I enjoyed this past week’s class work of relating each square of the 2x2 with their impact on international relations as it helped bring more clarity. When thinking of the bottom left corner, which is the intersection of permeability and autonomy, my group discussed several examples of how this could relate to international relations.
During this discussion, we mentioned how a nation’s identity in the community greatly influences their decisions (permeable boundaries), even though they ultimately have the autonomy to make their own decisions (autonomy). The idea is that these decisions are made based on what is best for the community, and asking the question, “What is expected of me in this community?”
One example of a group that would fall in this category is NGOs. They strive to make the decisions that would bring about the best outcome for the community as a whole, whether that be reforms, peace, stability, or another other kind of desired outcome. In light of the conflict we have in the world today, their ability to maneuver in between different nations is an important role in international relations. We see now and in the past that NGOs are able to move into war-torn areas or high conflict zones of the world where similar actions by nations would be perceived as a bigger threat. Their permeable border and autonomy allows for great success in working with varying international actors that may be at odds. I thought that NGOs were a helpful example of understanding this square in light of international relations.
Jessica, I agree with you that a nation's identity greatly influences their decisions. However, I had not thought about how this identity allows NGOs to enter conflict zones and other controversial areas when government cannot - that is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI think it is also useful to point out that maintaining an identity in the bottom left quadrant in contrast to the bottom right quadrant when dealing with conflict is an important distinction. When a conflict arises, although the desired change when trying to mitigate that conflict is peace, it would not be effective pursue a campaign of integration. As a negotiator or dispute settler, you must respect that all the parties involved want to make sure their opinions are heard, accepted and not cast aside as unimportant. An NGO's permeable border, ensure that they can be effective at respecting all sides while acting on their autonomy to lead the actors involved to a resolution.
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteThis week's class and group discussions helped me better understand the 2x2 and what it means for international relations, too.
I really like your example of NGOs. They definitely have a very important role and, unfortunately, some theories, like realism, do not really appreciate their role as actors in international relations. But you are right, they are the ones that can move into war-torn areas where their help is appreciated. If nations would do the same thing, it would be perceived a lot different by the host nations. Even if the mission is a UN mission, locals are a lot more suspicious of them than of NGO members. A perfect example is the UN mission in Somalia where the locals actually attacked the UN peacekeepers because they feared a Westernization of their country.