With the recent developments in domestic and international politics, the issues of margins and borders again come to the fore. Margins and borders are broadly understood in either spatial or discursive terms. The current material and ideational aspects of understanding politics present certain limitations and thus implore political scientists, social science scholars, practitioners, and other interested parties to re-examine these concepts and ideas.

Why reimagine margins? Relegated in the margins are the peasantry, indigenous people, marginalised genders, religious minorities, and people of different ethnicities, among others. Their issues endure and have morphed together with social developments and technological advancements. Within the country, discussions on self-determination and rule do not end with forming the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). As the 2025 parliamentary election nears, the quest of the Bangsamoro people for a genuine voice, within and beyond their existing physical spaces, continues. Urban and rural communities grapple with poverty and joblessness amidst rising inflation rates. Marginalised genders face discrimination and persecution from certain sectors of society. Outside the Philippines, diasporic communities of Filipinos struggle to find their place in the new communities abroad. The notion of margins may need reimagining to bring power back to these marginalised peoples.

Why reclaim borders? Cases such as the Chinese aggressions in the West Philippine Sea, the continued invasion of Ukraine, and, more recently, the escalation of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict remain challenging the established notions of national and territorial borders. Domestically, local delineations such as those in the National Capital Region are contested in courts. At the same time, new demarcations are created through legislation to promote harmony in a growing and diverse society. The recent pandemic, through the invisible virus, demonstrated that such constructions of borders are permeable. In the cyber sphere, there are practically no borders to speak of. Social media became the space for conversations (and as sites of disinformation and digital violence) that surpass border controls, despite attempts by states to control its use. All of these have, in one way or another, had a direct impact on people’s lives.

Focusing on reimagining margins and reclaiming borders invites scholars and practitioners to question the existing conceptualisations and understanding in Philippine politics, political theory, comparative politics, international relations, and research methodology. It offers a wide array of possibilities for scientific inquiry and thoughtful interrogation.

The 2024 International Conference of PPSA hopes to bring together papers and presentations that seek to reimagine our understanding of margins and give attention to the debates on reclaiming borders.