It is by  now rather banal to affirm that the world is undergoing a critical period of transition in which a multiplicity of problems is accumulating. All around us, one can see that human affairs are not evolving as they should. Of course, such perceptions and sentiments have been expressed many times throughout history. The world has always been changing and this change has not frequently been to the satisfaction of many people. Crises and problems, therefore, are not something new in the lives of men and nations.