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Dear readers,

Now we have got past the point of the new year, and all the heated arguments about the exact date of the beginning of the new century and Millennium are over - now both the new century and the new Millennium became an objective reality for all of us. At the moments like this you can begin to think about the time and about ourselves. What would our descendants say in thousand years about us and about our time? What would they call it? The times of the accumulation of destructive forces? The times of the virtual human being? The times of changes?

We all are children of our times but we at the same time are its parents. We are like this because we are born at this time, in this culture, in these traditions. But we in our turn define our times, create our culture, establish new traditions. Do we often ask ourselves: "What exactly do we want to create and establish?" Whether do we find ourselves in the situation of those who do not know what they do? Do we often stand still and quietly listen to ourselves: "Do I live the right way, do I do the right things?"

We can have long talks about defects of the society, we can straggle obsessively for justice, we can complain loudly about its absence, we can feverish look for the ways out of the different crises, we can discuss strategies and tactics. All this has to be done. But if we do not make a break, if we do something all the time, and rush somewhere all the time, if we fight against something or change something all the time - we do risk to lose the sense of our doing, the purpose of our existence. Therefore it is important to stand still now and then and ask yourself a couple of questions: "What do I want to give to the world and what am I giving to it? What do I want to have in return and what I have? What does the difference between my expectancies and real consequences of my activities mean? What is really important and valuable for me? What can I give up and what not?" And then listen to yourself silently.

This issue includes considerable proportion of the materials addressed not to the social but to our inner "ego", - and is an attempt to stand still and to listen to ourselves. When we are anxious to reform the reality in compliance with our ideas and illusions it is important to understand where do they come from. And if we will act in the social, professional and private life guided not by the routine stereotypes, but guided by our inner "ego", by the point of our real values - then our actions will bring much better results. Good luck, friends!