Contents: Preface. 1. Prolegomenon: identifying contemporary global problems. 2. War, conflict and peace: theories of war and conflict approaches to peace. 3. Armaments and disarmament: Race for armaments; Disarmament and its significance; Major disarmament and arms control measures. 4. Environment and ecology: environment pollution; Ecological decay resource depletion; Ecology of peace and development. 5. Population: Current trends; Population, development and peace. 6. Education: Nature of modern education; Education for peace. 7. Conclusion: Towards peaceful world order. Bibliography. Index.

"The escalating violent conflicts within and among nations of the 'modern' world, the vast stockpiles of nuclear weaponry, the rising environmental pollution, massive resources-depletion and irreversible ecological decay, together with the increasing improverishment and poverty of the masses especially in the so-called Third World which constitues about two thirds of all mankind, and the possibilities of a demographic disaster-all these end-products of the present age of industrialism and militarism--have manifestly taken the world to the brink of a global catastrophe which seems well-nigh impossible to avert within the parameters of modernity. The collapse of communism and burgeoning ethnic conflicts have added new components to the global tragedy.

"Gandhi had the perceptive vision to see this tragic scenario, or these tidings of global disaster as early as 1909 in his Hind Swaraj. In this classic work, he characterised 'modern civilization' as a "disease" and a "nine days' wonder" which (if it continued to advance) was doomed to "self-destruction". Thus mankind stands, as it were, at civilizational cross-roads. And its most urgent task is to ensure human survival and peace.

"The present work is a comprehensive design--perhaps the first project of its kind--to offer an in-depth analysis of the major, and rather disturbing, global problems in the human-centered, and peace-oriented Gandhian framework." (jacket)

[S.C. Gangal's books include Gandhian Way to World Peace, India's Foreign Policy, India and the Commonwealth and Gandhian Thought and Techniques in the Modern World.

Anurag Gangal's books include New International Economic Order : A Gandhian Perspective.]