We live in a time of fragmenting social systems, a pattern inherent in the emergent structures of world politics. Viewed from the perspective of the leaders of sub-systems that prevail and take over the reins of systemic power, crucial choices have to be made by way of implementing their triumphs. At stake is nothing less than choosing between the likelihood of further fragmentation or the possibility of restoring whole system coherence. The pattern of choices made by Vaclav Havel, Nelson Mandela, Andrei Sakharov and Lech Walesa is offered as a hopeful indicator of how systemic renewal can at least be initiated in a turbulent world.
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