Negotiating Identity Conflicts in a Fragmenting World Order

Bol

Identity conflicts between and within nation states assume many forms in a fast-changing world. If the resulting fragmentation is not to be resolved through violence then social actors must relearn how to manage their differences through negotiation. Contributors to this book offer insights into the practical elements of such negotiations. In recent political arenas and in various international contexts, identity has become a pivotal point of both cohesion and contention. At an international level a new tripolar imperialism is in evidence, globalisation is fading in the face of US tariffs and the capacity of the United Nations to deliver to its mission has been fundamentally eroded. At the level of individual states, after a brief surge, democracy has been in retreat for two decades. Some states are building physical and cyber walls to keep ‘others’ out; some are actively pushing vulnerable groups out; some are refusing minorities’ autonomy; some minorities resist majority governance. In response to new levels of intolerance undergirded by identity categories, this book seeks to forge a path towards negotiation as a non-violent means of managing identitarian divisions. Pointing to ‘fragmentation’ as a defining feature of identity today, the book considers that by not reading this fragmentation in the negative but instead working with and adapting to changes, these seismic shifts might be managed more peacefully.In an explanatory, exploratory and pragmatic study, the book outlines the narratives and mindsets that enable peaceful transitions, the structural mechanisms that enable sustainable organisational coherence and the qualities of leadership required to manage this. Presenting studies and analysis across global contexts, it looks towards cultural and political contexts including South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia in order to map the cracks of fragmentation drawn by the manipulation of various identity lines across the social sphere. In a vital and timely intervention during a crisis period in which identity categories are embroiled, this book approaches the question of how we may employ system design to prevent, contain, regulate and resolve identity-based conflicts. Rapid systemic change within and across nations is disrupting traditional processes of identity formation and the ways groups manage their differences. The result is fragmentation: multiple identity groups making maximalist claims on governments and on one another. Internationally, a new tripolar imperialism is emerging, globalisation is weakening under US protectionism, and the United Nations’ capacity to fulfil its mission has been eroded. Within states, democracy has been in retreat for two decades. Some governments build physical or digital walls to exclude outsiders; others push vulnerable groups out or deny minorities autonomy, while minorities resist majority rule. Traditional religions are divided over gender, sexuality, and human rights. As intolerance grows and interest in accommodation declines, we must rethink diplomacy, political design, and how identity can be negotiated in an era reshaped by cyber communication and AI.

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Pagina's: 330, Hardcover, Manchester University Press