International Relations

C05(c) - IR Theory 2: Decolonial Perspectives

Date: Jun 3 | Time: 03:30pm to 05:00pm | Location:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Saira Bano (Thomspon Rivers University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Timea Spitka (Carleton University)

What Decolonial Contributions Does R2P Make to International Relations? Taofiki Okunola, University of Alberta Responsibility for Justice (R4J): Towards a Glocal and Postcolonial Theory of Humanitarian Justice Mojtaba Mahdavi, University of Alberta Colonial Belonging in IR and the Classroom Mehak Kapur, McMaster University

What Decolonial Contributions Does R2P Make to International Relations?: Taofiki Okunola (University of Alberta)
Abstract: Despite the growth, internationalisation and gradual inclusion of non-Western ontologies in International Relations (IR) discipline, theorisation in IR is still dominated mainly by Western colonial thoughts. This paper argues that Responsibility to Protect (R2P), while not a decolonial tool offers an epistemic justice by prioritising the protection of vulnerable populations and addressing historical injustice above state-centric security, challenging imperialist hierarchical arrangement of global power, reframing of traditional Westphalian sovereignty operated as license to kill rather than an obligation to protect and the inclusion of indigenous and Global South epistemologies. The paper contends that despite its clear weaknesses, the development, adoption and on-going evolution of R2P reflects the critical roles of countries and thinkers from the Global South, accommodating regional contributions and the inclusion on non-western values in its application.

Responsibility for Justice (R4J): Towards a Glocal and Postcolonial Theory of Humanitarian Justice: Mojtaba Mahdavi (University of Alberta)
Abstract: The most recent Israeli war on Gaza (2023-2024) resulted in massive civilian casualties, predominantly affecting children and women, caused devastating climate/environmental damage, and targeted educational infrastructure, including the destruction of universities and the death of professors and students. These actions have been described using terms such as “genocide”, “scholasticide”, “spaciocide”, and “ecocide/climatecide”. Despite these comprehensive crimes and multidimensional injustice, the liberal doctrine of humanitarian intervention, particularly the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), has largely remained silent and ineffective. This paper critically examines the conceptual and practical limitations of the liberal doctrine of R2P in the context of the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon. Informed by “glocal” and postcolonial/decolonial approaches, it proposes and theorizes an alternative concept of “Responsibility for Justice” (R4J). This concept prioritizes “justice” over “security”, integrates many aspects of socio-economic and environmental justice into its framework, and includes perspectives from the Global South with active participation from regional actors in a multipolar world. The conclusion offers concrete ideas for the practical implications of R4J.

Colonial Belonging in IR and the Classroom: Mehak Kapur (McMaster University), Marshall Beier (McMaster University)
Abstract: International Relations (IR) disciplinary debate of belonging is framed as between insiders-traditional IR and outsiders-critical IR ideas and researchers, where the latter wants to be insiders too. Simultaneously, since IR researchers also occupy the instructor position, it begs the question — does the context of IR disciplinary debate about belongingness continue within the space of IR classrooms? I probe the question by investigating 30 introductory IR undergraduate syllabi's reading lists, sourced from the top 30 universities by THE ranking lists from 2019-2021. I use interpretive methodology based reflexive thematic analysis to construct and evaluate the information. With a decoloniality (de-linking from coloniality) perspective, I argue that all IR perspectives and people belong in the undergraduate IR classroom, contrasting with the disciplinary framing of belongingness between insiders and outsiders. However, this belongingness is on traditional IR's (superior) terms that sidelines critical IR (inferior). It shows that the belongingness of IR perspectives and practitioners is contingent upon them occupying respective hierarchal positions of a relationship—coloniality. As a result, the introductory IR syllabi redefine belongingness as practicing coloniality for the pedagogical actors (IR instructors and students) in the classroom. Further, in their attempt to belong, the pedagogical actors participate in their dehumanization processes, varying degrees and forms, during the teaching and learning of introductory IR. Overall, the argument reveals the importance of IR pedagogy in reflecting and asking for re-envisioning the IR discipline and its relations among IR ideas and researchers as a move towards de-linking from coloniality and its dehumanizing effects.