From the editor

Abstract

Globally, there are two major conflicting ideologies that influence the development of regions and countries, namely globalisation and fragmentation. In 1996, in an article in Foreign Affairs,1 former Un Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, stated: Today we are living in the midst of a worldwide revolution. The planet is in the grip of two vast opposing forces: globalization and fragmentation (Martin & Schuman, 1997: 28). These two forces are driven by different value systems. Globalisation is most likely driven by the objective of maximizing profits, whereas fragmentation is probably driven by the love of what is familiar and personal. Globalisation is in favour of increases in scale, whether in economic or regional terms. Fragmentation aims to protect the local.