The liberal international order (LIO) is in crisis. This article aims to show how a version of an LIO could be preserved or regenerated in the future. Previous manifestations have emphasized the importance of making the world safe for democracy through maxilateral forms of multilateral international organization and universal normative aspirations, commitments, and enforcement. This article questions the centrality of Western liberal democratic formulations of domestic governance, positing that it serves as a distraction from achieving the more central international governance aims of reconciling conflicting interests, generating collective good, and providing security for all from traditional and non-traditional security (NTS) threats. Under conditions of geopolitical rivalry and contestation, combined with epistemological and regional resistance to the normative hegemony of Western universalist perspectives, it presents a way forward for global governance in a new LIO. This can be achieved by harnessing the capabilities of newly empowered actors and institutions of cooperation. Middle powers were very active in both the formal and informal processes of international organization upon which the old order was built. Recent challenges to the LIO and to multilateralism (especially the maximalist formulation) have created an impression that the middle power moment is over. However, this article sees a way forward for stronger, more pragmatic second-tier powers to continue to influence international governance through more ad hoc coalitions of the willing, NTS minilateral frameworks, and regional international commissions.
This study introduces and critically analyzes a framework for understanding belonging in the context of global de facto multiculturalism. This study argues that the widespread crisis of conditional belonging stems from a fundamental societal failure to reconcile sociological reality with psychological affirmation. This model synthesizes critical race theory with the social psychology of connection, proposing that societies must actively validate diverse cultural frameworks to foster true inclusion. The framework rests on three interrelated pillars: the organic mosaic (structural critique), multicultural double consciousness, the experience of the “forever foreigner” (psychological mechanism), and ethical cultural relativism (prescriptive solution). Through an extended examination of comparative international case studies, this analysis demonstrates that achieving unconditional belonging requires systemic adherence to what can be referred to as the nurturing imperative—a commitment to continuous vigilance against the subtle and overt mechanisms of exclusion that erode the subjective sense of acceptance. This study provides detailed policy implications for educational, institutional, and legal reforms designed to facilitate robust, unfragmented selfhood.
This study examines the evolving dynamics of peacebuilding in Mindanao, a region characterized by one of the longest-running intra-state conflicts in Southeast Asia. The persistence of violence, displacement, and socioeconomic marginalization underscores the urgency of reassessing existing peacebuilding paradigms, particularly in light of the ongoing transition in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and emerging political developments. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional peacebuilding approaches, namely power political (coercive) and liberal paradigms, against hybrid strategies that integrate local, national, and international actors. Specifically, it seeks to analyze how these approaches address the root causes of conflict and contribute to sustainable peace. The central analytical question guiding the study is: How can sustainable peace be achieved in Mindanao through the integration of traditional and hybrid peacebuilding approaches? Methodologically, the study uses qualitative document analysis of peace agreements, policy frameworks, and secondary literature, complemented by a theoretical synthesis of realism, liberalism, and post-liberal/hybrid peacebuilding perspectives. It also examines empirical cases across different Philippine administrations to trace shifts in peace strategies. Preliminary findings suggest that while coercive and liberal approaches have contributed to conflict management and partial resolution, they remain insufficient in achieving long-term peace due to their top-down and often exclusionary nature. In contrast, hybrid peacebuilding—particularly those incorporating grassroots organizations, civil society, and international partners such as Japan—demonstrates greater potential for fostering legitimacy, inclusivity, and sustainable conflict transformation.
Indonesia’s strategic position in Indo-Pacific economic and political competition makes the ethical conduct of public officials a governance issue with domestic and international implications. However, repeated cases of insensitive communication, abuse of authority, and corruption have weakened public trust and exposed a gap between formal codes of conduct and everyday official behavior. This study asks: how do attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control explain the transformation of ethical responses among Indonesian public officials in digitally mediated controversies? Using qualitative content analysis, the study examines online news narratives, official statements, party releases, social media clarification videos, and available institutional responses from August to September 2025. Sources were selected based on relevance, cross-source confirmation, institutional origin, publication credibility, and traceability of direct quotations to reduce media-framing bias. The results of the study indicate that the transformation of ethical behavior among public officials in Indonesia is influenced by attitudes toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. This study emphasizes the importance of public officials’ perceptions of their behavioral control as crucial to their ethics. Additionally, it clarifies that ethical literacy based on self-awareness and public oversight is crucial for building a strong governance culture in Indonesia. Ethical literacy programs for public officials need to emphasize the formation of moral awareness and social responsibility through ongoing public oversight and participation.
This research looks at the nexus between participation in the global value chain (GVC) and diversification in the Nigerian economy, as the Smile Curve framework analyzes Nigeria’s position in global production networks. Using time series data and sophisticated econometric methods like the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, Johansen cointegration analysis, and Vector Error Correction (VEC) Models, the study assesses the impact of backward and forward GVC linkages, human capital (HC), trade openness (TO), and foreign direct investment (FDI) on Nigeria’s economic diversification. The results indicate that participation in backward GVCs (BGVCs), along with TO and FDI, fosters economic diversification; however, participation in forward GVCs (FGVCs) and HC is the least relevant. Therefore, the results suggest that Nigeria remains trapped in the midstream, low-value, and backward regions of the Smile Curve. The exports consist mainly of raw primary products. The study proposes a repositioning strategy that emphasizes backward linkages to FDI, selective TO, and HC to increase constituency value upstream and downstream. This study contributes to the literature on strategic participation in GVCs that address the commodity trap for developing nations and provides policy transformation pointers for Nigeria.
