena of policy and behaviour—gender-specific practices and policies; political participation in India; and international peacekeeping operations.