Significant forces reshape the socio-political world much like tectonic plates restructure the geological world.  These include the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) revolution and other technological change, the demographic/agricultural transitions, financial globalization, the energy transition from fossil fuels, atmospheric carbon build-up, reshaping of value systems, and global democratization.  Serious analysis of global affairs requires an understanding of these forces, the primary issues to which they give rise, and the debates over country-specific and multilateral policy responses to the issues.