Rethinking Global Governance: Learning from Long Ignored Societies

Long-ignored, non-western political systems from the distant and recent past offer critical insights into improving global governance. These societies demonstrate successful collective action through dividing sovereignty, consensus building, power from below, and other mechanisms. To meet the challenges of global governance, we must look beyond the status quo to these forgotten mechanisms. Understanding how these collectives worked can help humanity survive in a changing world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 150 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book makes a compelling case that long-ignored, non-Western political systems from the distant and more recent past hold valuable insights for improving global governance. By examining these societies, it reveals successful mechanisms such as dividing sovereignty, fostering consensus, empowering individuals from below, and more. The author argues that to address the challenges of today's global governance, we must expand our political imagination beyond the confines of colonialism. The book highlights the limitations of current global governance systems, exemplified by events like pandemics, wars in Europe, and climate anomalies. It suggests that by looking beyond the Western tradition of organizing people, we can uncover thousands of successful collective action mechanisms that have been overlooked a priori.

These long-ignored political systems, originating from societies often labeled as "savages" and "primitives" until the twentieth century, were often perceived as too decentralized, fragmented, hierarchical, or anarchic to be of practical use. However, in the context of globalization, where international relations become increasingly chaotic, these governance alternatives may be more suitable to the changing realities of our time. By understanding the workings of collectives like the Zulu, Trypillian, Alur, and others, humanity may hold its best hope for survival.

This book appeals to a wide range of readers, including those interested in applying archaeological and ethnographic data to contemporary issues of global concern. It also serves as a valuable resource for academics, politicians, policy makers, students, and the general public seeking alternative perspectives on global governance. By challenging conventional thinking and exploring alternative models, this book offers a fresh approach to addressing the complex challenges of our globalized world.

Weight: 458g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032446714