Introduction

Contemporary transformation of the world achieved by intensified globalization will see more local communities and vernacular cultures increasingly connected and accessed. These interconnections will not only bring about new world views and understandings of local values or practices, but also empowerment; raising the capacity of knowledge, skills and innovation. Transformations and interconnections such as these, create a new generation; a generation known as the ‘glocals’. By definition, the term refers to the individual/ group/division/unit/organization/community, with a progressive outlook on life, who is willing and able to “think globally and act locally”. The young generation of today are the glocals of the present and future. The young generation constitutes   approximately 1.5 billion of the population worldwide, 1.3 billion of which live in the developing world currently.  These young people are and will be an important segment of the glocal population, both numerically and as a category that carries their nation’s pride,  aspirations, values and potentials.  But there are also within this segment of the population, those young people who may be victims of social, political and economic circumstances, policies and governance; those that the mainstream media most often portray as problematic, dysfunctional and delinquent.

Thus, there is a need for communities, governing bodies and stakeholders to raise awareness and develop a synergy between vision and action for youth development as well as to keep a balanced focus on both the global and local environments. Towards these goals, ICYR ‘08 invites researchers, policymakers, educators, NGOs, youth bodies, community leaders and interested parties involved in youth and development from different disciplinary backgrounds to present and discuss the most recent findings and theoretical and methodological issues of relevant research situated in the context where localities are now glocalized, while glocalization has been universalized. The conference envisions a productive, inter-disciplinary dialogue among the various stakeholders and between different perspectives.