The new page

The notion of a 'new page' first occurred to me in 1988 as the first agreements on nuclear non-proliferation and on a genuine reduction in tactical and strategic missiles came within reach. Changes in the world, notably rapid transformation in the then Soviet Union, began to indicate that we were coming to the end of the civilization of war that had dominated the lives of all who have lived through the middle decades of the century.

The 'new page' which we are turning in this book is one of a culture of peace, based on a culture of democracy. It is a transition fraught with all the dangers of moving into the unknown without much guidance from our personal or collective memories. If this transition can be successful, we will at long last have the possiblity of changing radically our economic, social and political perceptions and entering a new renaissance of hope and creativity in our lifetimes.