Editor's Introduction

In the month of March, the world again had an opportunity to celebrate the twin international events.The first was on March 8 th (International Women's Day) and the second on March 21 st (The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination).Naturally, the magnitude of such celebrations vary from geographic region to geographic region and from country to country.Yet, with much disappointment, one can hardly avoid noticing that the infectious energy of the 1970s and 80s is lacking from the recent celebrations of the Women's Day events.Likewise, the outrage against racial segregation, apartheid and state-violence which formed the basis of the United Nations Declaration of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination ( 1966) is muted at best.What happened since the 1970s and 80s to erode some of the positive energy to demand and initiate social change?The optimists can argue that in the majority of the countries, including some remote and traditionbound patches of the globe, the most severe limitations against women have been mostly addressed if not completely resolved.Indeed, observations and statistical information abound to support such up-beat assertions.For example, who can forget the images of some Afghani women shedding their claustrophobic burkas and who can forget the victoriously raised purple-ink-stained fingers of the Iraqi women who were allowed to vote after a long period of oppression?Optimists can also make numerous positive claims in terms of race and ethnic relations.For example, even the ultra-conservative US Republicans recently chose a black woman to serve as the Secretary of the State.The cold war is long over and legalized apartheid has been abolished in South Africa.Moreover, the malevolence of ethnic cleansing in Rwanda, Bosnia, Chechia etc., is no longer making the daily headlines and evening-news nightmares.Regardless of the degree of one's optimism, however, the darker side of the coin also requires some acknowledgement.Just to give an example, there is a worrisome resignation in the masses about women's issues.This resignation is visible in the developed as well as the less developed worlds, although its causes may be quite different.In the west, there is a heightened sense, albeit mostly erroneous, that gender equality has been reached.Ironically, this belief is equally shared by young men and women.In contrast, in the less developed world, the existing problems of poverty, ethnic or racial strife, political instability and even natural disasters are so overwhelming that an in-depth focus on women's issues may not be palatable for most.For race and culture-based issues and problems, even a misguided level of resignation is not possible.The 'we versus them' and the 'good versus evil' rhetoric of most western political and economic decisionmakers are trickling down to dangerous polarizations.France and

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