EU- Africa Cultural Diplomacy
The Advent of Better Relations between Europe & Africa
For the first time in its history, the EU Commission will hold a meeting on another continent, in Africa. Is cultural diplomacy the answer to solving world problems?
Like the two elements that work to produce water (H20), the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) share a distinct interdependent relationship that carries immense potential. On the one side sits the powerful de facto landlord of arguably the richest continent in the world: the EU and on the other, the de facto landlord of arguably the poorest: the AU.
History teaches that one cannot prosper without the other or at the very least, the growth and development of one is hindered when it ignores the other. The good news is that both Unions acknowledge this lesson and have been working to foster better relations.
The simile used above is a fitting descriptor that helps to capture a vision of the potential benefits that could be derived from a union of perfect collaboration. The success of this collaboration could work to significantly improve the economic, cultural and social dynamics of both continents and would carry ramifications far beyond their respective borders. Clearly, there needs to be a catalyst for this to happen and there are signs that this catalyst has been identified by both Unions as the use of cultural diplomacy.
Historic Meeting
Europa reports that for the first time in its history, the EU Commission will hold a meeting on another continent. This meeting will take place on 2 October 2007 at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa between the European Commission, represented by President Barroso and eight other Commissioners and the Commission of the African Union.
This meeting represents the culmination of ongoing efforts between the two Unions to explore and exploit the potential benefits of engaging in regular cultural diplomacy as a strategy for solving mutual problems. These efforts began at the Cairo based EU Africa Summit in 2000 and became known as the Cairo-process.
Cultural Diplomacy
Cultural diplomacy is communication skill that can be used to drastically improve relations between nations and open doors to greater opportunities. The misuse of it can result in a poor understanding of another nation’s dynamics and lead to immature foreign policy decisions; as many commentators would suggest was witnessed in the build up to the war on Iraq.
A New Strategy
Euro- African relations have come a long way since the indefinite postponement of the Portugal based EU Africa Summit in April 2003 (reported by the BBC on Tuesday, 18 February, 2003). On this occasion diplomacy failed to resolve differences between the EU and the AU over the inclusion of Zimbabwe.
Once again, Portugal will become the centre of attention as the Lisbon based EU-Africa Summit approaches in December 2007. Proposals for a new jointly owned EU-Africa Strategy has generated much hope amongst a global community that believes the EU and AU share common interests and that this collaboration could work to significantly improve the lives of citizens on both continents.
Stakeholders in African and world affairs sense the momentum gained by historic debt cancellation pledges at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles and US plans to double aid to Africa over the next 5 years at the recent G8 Summit in Germany, underpinned by the evolution of the Cairo-process, will combine to profoundly affect the economic and social development of the Continent.
These nascent dynamics, alongside the example set by countries like Nigeria to fulfil the promise of historic democratic elections in April 2007, demand a brighter future for Africa and consequently the world.
‘that which becomes the least of us also becomes the greatest of us, as we are all part of the one, yet being many’: quote from an imperfect treatise on cultural diplomacy in an imperfect world.
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