Cooperation Against All Odds: Transnational Networks and the Future of Global Order

How do we explain breakthroughs in international cooperation that seem to defy the odds, especially during periods of great power competition and geopolitical tension? The answer centers on social power: the capacity of transnational networks—groups of individuals who transcend national boundaries at the societal or elite levels—to champion transformational ideas that reshape global norms and move governments, without coercion or payment.

This event showcases insights from “Transnational Political Networks and the Future of Global Order,” a multi-year research initiative funded by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and led by Northeastern University’s Professor Mai'a K. Davis Cross. The project’s core finding is that networks oriented toward the common good, operating at a global or regional scale, and pursuing transformational rather than transactional goals are consistently more likely to achieve cooperative breakthroughs.

The convening brought together five key contributors to the project for a focused panel conversation running counter to geopolitical pessimism, with topics ranging from AI to human rights to Russia’s war against Ukraine to environmental protection.

This event was generously supported by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit. The views expressed within this panel are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Carnegie Council.