Multilateralism in a Multicultural World: notes for a theory of occultation

Abstract

The world is presently undergoing a transformation involving states, civil society, the market, and domestic and international institutions. The transformation is not only economic or political, it is also cultural. It is not limited to a particular level, but extends from grassroot and local levels to national, regional, and global levels, all closely interdependent. National societies of all world regions are affected each in different ways, yet their changes are closely related to each other. The high degree of interdependence does not permit any society to stay out of this global process. Multilateralism, on the international level, is also part of the process, affected as it is by the changes in its component units.