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Fragmented Futures: Navigating a World in Crisis through the Lens of International Relations
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Global Governance in an Era of Polycrisis
Abstract
In an era defined by cascading crises?climate collapse, war resurgence, digital authoritarianism, and fractured multilateralism?the traditional paradigms of International Relations appear increasingly insufficient. This paper argues that the post-1945 world order is undergoing a structural unravelling, not through sudden collapse but through slow erosion: of trust, solidarity, and the very meaning of sovereignty. From Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack in South Asia to the paralysis of global institutions during humanitarian catastrophes in Gaza and Sudan, the international system is failing to uphold even its most basic promises of peace and protection. Drawing on both classical and critical IR theories?realism, constructivism, post-colonialism?this work reframes global security through a human-centered lens. It contends that states must go beyond performative diplomacy and nationalist myopia to confront the moral crisis at the heart of contemporary geopolitics. Combining political analysis with a grounded ethical voice, the paper calls for a new vocabulary of international responsibility: one that privileges empathy, inclusion, and the shared vulnerabilities of a fragmented human future.
Keywords
Fragmented world order, human security, global governance, post-Westphalian sovereignty, crisis diplomacy, India?Pakistan conflict, Operation Sindoor, Pahalgam terror attack, South Asian geopolitics, refugee protection, climate-security nexus, moral responsibility in IR, multipolarity, constructivism, critical International Relations theory
References
[1] S. Ganguly and S. P. Kapur, India, Pakistan, and the Bomb: Debating Nuclear Stability in South Asia, Columbia University Press, 2017.
[2] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Sixth Assessment Report, Geneva: IPCC, 2023.
[3] H. Haqqani, "Pakistan’s Permanent Crisis", Foreign Affairs, vol. 101, no. 5, pp. 44–59, 2022.
[4] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2024, UNHCR, Geneva, 2025.
[5] A. Acharya, The End of American World Order, 2nd ed., Polity Press, 2018.
[6] Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Revocation of Article 370: Official Statement, Aug. 2019.
[7] Economic Times, “Operation Sindoor: India’s Multi-Pronged Offensive”, The Economic Times, Apr. 2025. [Online]. Available: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com
[8] E. H. Carr, The Twenty Years’ Crisis: 1919– 1939, Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.
[9] C. C. Fair, In Their Own Words: Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Oxford University Press, 2019.
[10] The Print, “What Security Lapses Led to Pahalgam Massacre?”, The Print, Apr. 2025. [Online]. Available: https://theprint.in
How to cite this paper
@article{1709008,
author = {Sunny Dutta},
title = {Fragmented Futures: Navigating a World in Crisis through the Lens of International Relations},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2025},
volume = {8},
number = {12},
pages = {138-139},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1709008.pdf},
abstract = {In an era defined by cascading crises?climate collapse, war resurgence, digital authoritarianism, and fractured multilateralism?the traditional paradigms of International Relations appear increasingly insufficient. This paper argues that the post-1945 world order is undergoing a structural unravelling, not through sudden collapse but through slow erosion: of trust, solidarity, and the very meaning of sovereignty. From Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack in South Asia to the paralysis of global institutions during humanitarian catastrophes in Gaza and Sudan, the international system is failing to uphold even its most basic promises of peace and protection. Drawing on both classical and critical IR theories?realism, constructivism, post-colonialism?this work reframes global security through a human-centered lens. It contends that states must go beyond performative diplomacy and nationalist myopia to confront the moral crisis at the heart of contemporary geopolitics. Combining political analysis with a grounded ethical voice, the paper calls for a new vocabulary of international responsibility: one that privileges empathy, inclusion, and the shared vulnerabilities of a fragmented human future.},
keywords = {Fragmented world order, human security, global governance, post-Westphalian sovereignty, crisis diplomacy, India?Pakistan conflict, Operation Sindoor, Pahalgam terror attack, South Asian geopolitics, refugee protection, climate-security nexus, moral responsibility in IR, multipolarity, constructivism, critical International Relations theory},
month = {June},
}