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In a time of change and instability, when concepts such as international order and multipolarity are being tossed around, it is important that we take a closer look at the dynamics of this new world. This study is the result of a close endeavor between the Asia Unit of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Richard Ghiasy, born out of the need to shed light on a subject that is confronted with new facets on a global scale every day.
Richard Ghiasy is the Director of GeoStrat, a boutique geopolitics consultancy in the Netherlands, and a Senior Fellow at the Leiden Asia Centre at Leiden University.
The international order as we know it is a phenomenon of comparatively recent history, and therefore subject to constant progress and change. As the world community progresses, with more and more sovereign countries emerging and engaging in international exchange, current power structures are in a state of dispute. China plays a special role, as the values, principles, rules, and norms of this international order are increasingly challenged by non-Western civilizational, geopolitical, and intellectual perspectives. It should be inevitable that we too, from a left-wing perspective, analyse and criticize the world order, which emerged more out of necessity after World War II and whose structures have hardly changed since then.
In this time of global disorder, it is particularly important to identify spaces where new fields of action can emerge — often with progressive, and left-wing approaches. This could offer us new possibilities for transformative approaches amidst the current crises. In the fragmentation of global power structures, opportunities arise to explore alternative pathways for international cooperation and solidarity. Such spaces could hold the potential to develop new forms of interaction, challenging the existing hegemonic structures and advocating for a more just world order. By leveraging these emerging opportunities, we can lay the groundwork for new alliances and strategies that not only critique the prevailing systems, but also actively construct alternatives rooted in equality and mutual respect. This is the moment for us to engage in shaping a multipolar world, where diverse perspectives and voices can contribute to a more equitable global future.
The discussions that this study aims to initiate are of utmost importance. It is time to fill the terms like multipolarity and international order with substance. We hope that this study will serve as a basis for numerous discussions and look forward to be actively involved in several of them.