According to the conference paper, no country can grow in isolation and the effects can be felt in areas such as trade, political thought, science and technology, culture and sport. World War II saw dramatic changes in the world (economic, technological, social and political) and South Africa was left behind in these movements of history. The first half of the 1960s saw a growing isolation of South Africa in its international standing. Existing international links were shrinking fast, and South Africa lost its seat in many international organizations. The psychological effect was that the Government and Whites turned in on themselves in a highly defensive attitude. However, in the second half of the 1960s there was a change for the better with a development of the so called outward movement. The paper continues to list 1974 and its aftermath, the negative and positive aspects. It concludes by saying that South Africa has in many respects changed and has had to adapt in response to both internal and international pressures.
