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It has become almost axiomatic for serious analysts of world affairs to acknowledge that we are today part of a process of unprecedented global transformation. This includes tectonic geo-political power shifts, accelerated technological transformation raising youth expectations globally and economic development producing a new global middle class, intensifying demand for the planet's natural resources. While some of the results are positive -- reduced levels of absolute poverty in certain parts of the world and "Arab springs" in others -- on the whole there is a sense of greater uncertainty and unintended consequences, especially concerning the impact of this current period of economic vulnerability.