Overview

There are few dates in history that stand out so clearly as a turning point for mankind as 11 September 2001. The terrorist attacks produced an earthshaking impact on world affairs which resulted in a radical disruption of international order. Although deeply significant, September 11 nevertheless represented only one chapter in the story of the great conflict of our time: the confrontation between the global village and the small village, between the forces of uniformity and of diversity, between the homogenising trends that seek to subdue everything that lies in their path and the currents of thought that value local identities, particularities and traditions. In 'The Age of Villages', Venezuelan scholar and diplomat Alfredo Toro-Hardy sets out to explore the era of globalisation, in which we all - or better or for worse - live in. He provides ample evidence of the transfer of national sovereignty upwards to regional or supra-national bodies; of the growth of giant companies whose operations straddle the globe and whose senior management are citizens of the world; of the migrations from state to state and continent to continent that are leading to the globalisation of the labour market for skilled workers such as software engineers and the clamour for greater freedom of movement for the less skilled. However, Toro-Hardy recognises the different reactions to globalisation in different parts of the world. He draws our attention to the appeal of right-wing politicians in Europe; to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism; and to the psychological needs of so many for a local identity. Toro-Hardy provides a entirely original, timely, and necessary understanding of the forces that are shaping our world. He offers a global, regional, national, and sub-national analysis of the nature of the great confrontation that grips the world today and its alarming ramifications.

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9789588160153

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Reviews

Alfredo Toro Hardy has a rare and distinctive voice. A scholar of international affairs, a senior dipolmat with a wide and immediate experience of politics in the United States, Europe and his native Latin America, and a brilliant writer, he brings a fresh, arresting, always wise, and often controversial intelligence to bear on the important issues of the day. No-one can come away from his essays without seeing the world in new ways. --Geoffrey Hawthorne, Professor of International Politics, University of Cambridge <br> Alfredo Toror Hardy meticulously reviews the political and economic certainties that became common in the nineties and that are increasingly questioned today. This interesting book offers a thorough oveview of debates that are going to be with us for years to come. --Moises Naim, Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy Magazine <br> With his brilliant and incisive pen and his vast erudition, Ambassador Alfredo Toro-Hardy provides us with a fascinating and suggestive set of observations on the current state of the world. --Arturo Valenzuela, Director, Center for Latin American Studies, Georgetown University and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, National Sercurity Council <br> Toro-Hardy moves rapidly to the heart of globalisation, exposing its contradictions and ironies by keen observation and lucid analysis. Combining practical experience with extensive learning, he stands in a distinguished line of diplomat-scholars. --Professor Charles Jones, Director, Centre for Latin American Studies and Assistant Director, Centre of International Studies, University of Cambridge <br>

Author Information

Alfredo Toro-Hardy, born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1950, is currently the Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States and the Republic of Ireland. He was Visiting Professor at Princeton University and Associate Professor at Simon Bolivar University. He is the author of ten books on foreign policy, international relations, and international economy and co-author of another ten in the same fields.

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