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Crip Time in Global Governance: How Time Excludes Disabled Communities

When the Clock Becomes a Weapon

By Abdul Waheed Muhammad Arif

Introduction: Time as an Invisible Barrier

Time structures modern life through deadlines, schedules, and expectations of productivity. While these systems appear neutral, they often disadvantage those who cannot conform to a fixed pace.For disabled individuals and marginalized communities, time is not simply a measure—it can function as a barrier.Within global governance and international relations, institutions are typically designed around speed, efficiency, and standardization. This raises a critical question: what happens to those who move differently?
This article builds on the concept of crip time in global governance, examining how rigid temporal systems create exclusion even without explicit intent.

What Is Crip Time?
Crip time is a concept from disability studies that challenges the assumption that all individuals experience time uniformly.

It recognizes that:Bodies operate differently Energy levels fluctuate Illness, fatigue, and pain shape daily life

Rather than forcing individuals to conform to rigid schedules, crip time calls for systems to adapt to human variation.

In disability and international relations, this concept exposes how institutional timelines often fail to accommodate diverse needs.

How Time Creates Hidden Barriers

Consider a delegate at the United Nations.

She uses a wheelchair, lives with chronic fatigue, and is fasting during Ramadan. Her speaking time is strictly limited, and meetings are scheduled back-to-back.

There is no flexibility.

No one explicitly excludes her. Yet the structure itself does.

This highlights a key point:

exclusion is often embedded in systems rather than imposed through direct discrimination.

Across international institutions:

Speed is equated with efficiency

Tight deadlines signal productivity

Standardized schedules are treated as neutral

These assumptions privilege certain bodies while marginalizing others.

Crip Time in International Relations

Global governance systems often treat time as:

Fixed

Universal

Measurable

However, these assumptions produce structural inequalities.

For example:

Countries are placed on linear development timelines

Humanitarian responses prioritize speed over accessibility

Participation depends on the ability to match institutional pace

This leads to a central question:

whose time defines global systems?

Applying crip time to international relations reveals how temporal structures reinforce inequality at both individual and systemic levels.

Islamic Perspectives on Time and Justice

Islamic thought provides alternative frameworks that challenge rigid, linear understandings of time.

Dahr (Cyclical Time)

Dahr reflects cycles of rise and decline, contrasting with the assumption of a single linear path to development.

Waqt (The Present Moment)

Waqt emphasizes responding to present needs rather than strictly adhering to schedules.

Sabr (Patience and Justice)

Sabr is often translated as patience, but the distinction is critical:

Chosen patience can be empowering

Imposed waiting can become injustice

In global systems, marginalized groups are frequently required to wait for access, aid, or recognition. This transforms time into a mechanism of control.

Case Study: Humanitarian Systems in Yemen

The crisis in Yemen demonstrates how time-sensitive systems can exclude vulnerable populations.

Humanitarian aid often operates under urgency:

Short registration periods

Rapid information flow

Immediate physical access requirements

For individuals with disabilities:

Mobility challenges limit access

Information may arrive too late

Speed becomes a barrier

Exclusion occurs not due to intent, but because systems assume equal capacity to respond quickly.

This underscores the need for accessible humanitarian aid systems that integrate flexibility from the outset.

When Time Becomes Power

Urgency is essential in crises. However, when urgency dominates all processes, it creates exclusion.

Two temporal models offer a way forward:

Emergency Temporality

Requires rapid action

Must include accessibility from the beginning

Sustainable Temporality

Allows slower, participatory processes

Enables broader inclusion

Problems arise when urgency overrides accessibility, turning time into a tool of power rather than coordination.

Rethinking Inclusive Global Governance

This issue extends beyond scheduling. It reflects deeper structures of power.

Rigid timelines:

Normalize specific ways of living

Exclude those who function differently

Reinforce inequality within global systems

Inclusive global governance must address not only physical access but also temporal accessibility—the ability to participate within institutional rhythms.

Conclusion: Beyond a Single Pace of Life

The issue is not that some individuals move too slowly.

The issue is that systems are designed around narrow assumptions of speed and productivity.

Integrating crip time in global governance enables institutions to:

Recognize human diversity

Build flexible systems

Promote meaningful inclusion

Without this shift, time will continue to function as a subtle but powerful mechanism of exclusion.