The phrase “For All Humankind” captures an ambition that extends far beyond economic growth or technological progress. In a fractured world order where no single power can determine the rules alone, influence increasingly lies in shaping the terms on which different political communities relate to one another. India’s emerging role as a “rule shaper” reflects this evolving understanding of how global order is formed.
One of the first things I noticed at the NXT Fellowship was the phrase “For All Humankind” displayed across several banners. At a forum focused heavily on policy, technology, and economic development, the slogan initially felt quite philosophical. Yet as the discussions unfolded, the phrase began to acquire a more practical meaning.
Historical Realities and Present Fractures
My own academic work examines Catholic missionaries who moved between India and Japan in the sixteenth century. Their letters and reports show repeated attempts to understand how different political communities, governed by distinct authorities, might nonetheless be understood within a broader conception of order. These historical actors were confronting a world defined by plurality: many distinct societies, none sharing a single political authority, yet increasingly connected.
The parallels with our present moment are striking. Today’s international environment is often described as a “fracture of world order,” a theme explicitly raised during the NXT Fellowship sessions by Ambassador Bisaria. Established frameworks appear strained, and geopolitical alignments continue to shift globally. In this context, Ambassador Bisaria offered a formulation that captured the moment particularly well: rather than describing countries like India as rigid “rule makers,” he spoke of middle powers as dynamic “rule shapers.”
The Agency of Rule Shapers
The distinction is subtle but important. Few individual countries today possess the concentrated power required to determine the rules of international order on their own. That concentration of authority belongs to an earlier historical era. Yet many nations can still actively shape the terms through which different political communities understand, negotiate, and conduct their diplomatic relations. Influence in such a world lies not only in top-down authority, but also in the capacity to help shape how order itself is imagined.
The fellowship reflected this emphasis on agency in smaller, deeply personal ways as well. For the first two days, each morning began with structured yoga sessions emphasizing the importance of being grounded—both physically and mentally. The core idea resonated well beyond the physical practice itself: successfully shaping complex global systems requires stability, close attention, and continuous reflection.
Seen in this light, India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 is not only about economic growth milestones or technological progress. It also reflects a clear civilizational aspiration to actively participate in shaping the cooperative terms of a wider international order—an ambition captured beautifully in the simple phrase displayed throughout the forum: for all humankind.
Sujin Heo,American University, United States | NXT Fellow 2026
