The search for global harmony and rapprochement among peoples is not a new matter in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Rather, it is a goal for which generations of thinkers, politicians, and advocates of cultural dialogue have fought, and international organizations have followed suit by publishing various discourses, including "cultural diversity."
And the mainstay of the search for harmony among all peoples of nations makes us look at our relationship with the different other as a condition of our existence, because any society cannot live without relations with other societies even if they differ from it in race, language, belief and culture.
The great powers have thought a lot through their research centers and thinkers about how to restore their position or face new challenges without resorting to the use of hard power, which has produced, since the beginning of the nineties, a new type of international diplomacy, which is "cultural diplomacy".
No human being in this existence can live alone, and in the words of the German poet Goethe: "There is no harsher punishment for a person than living in heaven alone, for it is certain that existence without others seems impossible."
Therefore, the conflicts between nations during the past millennium formed an opposite image of human nature, which Ibn Khaldun described as the "civil character". Just as a person is civil by nature in the sense of his eligibility to communicate with other human beings, so societies are civil in their invocation of the necessity of international communication.
Any society cannot live without relationships with other societies (Shutterstock)
And if culture, as we have indicated, is the active force in this communication, then considering it as a soft power for decades made it easier for great powers to possess the tools of attraction and persuasion in their ways of thinking and living more than what was provided by hard power that relied on the military machine.
This is what the international reality has translated since the end of World War II and when the world entered a polar attraction between the capitalist and socialist camps, where politicians discovered at that stage that they needed a more effective way than negotiating tables, and they realized the role of culture in influencing people and the ability to shape relationships international.
Politicians discovered after World War II that they needed a more effective way than negotiating tables, and realized the role of culture in influencing peoples (Al-Jazeera)
Culture is a new diplomatic weight
The great powers have thought a lot through their research centers and thinkers about how to restore their position or face new challenges without resorting to the use of hard power, which has produced since the beginning of the nineties a new type of international diplomacy, which is "cultural diplomacy", and this style was not found thanks to Not only did the military confrontation between the superpowers decline, but rather the emergence of new data that overturned the logic of “relationships” and “the nature of the conflict.”
In a world where the means of communication are witnessing revolutions after revolutions, it is no longer easy to accept the logic of the bullying of one country over another. in a small village.
The transition of the world from the history of traditional media to "digital media", and the world became more like a small village (Shutterstock)
This communication extension has helped bring people together, and most importantly, it has given new strength to culture.
When we emphasize the role of culture in international relations, this is to indicate that developed countries in particular have realized the importance of cultural industries in their commercial exchanges, allowing them to employ them in their soft diplomacy. Didn't Steve Jobs say that the marriage between technology, arts and humanities is what made Apple's heart sing?
That is because he believed that technology does not progress or grow through computer sciences, but rather through the communication of these sciences with the humanities and arts.
Steve Jobs says, "The marriage of technology, arts and humanities is what made Apple's heart sing" (French)
Culture is often influential in creating the image that countries maintain of each other, and it also contributes to correcting impressions and rejecting prejudices and misconceptions, because achieving understanding requires knowing the truth.
The impact of culture increases whenever countries are able to use the tools of attraction and persuasion, so the ideals that they advocate through their cultural diplomacy turn into a horizon of salvation for some peoples or ambition for others.
Frederic Bartholdi has works and sculptures spread across cities of the world and he is the maker of the Statue of Liberty in New York (Getty Images)
Let's look at that stage that America experienced after World War II, when European youth who drank music were attracted behind the Berlin Wall, and how American ideals of freedom became a hope for young people in China at the time of the Tiananmen Incident when they built a copy of the Statue of Liberty, and other young people in the world who They saw in the American intellectual style a salvation for their conditions, so they adopted American music, the American style of dress, and American food.
During the period that America experienced after World War II, when European youth who drank music were attracted behind the Berlin Wall (Getty Images)
On the other hand, let us look at the impact that America left on the hearts of young people following the four-week war in Iraq in 2003, when the United States of America won the war by toppling Saddam’s regime, but the tyranny of the military machine affected the decline of its image and popularity in the world, and even in countries whose governments participated in the war. .
That is because waging a war against Iraq with a small coalition of countries, and without a broad cover of international legitimacy, contributed to destabilizing America's image in the world. The military machine triumphed and defeated the American "ideals", and it was not easy for the United States of America to regain its cultural influence in the world. As Joseph Nye says, "It will be more difficult to win the peace than to win the war."
The launch of the war on Iraq contributed to destabilizing America's image in the world, as the military machine triumphed and defeated the American "ideals" (Associated Press)
The exchange of ideas, information and all symbolic goods without coercion is the means of cultural diplomacy, and this exchange guarantees the survival of the influence of any country on other countries more than military or economic hegemony. He did not leave an impact on the Greek people, while the Greek influence lasted on Roman society.
The Roman invasions of the Greeks continued, by occupying parts and cities belonging to Greece in stages and for several years (communication sites)
The Romans imitated the lifestyle of the Greeks until the Greek culture became in every house and corner of the city of Rome, and the Romans lost their character and what distinguished them from other peoples around them (Getty Images)
An antique engraving showing the Roman Forum in the center of ancient Rome, where ceremonies and speeches were held (Getty Images)
Therefore, countries seek to lose their soft power resources from time to time, and by that we mean that they pay more attention to the media, cultural tools, and aid in the fields of education, in particular in the form of providing grants to those wishing to continue their university education, or in helping poor countries in the world to implement children’s education projects. Soft power has the ability to attract and influence simultaneously, which hard power cannot achieve.
Some researchers may say that hard power is also capable of influencing people through the use of means of threats, bribes, and people-buying, but these bad means do not achieve what people's voluntary interaction with the cultures, ideas, and behavior patterns that soft diplomacy broadcasts, because they are more tempting.
Where are we from cultural diplomacy?
Throughout my diplomatic and cultural career, I realized that goodwill is not sufficient to activate the role of cultural exchange if it is not followed by a cultural policy for any country in order to consolidate its soft power, and I have often expressed my concern with establishing an Arab cultural edifice, namely the Institute of the Arab World in Paris, as a tool of cultural diplomacy. I was saddened by the decline and weakness in achieving the goals for which he was sent.
How much I have elaborated on the dire consequences of the limited faith of some Arab countries in the usefulness of culture in the renaissance of peoples at home and in its impact on changing the image of Arabs abroad, but the Arab situation today does not help at all to sew soft power with a worn-out cloth.
Institute of the Arab World in Paris (Al-Jazeera)
The Arab World Institute in Paris is a tool of cultural diplomacy (networking sites)
International politics is rapidly changing, and we do not yet know how the world will be shaped after these successive crises that it has gone through, the latest of which is the continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian war, but we realize that we as Arabs are required to draw inspiration from the successful experiences of soft power, and proceed to activate them.
There are major shifts that require consideration. The impact of Western cultural diplomacy is regressing compared to the growth of China's diplomacy, which works to reformulate the "laws of the game." It seems that Chinese expansion in the world, especially in the face of the decline of the role of the United States of America, reflects the beginning of preparation for the transfer of leadership of the global system to the East Bank. Chinese foreign policy has given cultural and economic resources a central role in achieving this end.
The tea dance is one of the performances of the Qatar-China 2016 launch ceremony (Al-Jazeera)
Dr. Hamad Al-Kuwari during the activities of the "Qatar-China" 2016 Cultural Year (Al-Jazeera)
Among the features of Chinese intelligence in managing the next civilized step is that China does not present itself as an alternative to the United States of America, as it does not claim to declare a challenge with the superpower that dominates the world, as much as it is progressing smoothly towards its goal, and this was reflected in its speech that attracted many elites and peoples. In the world, where its political discourse adopted the assertion of the existence of a multipolar world in which there is no monopoly on leadership or cultural patterns, and in which the cultures of the other are not belittled in exchange for the centrality of Western culture.
Therefore, China presents itself as a force that adds to the development of the world and is not a threat to world peace.
A group show for all Chinese teams at the launch ceremony of the Qatar-China Year (Al-Jazeera)
This Chinese role reminds me of what the Arab-Islamic civilization played in its brightest stage, when the Arabs endowed humanity with their sciences and literature, and the translation movement flourished between the Arabs and other peoples, because the Arabs were aware of the impact of cultural exchange on the development of human civilization.
In more than one historical phase, the West hastened to benefit from the Arab intellectual heritage. This is what Toledo witnessed, for example, in the 11th century AD, when it became a translation center offering the Western world the fruits of Arabic authorship, in which the "Institute of Toledo Translators" was established.
Institute of Toledo Translators (Source: Cairo University)
Toledo Library from the inside (Source: Walaa / Cairo University)
Translation plays an important role in the development of arts, technologies and lifestyles, because it is like a bridge through which cultural goods of all kinds cross and further strengthen ties between peoples until it becomes clear to them that the purpose of existence is one and that our destiny is common.
The exchange of cultural goods would strengthen relations between human societies, which would be an impenetrable barrier against the vibration of the values of love, dialogue and civilized interaction.
Alfonso X with his assistants from the royal court, who was interested in translating many Muslim books into Spanish (communication sites)
However, the reality of translation in the Arab world is still deteriorating. It is possible that our translation of the literature of other peoples is witnessing a high demand and percentage, but the translation of our Arabic literature into foreign languages is very poor, and we still have a long way to go to bring about the development of this field, which is one of the most important tools for creating the image of Arab culture.
Translation is like a bridge through which cultural goods of all kinds cross (networking sites)
And if we want to develop the horizons of this cultural diplomacy, we have no choice but to allow the cultural elites to present perceptions and plans in order to activate cultural exchange and provide Arab diplomacy with cultural exchange products, and among the necessities of this is the involvement of academics and academic institutions, because science taught in universities is not its primary goal. Not only providing competencies for society, but also qualifying citizens who practice the values of dialogue and exchange of cultures in order to spread understanding, just as universities provide scientific products that have an impact on the world.
This does not mean that cultural diplomacy is a matter for government agencies only, but that intellectuals, elites, writers and artists have an important role in developing its impact and attractiveness, and despite this, the role of the state remains essential.
Therefore, we in Qatar were fully aware of this matter and practiced cultural diplomacy with distinction, which strengthened the position of our country and its interaction with the world. Cultural diversity and civilizational interaction.
Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, Minister of State and Head of Qatar National Library, and Mr. Javier Carbagosa Sanchez, Ambassador of Spain to the State of Qatar during the exchange of Qatar National Library and the Spanish Embassy a selection of books in various fields during a ceremony held at the library's headquarters in Education City (Al-Jazeera)
The Public Foundation for the Cultural Village Katara in Doha (Al-Jazeera)
From the cultural neighborhood "Katara" in Doha (social networking sites)
3 sculptures by Indian artist Subodh Gupta in 2008, which represent Gandhi's three monkeys, in the cultural neighborhood of Katara (the island)
The Force of Nature is a piece of art in the Katara Cultural Village, and this is a series of sculptures by the famous Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn (the island)
Various cultural institutions participated in this trend, to give cultural diplomacy a renewed content in cultural programs.
The "Education Above All" and "Educate a Child" initiatives have also contributed to strengthening diplomatic ties because of the education message of developing a culture of peace. soft.
The "Education Above All" initiatives launched by Sheikha Moza contributed to strengthening diplomatic ties (Al-Jazeera)
The Educate A Child initiative launched in Qatar 2012 (Al-Jazeera)
The world is changing around us at a rapid rate, and if we want to assume the position that allows us to contribute effectively to human civilization, we have only to restore interest in our cultural diplomacy and pledge its gains to development so that we do not stop at the successes of some of what we do without truly benefiting from the fruits of those successes. .