FROM THE CONFLICT AMONG CIVILIZATIONS, TO THE GLOBAL CHARTER FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE OF CIVILIZATIONS. GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF INTER-CIVILIZATIONAL RELATIONS, IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

In our opinion, the international political and legal order of the 21st century will be marked not only by the consolidation of the national-state as a political actor (following the trend of economic and political nationalism, of reassertion of the nations), but also by the ascension of new political megaactors (the Civilizations), reflecting a neo-realist paradigm at global level. Thus, we must take into consideration that the contemporary world is already fundamentally shaped by the objective processes of globalization, as the nation-state must adjust and find new ways to face the challenges of this globalized world. With the advance and consolidation of the processes of objective globalization (with the enhanced exchanges of goods, of know-how, with the increase in and expansion of connectivity among cities, continents, and different cultures), not only will the nation-states react (fighting to keep their identity and traditions), but a new kind of 'global gladiators' will appear (the civilizations, mega-actors which will have a fundamental influence on the political-legal order of the 21^st century). The present paper will analyse a few of the mechanisms, institutions, and political-legal methods of structuring and functioning of this order, from the standpoint of the "dialogue among civilizations" paradigm, as an alternative to the "conflict among civilizations" paradigm. In our opinion, the Global Mediator for Civilizations would be one of the global institutions required to harmonize the world of civilizations and to solve their issues. The Global Mediator for Civilizations would operate based on an underlying Charter for Peaceful Coexistence of Civilizations, acknowledged by the great civilizations of the 21^st century, i.e. political mega-actors - entities also born from the creation of civilizational alliances among states which identify themselves as members of a common civilizational area). In the present paper, the civilization is a political entity, as well as a legal entity, with the capability to take on a specific set of rights and obligations at global level, based on certain legal documents signed by the High Representatives of the Civilizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]