Introduction

Global issues are so important that they may literally determine the future of the human species.

Political, social, environmental, economic, health, and security concerns are all impacted by global issues and are in themselves, global issues.

The very concept of issues that are global in scale is new.

The term "global issues" has only recently entered our vocabulary.

Global issues have, or hold the potential for, far-reaching impacts on people and the planet. Global issues are trans-national, or trans-boundary, and are beyond the capability of any one nation to resolve.

Global issues are persistent, or long-acting. Their onset may take years, decades, or even generations to be felt, and may require similar time frames to be resolved.

Global issues are interconnected. A change in one – whether for better or worse –exerts pressure for similar change in the others.

Global issues are not just events; rather they are the driving forces, or underlying causes, behind events.

Global issues are most often seen as problems.

But it is also possible to see them as opportunities, because they can compel us to change.