Course description

Within the Summer School Sustainable Futures we are offering blended intensive programs, hybrid courses, with the last week in June onsite in Kalmar, Sweden.

More than a quarter-century ago, scholars in the social sciences proclaimed a global wave of democratisation. Then, common values such as global peace, justice and sustainable democracy appeared to expand universally. Within the United Nations (UN), democracy was perceived as good governance. Democracy spread in poor and undeveloped countries, in countries with authoritarian legacies and military rule as well as across regions and countries with different traditions and religions. In 2016, the UN declared the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) where democracy was stated to be extremely important for justice, sustainability, and well-being within the political, economic, social, and environmental sector. Furthermore, the SDGs (particularly SDG 16) emphasized, democracy, peace and justice inextricably linked to the promotion of sustainable societies and individual well-being.

Today, changing geopolitical constellations and regional and local conflicts have reinforced challenges to global peace and democracy. The previous global democratic upsurge has halted with worrying tendencies in authoritarianism, nationalism, and interstate as well as intra-state tension and war. In addition, the international order of multilateralism, international and European law and integration has become challenged. It is too early to define the extent of worldwide autocratization, but it is obvious that counter-norms to multilateralism and the liberal democratic order have taken root and are challenging global peace, justice, and well-being.