Exploring Just and Unjust Wars through Afrofuturism: An Interdisciplinary Approach to International Studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61227/inisiatif.v4i1.468Keywords:
Afrofuturism, just war theory, international studies, cultural resilience, global citizenship, postcolonial traumaAbstract
Understanding just and unjust wars required fresh perspectives that moved beyond traditional frameworks rooted in Western thought. This study explored such perspectives through Afrofuturism, an interdisciplinary approach that combined international studies, cultural theory, and speculative fiction. The study adopted a qualitative, interdisciplinary methodology combining literary analysis, cultural theory, and international relations. It examined key Afrofuturist works—including novels by Octavia Butler and Nnedi Okorafor, music from artists like Sun Ra and Janelle Monáe, and visual art—to uncover alternative perspectives on war, resistance, and liberation. Data collection involved reviewing these creative texts alongside scholarly literature from international relations and postcolonial studies. Using thematic content analysis, the study identified recurring themes of conflict and justice in Afrofuturist narratives and compared them with traditional theories such as realism and liberalism to reveal Afrofuturism’s unique contributions. The study examined just and unjust wars through ethical, legal, and historical perspectives alongside international relations theories and postcolonial critiques. It introduced Afrofuturism to reimagine conflict and resistance, focusing on African diaspora identity, colonial legacies, and creative expressions of liberation. Emphasizing youth, cultural memory, and empathy, the research offered insights for peacebuilding and policy in international studies. The findings demonstrated Afrofuturism’s power to deepen empathy, foster cultural resilience, and inspire global citizenship, offering transformative insights into the nature of war and peace. The research ultimately called for greater inclusion of Afrofuturist perspectives within international studies education, policy development, and peacebuilding initiatives to encourage more imaginative and inclusive approaches toward conflict resolution and social justice.
Downloads
References
Adebisi, F. (2022). Black/African science fiction and the quest for racial justice through legal knowledge: How can we unsettle Euro-modern time and temporality in our teaching?. Law, Technology and Humans, 4(2), 24-37.
Ahmed, A. (2024). Beyond the stereotypes: Examining the media representation of minorities and the road to equitable portrayals. Social Science Review Archives, 1(03), 18-25.
Aikawa, M. (2022). Complicity and Resistance as Subordinates’ Responses to Paternalism: Challenging Dominant Understanding of (Post) Colonial Intergroup Relations. Clark University.
Aria, N. (2025). Exploring the Possibility of Overcoming the Anarchic Nature of the International System Through a Constructivist Approach. IUP Journal of International Relations, 19(1), 7-20.
Birhan, A. T. (2024). Conflict Dynamics in the Horn of Africa: Causes, Consequences, and the Way Forward. International Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 9(1), 18-36.
Clarke, S. B. (2019). Afrofuturism & possibilities for decolonizing the academy. Revista Nós: Cultura, Estética e Linguagens-ISSN 2448-1793, 94-109.
Constantinou, C. M., McConnell, F., Dirik, D., Regassa, A., Loong, S., & Kuokkanen, R. (2025). Reimagining self-determination: Relational, decolonial, and intersectional perspectives. Political Geography, 118, 103112.
Diamond, L. (2015). Liberation technology 1. In In search of democracy (pp. 132-146). Routledge.
Doyle, M. W. (2015). The question of intervention: John Stuart Mill and the responsibility to protect. Yale University Press.
Edmonds, P., & Johnston, A. (2016). Empire, humanitarianism and violence in the colonies. Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History, 17(1).
Floyd, R. (2014). Just and unjust desecuritization. In Contesting security (pp. 122-138). Routledge.
Fonseca, D. S. (2018). Reimagining the sociology of punishment through the global-south: Postcolonial social control and modernization discontents. Punishment & Society, 20(1), 54-72.
Foucher, M. (2020). African borders: Putting paid to a myth. Journal of Borderlands Studies, 35(2), 287-306.
Gazzini, T. (2022). The international fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In The changing rules on the use of force in international law (pp. 180-235). Manchester University Press.
Giladi, P., & McMillan, N. (Eds.). (2022). Epistemic injustice and the philosophy of recognition. Taylor & Francis.
Gill, T. D., & Tibori-Szabó, K. (2023). The Use of Force and the International Legal System. Cambridge University Press.
Giroux, H. A. (2015). Youth in revolt: Reclaiming a democratic future. Routledge.
Guzzini, S. (2013). The concept of power: a constructivist analysis. In Power, Realism and Constructivism (pp. 217-236). Routledge.
Huscroft, G., Miller, B. W., & Webber, G. (Eds.). (2014). Proportionality and the rule of law: rights, justification, reasoning. Cambridge University Press.
Iles, A. (2019). Repairing the Broken Earth: NK Jemisin on race and environment in transitions. Elem Sci Anth, 7, 26.
Jensen, M. A. (2024). The Aesthetics of Social Reproduction: Silences in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower. Cultural Critique, 124(1), 100-126.
Kareklas, I. (2024). Just War Theory: Principle and Practice. Rowman & Littlefield.
Kolhatkar, S. (2023). Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice. City Lights Books.
Milburn, J., & Van Goozen, S. (2023). Animals and the ethics of war: a call for an inclusive just-war theory. International Relations, 37(3), 423-448.
Myers, K., Nally, D., Paulson, J., & Sriprakash, A. (2024). Reparative futures. Futures, 164, 103474.
Nyong'o, T. (2025). Black Apocalypse: Afrofuturism at the End of the World (Vol. 16). Univ of California Press.
Oku, A. (2021). Africanfuturism and the Reframing of Gender in the Fiction of Nnedi Okorafor. Feminist Africa, 2(2), 75-89.
Sassen, S. (2014). Expulsions: Brutality and complexity in the global economy. Harvard University Press.
Shewadeg, B. (2022). Epistemic Injustice and the African Academia: A Philosophical Appraisal. ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY.
Shome, P. (2023). Racism, Colonialism and Slavery as International Practices. In The Creation of Poverty and Inequality in India (pp. 99-137). Bristol University Press.
Steinhoff, U. (2014). Just cause and ‘Right intention’. Journal of Military Ethics, 13(1), 32-48.
Van-Steenberghe, R. (2024). The armed conflict in Gaza, and its complexity under international law: Jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and international justice. Leiden Journal of International Law, 37(4), 983-1017.
Waghid, Z., & Kriger, S. (2024). Afrofuturism in Film: Towards Cultivating Transformative Leadership for Equity and Diversity in Response to Crises. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Diversity, Crises and Transformative Leadership in Higher Education, 159.
Wallace, B. D., & Schwartz, J. W. (2022). Afrofuturism. The Radical Teacher, (122), 1-12.
Wallace, D. A., Pasick, P., Berman, Z., & Weber, E. (2014). Stories for Hope–Rwanda: a psychological–archival collaboration to promote healing and cultural continuity through intergenerational dialogue. Archival science, 14, 275-306.
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
