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The Future of International Order: Rupture, Resistance, and Prospects for Peace

September 10, 2026

12:00 pm

Clark Hall, 700

Global politics are undergoing a radical rupture. The post-WWII rules-based international order, which prohibits most uses of military force, provides collective security, and respects human rights, has always been imperfect. But today several prominent governments appear to be explicitly repudiating these norms. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East suggest that great powers like Russia and the United States are seeking power primarily through military force and economic coercion rather than through incentives or persuasion. Middle powers such as Canada have responded by calling for new coalitions and strategies to counter aggression. What will these changes mean for the future of war and peace? In this panel, four distinguished scholars with regional expertise in Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe will discuss different visions for the future of international order, with a focus on prospects for developing non-violent means of resolving conflict.

Panelists
Amitav Acharya, American University
Oumar Ba, Cornell University
Kyoko Imai, Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Alexander Lanoszka, University of Waterloo

Moderator
Rebecca Slayton, Cornell University

Host
Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies

Co-sponsors
Einaudi Center for International Studies
East Asia Program, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies
Institute for African Development, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies
Southeast Asia Program, part of the Einaudi Center for International Studies

Additional Information

Program

Einaudi Center for International Studies

Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

East Asia Program

Southeast Asia Program

Institute for European Studies

Institute for African Development

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

South Asia Program

Migrations Program

Southwest Asia and North Africa Program