BY MULUGETA GUDETA
Cultural exchanges between two or more countries in a given region like the Horn of Africa can be taken as an instance of using soft power for the purpose of cooperation rather than coercion. Soft diplomacy, by its very nature, is easier to promote than ‘hard’ diplomacy because it does not involve or lead to conflict. It rather changes a potentially violent conflict into peaceful cooperation. There are many instances in international relations when countries that were standing on the brink of war could hold back thanks to the intervention of soft diplomacy in the form of sports or a cultural event.
An often-cited example of soft diplomacy in action is soccer diplomacy which is defined in a book entitled “Soccer Diplomacy: International Relations and Football Since 1914” by Heathe L.Dicher in which the nexus of the world’s most popular sport and diplomacy is defined as “diplomacy of soccer, as a non-state actor, via the relationship between soccer and a variety of diplomatic actors in the subnational, and international context.”
Cultural diplomacy also plays the role of soft power by promoting cooperation among nations. According to the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, “Cultural diplomacy may best be described as a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation, promote national interests and beyond; Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by either the public sector, private sector or civil society.”
There are many instances in contemporary Ethiopian diplomacy whereby cultural diplomacy played a pivotal role in promoting national interest, regional peace or global cooperation. Ethiopia has always played a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of the Horn region. It is now dubbed an anchor or diplomacy as it has become the capital of African and global diplomacy. In the past, Ethiopia was often a lone player in the search for diplomatic solutions in long-entrenched conflicts in the region. Even before the Horn region assumed its present shape, Ethiopia has more than once proved its mastery of diplomacy in international and regional contexts. Starting from the time of Emperor Haile Selassie down to this day, Ethiopia is recognized as the spearhead of effective diplomacy in Africa in general and in our region in particular.
Ethiopia applied cultural diplomacy more than once in its relations with countries near and far. Back in the late 1970s, it launched a global initiative to use culture as an effective tool of diplomacy to promote its national interest. A huge music and dance troupe made a global tour to make Ethiopia’s case be heard by the global community. The global tour was dubbed “People to People” and included all the most prominent singers and musicians and dancers the country had produced and mobilized for the first time in its modern history. This project was in fact instrumental in changing the image of the country to the better. The project shaped world perception of Ethiopia as a peace-loving and friendly African country.
Prior to that event in Dakar, Senegal, Ethiopian musicians and writers had taken part in what was known as the Dakar cultural festival otherwise known as “The First World Festival of Negro Arts, Dakar 1966. In April 1966, thousands of artists, musicians, performers and writers from across Africa and its diaspora gathered in the Senegal capital Dakar for a big festival.
The countries of the Horn, and more particularly Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia are not only neighbors. They also share a common destiny as far as their geo-political, economic and cultural ties are concerned. The three countries are currently claiming the headlines in the context of the challenges facing the Horn region. The election of a new president in Somalia has brought the problems of peace and stability in the region as well as the tools and instruments for achieving their common objectives once again on top of the regional agenda.
Meanwhile, diplomacy is once again set in motion as the leaders of the three countries expressed their readiness to play positive roles in addressing the burning issues agitating the peoples of the region. As the history of regional diplomacy suggests, the countries concerned were often apt to resort to conflict rather than peaceful diplomacy. Times are now changing and these countries have learnt bitter lessons from their recent past. The lesson is clear: diplomacy by any means is an irreplaceable instrument in shaping the destinies of tens of millions of people of the region.
Politics or diplomacy in the Horn region is often characterized as being volatile. Things have begun to change for the better in the last few years as these countries chose to abandon the path of war and engage in peaceful diplomacy as a result of which relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia have become more or less normal while Somalia has now joined the fray following its successful presidential election that brought to power an experienced and charismatic politician.
Consequently, the stage is now set to consolidate the diplomatic gains of the past few years and promote diplomacy in its various forms in order to cement friendship among them and neutralize the forces of conflict that are working in tandem to reverse these gains. This is therefore time to promote cultural diplomacy as a tool or rapprochement between these countries. Cultural diplomacy is easier to promote in the region than conventional diplomacy that is usually about hard power that exacerbates differences rather than overcoming them.
Culture is often defined as “all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are handed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called “the way of life for an entire society.” As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, and arts.”
If we look at the cultures of the three countries of the Horn, it is obvious that what they share between them is greater than what they distinguish them. The arts in Ethiopia and Eritrea for instance are almost the same because both countries shared a long common history of Orthodox Christianity as well as Islam that shaped the faiths and mentalities of the respective peoples, heir believes and institutions as well as their ways of living.
The people of eastern Ethiopia and Somalia have a common descent and as such they are almost one as far religion customs, and language are concerned. Had it not been for colonialism, the people living on both sides of the common borders were destined to live together. The people of northern Ethiopia and Eritrea also share the same language. We can thus keep on enumerating the factors that unite the three countries. The same can also be said about their common mentalities and ways of life.
It is therefore time to undo the damages done by old colonialism the remnants of which continue to serve as catalysts of new conflicts in the region. The old generations in the three countries have no problem understanding their common destiny or heritage. However, the new generations may face problems understanding their past and as a rule, those who do not understand their past may not be able to understand their present and future. Therefore, culture comes in handy to bridge the generation gaps and ensure their common legacy.
Whenever people start to think about culture, they talk less about the things that divide them and more about the things that unite them. The new generations are fond of music with messages and artistes in these countries can produce the kind of music that reflects hope and a brighter future and help avoid conflicts. Music is also a potent tool in fighting against war and bigotry and in promoting peace and understanding.
There are prominent artists, writers and dancers in the three countries who can help build the culture of peace and understanding. The only thing that this requires is a stronger bond between and among the people of the three countries; a bond that cannot be replaced by formal diplomatic meetings between their leaders. It is therefore incumbent on the cultural authorities in these countries to take up the task of laying the foundations for a people to people kind of cultural exchanges that had been pioneered by Ethiopia during the global cultural tour back in the late 1970s.
The three countries can for instance host soccer tournaments at least once in a year as a gesture peace or as an expression of the people’s desire to come together rather than drift apart. They can exchange visits by modern as well as traditional music and dance troupes and even organize festivals to celebrate peace and understanding in the Horn of Africa. Such events can grow in time and include other countries of the Horn region and later on the entire African continent.
Yet, someone has to take the first steps and show serious commitment to these ideals and dreams of poetry and music as weapons of peace. This can be done now because Ethiopia and other African countries have already done it. Ethiopia has done it more than once and can play a leading role in creating the conditions for soft power diplomacy to take the upper hand so that conflicts slowly but surely become things of the past.
The Ethiopian Herald June 17/2022
