The International Conference on the African Union & Cultural Diplomacy

"Cultural Diplomacy as a Vehicle of Global Governance: The Role of Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power in the Future of the African Union"
(Midrand, South Africa, January 23rd - 27th, 2012)

African Union & Cultural Diplomacy Conference is the third of a series of three conferences dedicated to enhancing awareness and understanding of international governing institutions and their role in promoting cultural diplomacy around the world. The conference is organized by the ICD and other leading organizations. The goal of this year’s conference is to facilitate exploration of the impact of culture on human rights, governance and development, focused specifically on the AU.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the global power axis has shifted significantly, with the bipolar world order that prevailed throughout the Cold War giving way to multiple poles of influence, rapid market liberalization and a tremendous synergy of interdependence at the global level of governance. This shift in power relations has transformed orthodox models of hard power interactions and facilitated the engagement of subtler, less confrontational forms. However, optimization of global governance remains stymied by the myriad challenges of globalization and the complexities of mutual understanding. Africa epitomizes these challenges—of governance, poverty, peace and food security, to name just a few.

With only four years remaining to accomplish the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the AU has struggled to engineer solutions to the numerous and complex problems it faces. This year’s conference emphasizes cultural diplomacy as an increasingly useful tool for building cooperation both regionally and globally, and explores avenues through which this new form of diplomacy can be used as a driving force to foster good governance, development and the promotion of human rights through the AU.

Link: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/experienceafrica/index.php?en_aucdc2011