Given the rise of ISIS and its potential to be an enduring political phenomenon for some time and the growing attention that the Asian theatre is receiving in shaping the economic contours of the international system, the big question in the twenty-first century is the central thrust one needs to place on dialogic explorations directed towards understanding and exploring the other based on enlightened self-interest.

This is both a challenge and opportunity to test not only the resilience of diplomatic practice but also on how international relations scholarship and praxis responds to understanding what Asia and its philosophies stand for. 

While this is a tall order, it  demands that to move from confrontation to cooperation, one needs to craft a philosophical base to strategic interactions.

What are the prerequisites for dialogue and what roles do philosophies, ideologies and cultural specificities play in facilitating strategic dialogic interaction are fundamental questions to resolving the issues of the times.

The article is part of the SFG publication “Big Questions of Our time: The World Speaks”. To access the full publication please click here.