Amrita Narlikar joins the GLOBE Webinar Series to discuss her new book "Poverty Narratives and Power Paradoxes in International Trade Negotiations and Beyond" (2020, Cambridge University Press).

The GLOBE Webinar Series – The Future of Global Governance – presents the latest and most cutting-edge research in global governance and gives audience members the opportunity to directly engage with leading scholars in the field. Each webinar focuses on a significant new book that has potential to shape future thought on global governance, featuring a presentation by the author, an intervention from an expert discussant, and a Q&A session with the audience.

Participation is free and the webinar can be joined here from anywhere in the world. Access the GLOBE Webinar Channel

About the book: Amrita Narlikar argues that, contrary to common assumption, modern-day politics displays a surprising paradox: poverty - and the powerlessness with which it is associated - has emerged as a political tool and a formidable weapon in international negotiation. The success of poverty narratives, however, means that their use has not been limited to the neediest. Focusing on behaviours and outcomes in a particularly polarising area of bargaining - international trade - and illustrating wider applications of the argument, Narlikar shows how these narratives have been effectively used. Yet, she also sheds light on how indiscriminate overuse and misuse increasingly run the risk of adverse consequences for the system at large and devastating repercussions for the weakest members of society. Narlikar advances a theory of agency and empowerment by focusing on the life-cycles of narratives and concludes by offering policy-relevant insights on how to construct winning and sustainable narratives.

About the author: Professor Amrita Narlikar is President of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) and Professor of International Relations at the University of Hamburg. Amrita’s research expertise lies in the areas of multilateralism, international negotiation, WTO, and also rising powers. Her most recent book has been published by Cambridge University Press (Poverty Narratives in International Trade Negotiations and Beyond, New York: CUP, 2020). Her previous books include: Bargaining with a Rising India: Lessons from the Mahabharata (co-authored) Oxford: OUP, 2014 and The Oxford Handbook on the World Trade Organization (co-edited) Oxford: OUP, 2012. For full list of publications, please see: http://www.narlikar.com/cv/CV2020JanuaryAmritaNarlikar.pdf

Discussant: Charles Roger (Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals)

Moderator: Kari Otteburn (KU Leuven)