9 January 2024
'How might the lessons of history inform our choices in the present? Does a rules-based world order risk concealing informed discussions, potentially blurring the line between assumptions and reality?
In a world shadowed by its history, Gilbert Achcar, professor at SOAS Development Studies as he discusses his latest book with Karabekir Akkoyunlu, lecturer at SOAS, he urges us to transcend the rhetoric and slogans of blame when examining contemporary issues - from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine to the tense Taiwan standoff with China, and the evolving power dynamics between the US, Russia and China in between. Instead Achcar’s analysis of the present political tensions challenged us to transcend the ‘black and white debate’, and unravel the nuances of policy decisions taken at critical junctions, dynamics present in the global structure, and the psychological dimensions shaping this social fabric. By offering us a manual crafted by past lessons, Achcar’s “New Cold War” is a call to take inspiration from how existing institutions like the UN were forged and wield this knowledge to navigate the complex political landscape for a more sustainable path. Achcar’s hopefulness resonates throughout, taking a firm belief that another world was and still is possible.'
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