Building world order is not the monopoly of any civilisation, region or nation.

Some of the foundational principles and institutions of world order that we have today were developed – both independently and through mutual contact – by multiple societies, in similar if not same forms at different stages of history. These include anarchic and hierarchic inter-state systems, republicanism, freedom of seas, open trade, human rights, nationalism, humanitarian law, Great Power cooperation, and realpolitik and moral statecraft.

These and others can be traced to non-Western civilisations: Islam, Africa, pre Columbian Americas, Mongols, India and China, among others. The modern West is also a contributor, but often a late one, influenced by others.

Join Professor Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, as he discusses with Professor Louise Fawcett, Co-Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Changing Global Orders, that though history does not repeat itself or is not cyclical, a five millennia look back does suggest possibilities and pathways for a pluralistic world order.

This was a joint event with the Oxford Martin Programme on Changing Global Orders.