The essays in this book reflect pioneering efforts to study the global movement of ideas and institutions. They deal with topics of significant contemporary importance: initiatives to address the AIDS epidemic in East Africa; to protect the peoples and ecosystems of the Amazon; to advance the 'truth and reconciliation' process in South Africa; to promote 'civil society' in Hungary, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan; to advocate for environmental protection in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and Japan; and, to spread Rotary Clubs and encourage 'social entrepreneurship' throughout the world. These essays highlight a wide range of research, paying close attention to the realities of particular situations and to current thinking about general processes.