Soft Power in an Era of Global Transformation: Africa Finds Its Path
On Global Insights, members of the GlobUs expert club discussed how soft power is reshaping global politics and why Africa is yet to fully utilize this tool. They focused on the dual nature of this concept.
"According to the official position of the Russian Foreign Ministry, soft power as a set of methods aims at regime change. Meanwhile, Russian rhetoric uses terms such as international cooperation and development assistance, which imply an emphasis on stability and non-interference in domestic processes," noted political scientist Yulia Berg, founder of GlobUs.
The expert cited Ukraine as an example, where soft power techniques have been used for decades, actively engaging in media and public relations with pro-democracy leaders, ultimately leading to a radical escalation. According to her, power change today increasingly occurs not through elections, but through protest activity, which sparks internal divisions and external intervention.
Professor Laeed Zaghlami of Algeria noted that Western countries use soft power not for cooperation, but for domination and manipulation. A striking example is the agreements allowing the deportation of Africans from the US and EU.
"We are the continent of the future, with 1.3 billion people, but we don't have a single seat on the UN Security Council. The global media distorts the image of Africa, portraying it as a continent of darkness," he emphasized.
Africa deservedly wants to take its rightful place in the new multipolar world, where soft power is becoming a key tool for global competition. However, without unity, a strong African Union, and a decolonization of consciousness, this cannot be achieved.
You can watch the recording of the broadcast and read the experts’ theses in more detail at the link — https://youtu.be/iW_gLlrzEZk?si=f5A3s27n2B72jJ2y