Most of the things I had intended to say about my aims as the new editor of Alliance have already been said by Michael Brophy in his editorial, so I will simply stress that I want Alliance to be at the leading edge of theory and practice, to be truly international, and to generate debate. The Contents list does not at present include a Letters page, but I very much hope to see one in the future. I also want to thank Carole George, founding editor of Alliance, for having had the initial idea and doing the groundwork. Finally, I …

There is intense interest in alliances.  At the recent meeting of CIVICUS — World Alliance for Citizen Participation – in Budapest, representatives from governments, companies and non-profit organizations, as well as other organizations like the World Bank, all stressed the need to create partnerships.  Partnerships designed to contribute to the regeneration of poorer areas are burgeoning all around the world. Alliance is aimed at those with a global perspective interested in delivering effectively at the local level — somewhere.  Somewhere can be in Hackney, London, or Queens, New York, or Soweto, Johannesburg.  Or in the rural areas of north Ghana …