Soft power and foreign policy: A link and some thoughts

Why does Pakistan have such a negative image in the outside world, in contrast with other countries who face the same challenges?

Michael Kugelman, Pakistan’s image problem, Dawn.com, March 15, 2010.

The article revisits the importance of soft power, a theme my posts have touched on in the past.

A different instance: South Korea has a strong presence in this southern Indian city of Chennai. Several South Korean companies have large factories here and South Korean products have a large market. Recently, one of them sponsored a Women’s International Film Festival that showcased—not just Indian or Korean films—films made by and about women from around the world. The festival was organized by a cultural centre, set up three years ago in Chennai to promote language learning and cultural exchange.

Now it’s safe to say that on an average Tamilians and Koreans have little apart from rice and fish in common! But Korean corporates have large corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, run by local managers, that have taken them into the community which buys their products. Well, so do lots of others, what’s interesting is that they have shown a willingness to step beyond traditional charitable and developmental objectives to invest in setting up this cultural centre—along with a Chennai corporate! States could learn a lesson or two from this! Through creative programming, this centre has put South Korea on the cultural map—ergo, cultural and political consciousness—of India in ways that fifty years of state-sponsored diplomacy did not.

The festival closed with a concert featuring music composed and/or performed by women. The performers were from Chennai. The music was European or American. The sponsors were Korean. Now, that’s soft power at work. Sri Lanka does not have a parallel presence in the largest city across the water from its shores, and that’s hardly exceptional. It’s not about resources; it’s about vision. Those who get that, get more value for money in international relations, than those who do not.

Posted by Swarna Rajagopalan on March 16, 2010. Respond »

Multi-track diplomacy in South Asia: Recent dialogues

Indian Express reports that there has been a spurt in dialogues and meetings recently, even as the official India-Pakistan dialogue has been stalled. Although this reporter suggests there is something dubious about this, it is actually an important development. Keeping channels of communication, official or non-official, open is really useful.

The point is made that many of these dialogues are funded by non-regional foundations. The question is: where is the funding for these initiatives in South Asia? There is plenty of money, but there is no will to fund anything remotely political. Many of these dialogues also involve South Asians resident abroad, with varying degrees of connection to their countries of origin. Where dialogue itself is a sensitive issue, the presence of foreigners (no matter their origin) who are identified with other governments creates greater resistance.

Posted by Swarna Rajagopalan on February 11, 2010. Respond »

In The News: Promoting Peace in South Asia!

At a time when India-Pakistan relations are plumbing new depths with irresponsible remarks from political elites pouring in (e.g. ‘thousand,years war for Kashmir’), a three day peace conference has been organized in New Delhi to carve a ‘roadmap to peace’. The aim of the conference is to put pressure on both governments to pursue the path of dialogue and development as a strategy for promoting peace in the region.  Eminent personalities (may call them ‘Peaceniks’) from all walks of life (civil society representatives, media persons, former diplomats and political leaders from both countries) are participating in this conference. Pressing Issues such as Water sharing, cross border trade and terrorism have received ample attention in the ongoing meet. So also, geopolitical issues like Kashmir, Balochistan and Afghanistan are scheduled to be discussed.

Speakers have reiterated, irrespective of their nationality that uninterrupted dialogue in all possible circumstances could lead to resolution of outstanding issues. Even though all those past engagements between the neighbors didn’t bring any visible results, the ideals of people-to-people contacts (Track-II) to remain in force to create a ‘congenial atmosphere’ for any bilateral initiatives in future.

For more details: Read “Call to resume dialogue”, The HIndu, January 11.
Also read a critque: “Candle exchange may not bring peace b/w India and Pakistan”, PakTribune, January 10.

Posted by Animesh Roul on January 10, 2010. Respond »

SouthAsian of the Year: Meher Mohammed Khalil

Who has done the most this last year to promote peacebuilding and regional integration in South Asia?

“South Asian of the Year” goes easily to Mohammed Khalil, the quick-thinking bus driver in Lahore who managed to save the Sri Lankan cricket team when it was attacked in broad daylight by terrorists.

Security concerns following the 26/11 attack on Mumbai caused the Indian team that was supposed to play this tour, but they pulled out. The Sri Lankans replaced them. Then on March 3, 2009, as the team set out from their hotel towards the stadium, they were ambushed by gunmen. The driver bravely and speedily drove the bus out towards Gaddafi Stadium which was then sealed. The players ducked and lay flat to escape with mostly minor injuries.

(Watch a newsclip here.)

One act of bravery salvaged a situation that could have begun years of acrimonious exchange between governments and cricket boards and snuffed out any hope for goodwill towards Pakistan in cricket(and cricketer)-loving South Asia.

Posted by Swarna Rajagopalan on December 28, 2009. Respond »

Hearts, Minds and Maoists

In recent weeks, India’s Home Minister has taken a tough line against Maoists, stating that far from fighting for better living standards, their hostilities hinder development efforts. This polemical response has been welcomed by the Indian Express in an editorial that affirms:
“This intellectual challenge to the extremists’ ideology is not a softening on Maoists, but an invitation to civil society to form its ideas and opinions on the basis of facts and not the other way round.”

See also:
Barkha Dutt, Deeper and darker, Hindustan Times, October 16, 2009.

The use of violence over a prolonged period diminishes the validity of a cause as well as the legitimacy of a state’s response. South Asia is no stranger to this quandary.

For South Asia’s liberals, these are really tough times because they require us not just to take a stand, but to take one in a shifting, turbulent sea of grey waves. That is, we are called upon to sift from situations that are all nuance and contingency, thresholds and limits that we will set upon ourselves and others.Yes, governance and development failures are at the root of many violent struggles and the responsibility for them does rest with the state and its ruling classes. However, can this critique constitute unconditional acceptance that a popular response must be violent rather than constructive as so many other South Asian traditions would promote?

A free and honest discussion about these matters is what creates a secure socio-political climate in a society. If the state must be monitored against its tendency to silence dissent in the face of security crises, then civil society is also responsible for seeing that there are no other silences that it imposes upon those who disagree or question the dominant view of its most vocal members. Democracy fosters security, and the ongoing discussion about South Asia’s Maoist challengers and its development failures is a great illustration.

Posted by Swarna Rajagopalan on October 18, 2009. Respond »