World order is not the monopoly of any civilization or nation, but a shared creation. Drawing on his new book, The Once and Future World Order, and analyzing over 5000 years of history, Amitav Acharya shows that many of the foundational principles and mechanisms of world order – such as respect for political independence and territorial integrity of states, diplomacy, peace treaties, economic interdependence, great power cooperation, freedom of the seas, humanitarian values, and much more, have come from non-Western civilizations. Neither does the West has an exclusive patent on human rights, republican government, self-determination, and rules-based international order. While the ideas and resources of other civilizations contributed significantly to the rise of Europe and the United States, they have been rendered invisible by centuries of Western dominance, backed by imperial control and racial hubris. Acharya further argues that the end of Western dominance need not mean the collapse of world order. On the contrary, a world order where non-Western nations find more voice and role will create a more equitable and mutually respectful global civilization. While no world order can be free from conflict, the West – now facing a mortal danger from Trumpist populism, should not be afraid of the rise of the Global South, but work with it. This will enrich the global knowledge pool, forge genuinely multi-cultural, mutually tolerant relations among states, and leave the “West-versus-the Rest” mindset behind.
Mr Kishore Mahbubani will be a discussant at the book talk.The book will be available for sale after the lecture for $56.68. Accepted payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayWave, and PayNow.