The contributors to this volume, including Bjorn Hettne, Fantu Cheru, Jeffrey Haynes and Bonny Ibhawah, share a common intellectual aspiration to re-unite the study of development with the study of international relations or global politics as it is more broadly conceived today. Although globalization has transformed the context of development, it has yet to significantly transform for the better the prospects for real development or human security amongst the worlds most vulnerable communities.

Whether globalization, development and human security are inescapably trapped within a vicious circle or a virtuous cycle is the central concern of this book.