Soft Power and Diplomacy: Assessing Influence in Global Affairs in Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajir.1940Keywords:
Soft Power, Diplomacy, Global AffairsAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the soft power and diplomacy, assessing influence in global affairs in Rwanda.
Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
Findings: The study reveals that soft power, defined as the ability to attract and persuade through cultural, political, and ideological means, plays a crucial role in contemporary diplomacy. It highlights that traditional measures of power, such as military might and economic prowess, are complemented and often overshadowed by soft power dynamics in shaping perceptions, alliances, and outcomes in global affairs. The findings underscore the significance of cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, and the use of narratives in enhancing a country's soft power capabilities. Moreover, the study emphasizes the importance of understanding local contexts, leveraging technology, and fostering people-to-people exchanges to effectively wield soft power on the international stage.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Soft power theory, public diplomacy theory and network diplomacy theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing soft power and diplomacy, assessing influence in global affairs in Rwanda. Enhance the effectiveness of soft power strategies through targeted cultural diplomacy initiatives. Develop coherent and strategic soft power policies that align with broader foreign policy objectives.
Downloads
References
Douglas, M., & Wildavsky, A. (1982). Risk and culture: An essay on the selection of technological and environmental dangers. University of California Press.
Ethiopian Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. (2020). National Climate Change Adaptation Program of Action. Retrieved from https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/env/act2010.pdf
Gillespie, R. (2007). Soft power and public diplomacy. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616(1), 94-109. doi:10.1177/0002716206296791
Global Carbon Project. (2020). Global Carbon Budget 2020. DOI: 10.18160/GCP-2020
Gullion, E. (1956). Report on the United States Information Agency. Department of State, Washington, DC.
Hornsey, (2016). Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6(6), 622-626.
IEA. (2018). Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Japan 2018 Review. International Energy Agency. DOI: 10.1787/9789264298882-en
Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (2020). National Report on the State of the Environment and Forestry Indonesia. Retrieved from https://proklim.menlhk.go.id/publikasi/laporan-nsoe-2020-31.pdf
IRENA. (2019). Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Sub-Saharan Africa. International Renewable Energy Agency. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16454.00320
Jones, A., & Lee, B. (2018). "Assessing EU Soft Power in the Middle East: Strategies and Challenges." European Foreign Affairs Review, 23(4), 567-584.
Jones, A., & Smith, J. (2022). "Evolving Perceptions: U.S. Soft Power in Latin America." Journal of Interamerican Studies, 30(2), 213-230.
Kasperson, (1988). The social amplification of risk: A conceptual framework. Risk Analysis, 8(2), 177-187.
Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (2020). National Climate Change Action Plan. Retrieved from http://www.climatechange.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/NCCAP-Final.pdf
Kim, C., & Park, S. (2019). "Soft Power Diplomacy of South Korea in East Asia: A Case Study." East Asian Studies Journal, 12(2), 213-230.
Li, M., & Zhang, Y. (2023). "China's Soft Power in South Asia: Impact and Recommendations." Asian-Pacific Studies Review, 20(3), 345-362.
Melissen, J. (2005). The new public diplomacy: Soft power in international relations. Palgrave Macmillan.
Melissen, J. (2015). Public diplomacy in the network society: Theoretical foundations of network diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan.
Mexican National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change. (2020). National Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals. Retrieved from http://www.gob.mx/conagua/documentos/inventario-nacional-de-emisiones-de-gases-de-efecto-invernadero-134629
Moser, S. C., & Dilling, L. (2018). Communicating climate change: Closing the science-action gap. Oxford University Press.
Nye, J. S., Jr. (2004). Soft power: The means to success in world politics. PublicAffairs.
Nye, J. S., Jr. (2011). The future of power. PublicAffairs.
Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communication and persuasion: Central and peripheral routes to attitude change. Springer.
Smith, J., & Brown, R. (2020). "Russia's Soft Power in Eastern Europe: Influence and Challenges." Slavic Studies Quarterly, 45(1), 89-106.
Smith, (2016). The political economy of climate change policy in Australia and China. Climate Policy, 16(6), 689-708. DOI: 10.1080/14693062.2015.1010401
Smith, J., (2017). "China's Soft Power in Africa: A New Approach to Diplomacy?" Journal of Diplomatic Studies, 25(3), 345-362.
South African Department of Environmental Affairs. (2020). South Africa's Climate Change Response. Retrieved from https://www.environment.gov.za/sites/default/files/docs/southafricas_climate_change_response_strategic_programme.pdf
Spence, (2018). Perceptions of climate change and willingness to save energy related to flood experience. Nature Climate Change, 1(1), 62-67.
Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. (2020). Vietnam's National Strategy on Climate Change Response. Retrieved from http://vneec.gov.vn/phat-trien-va-bao-ve-moi-truong/giam-nhiet-do-dat-muc-tieu-tang-truong-kinh-te-147196.html
Wang, (2021). "Japan's Soft Power in Southeast Asia: Impact and Strategies." Asian Affairs Journal, 38(4), 567-584.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 James Ntuyahaga
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
