Peace Studies and International Relations in an Age of Polycrisis

The author contends that the 2026 Doomsday Clock setting reflects a polycrisis. Arguing that traditional frameworks in International Relations are inadequate for addressing the political, ethical, and structural dimensions of this moment, the article calls for re-centering peace as a foundational concern. Rather than viewing peace merely as the absence of conflict, the author draws on Peace Studies to reconceptualize it as a multidimensional, relational, and normative project encompassing justice, sustainability, and coexistence. In a global context marked by cascading disruptions, ecological overshoot, and institutional fragility, the article underscores that Peace Studies offers essential tools for understanding and transforming the conditions that the Doomsday Clock so starkly reflects.