Pluralism and Hope: World Politics and Pacific International Relations
Invitation to attend
World politics is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The sources of this transformation range from shifting geographies of power to the climate crisis, and from intense technological change to the weaponisation of interdependence. The result of these multiple sources of change is often taken to be a more fragmented, plural global order. And the prospects of constructing unity of purpose from this plural order are usually taken to be slim. However, many parts of the world, including the Island Pacific, see pluralism as the starting point for cultivating a harmonious, inclusive and just political order, as in the notions of the Blue Pacific and the sea of islands.
Rather than succumb to the politics of despair, the Oceanic Conference on International Studies (OCIS) 2027 will explore the politics of hope, particularly that which emerges from a recognition of plural worldviews, knowledges, values and methods. It will be a conference on global politics that is both in the Pacific and from the Pacific, which activates its location in Fiji to build community through Talanoa, that fosters engagement across difference, and that sees the region not as peripheral, but as a central source of insight and innovation.
We look forward to seeing you in Suva!
