In Canada and Cameroon, in Kamloops and Kathmandu, the same sweeping claims are made about the benefits and inevitability of globalization. This has become the new mantra. Yet some of the most serious and thoughtful observers point to the relationship between globalization on the one hand and, on the other, enhanced insecurity and instability as new fault lines appear to further separate rich and poor. For the next several years, the principal agenda for development will be firmly set in this debate about globalization. This is not simply an academic exercise, however.
Globalization poses practical challenges for which solutions are urgently required.
And, contrary to what many observers say, globalization makes political decisions more urgent and consequential, not less so. These relationships are complex and demand a different approach to finding solutions. In 1996, IDRC's Board of Governors approved an ambitious program that focuses resources and efforts on a very limited number of issues central to sustainable and equitable development and that aims to establish and nurture international knowledge networks. It also reaffirms the use of a multidisciplinary approach as the principle means for investigating development problems and for generating a variety of appropriate solutions. In adopting this strategy, IDRC continues to concentrate its resources in those areas where it has recognized expertise and is likely to make a difference.