Abstract
After World War II the leading victorious powers put in place a series of structures that became known as the ‘rules-based international order.’ Its purpose was to prevent another global conflict, and for Western countries the method was the promotion of liberal democracy. During succeeding decades, the commitment to building and securing a more peaceful world order saw the establishment of political, security, and economic institutions and civil society organizations that worked to implement it. However, the last decade has seen the increasing fragmentation and dissolution of this rules-based order and those who worked to develop it are having increasing difficulty in raising the resources and support necessary for their activities. Many of them are also questioning the assumptions on which it was based. Following the Conference on the Resolution of Intractable Conflict (CRIC 2024) with its focus on Ending Wars, the authors brought together twenty leading scholars and practitioners from around the world for a colloquium at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, March 20–22, 2025, to discuss the role of peace practice and research in a time of global disruption, fragmentation, and insecurity and to explore whether ‘complexity thinking’ provides a possible way forward. This article is based on the key insights they took away from these meetings.
Recommended Citation
Cedric de Coning and John, Lord Alderdice
(2025)
"What Future for Peace in a World Characterized by Uncertainty and Fear?,"
New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 37:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol37/iss1/4