Terrorism means different things to different people, depending on which side of thehermispheric divide a person is found. The fact that the attempt to universalise the perception and meaning of terrorism has met with varied academic as well as practical oppostion hightens the definitional problems associated with it. Whereas it is a threat to peace and security, many opine that the identification of its causes and the attempt to solve them may be a panacea to terrorism. This is not an attempt at establishing the causal relatioinship of terrorism, rather it is an attempt to situate terrorism within the global perspective and create access to information on the subject, given the events that have colloured its meaning in recent years.

Owing to the expanded impact of terror activities, it is a near crime to trivilise its implication for international peaceful co-existence. The meaning of Terrorism therefore is is varied. For the purpose of a working definition, terrorism is the "execution of acts aimed at creating and establishing fear" of a thing or people". It is the struggle and enforced pursuit for recognition". Since terrorisim invloves the massive use of arms in prosecuting terror activities, it alligns itself with weapon prolifiration and clearly undemines the right to life. International awareness on terrorism is growing, and is bound to be on the increase due to the complex mix of political, social, economic, religious and cultural contradictions responsible for the attitude of terrorist until they are it resolved. For more information