14 - Individuals

Summary

What I have lost is my home – that quality of life, that degree of security, that easy camaraderie that cut across religious lines. That loss is irreparable.

Vibhuti Patel

The sheer quantity of learning taking place in the world is already many times greater than in the past.

Seymour Papert

Even if the government wanted to control us, we are stronger than they are right now, and our guns are normally much better than the ones carried by the Public Security Bureau

unnamed women in Western province of China

We have to work 12 hours a day. Why should we give any of our money to the Government? They'll only steal it.

Tannis Patakis, grocery store owner in Athens

The worldwide pervasiveness of turbulent conditions has extended both the number and types of actors who play key roles on the global stage. The skill revolution has heightened the importance of individuals as citizens, authority crises have altered the competence of states, and the bifurcation of global structures has led to a proliferation of non-governmental organizations. Taken together, these transformations have made ever more consequential the way in which people in all walks of life conduct themselves. Accordingly, this and the next six chapters focus on the diverse actors who have come to exert a commanding presence on the global stage.