Download How to prevent rising of populism and polarization

Advancing Intercultural Dialogue: New avenues for human security, peace and
sustainable development1
Breakout Session
The emergence of new nationalism: How to prevent rising of
populism and polarization
While international inter-cultural dialogue is pursued by both states and non-state/civil society
actors alike, it is nevertheless an important element of a state’s external relations and foreign
policy. Indeed ‘cultural diplomacy’ is increasingly an important element of what Joseph Nye has
called “soft power”.
Yet, successful inter-cultural dialogue does not take place in a vacuum. It is conditioned by other
salient factors in both national and international environments—particularly prevailing socioeconomic and political circumstances. The potential for enhancing strong inter-cultural dialogue
assumes environments receptive to consensual political interaction, again at both national and
international levels.
But how does inter-cultural dialogue fare in an environment in which national political consensus is
at best fractured and at worst absent? We would be naive not to recognize that we live in just such
an era where national consensus is impeded by the rise of populist/nationalist sentiments and
international inter-cultural relations are equally impeded by heightened nationalist tension. How do
we factor in these tensions to endeavors to move inter-cultural dialogue forward? These are
important questions casting massive policy shadows. This workshop will try to do four things:
(i) It will provide a tour d’horizon of the growing populist and nationalist political activity in North
America, Europe and the United States.
(ii) It will consider the impact that this activity is having on the prospects of enhancing international
inter-cultural dialogue.
(iii) It will look at strategies on offer to mitigate the negative impact of populism and nationalism on
the contemporary international system and especially international inter-cultural relations.
(iv) It will do this by looking at the policies of selected major actors in several key regions. Focusing
on what we might call ‘soft power’ strategies (rather than military strategic hard power strategies).
It will look at:
(a) In North America: The changing nature, and impact, of US international inter-cultural relations
under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
(b) In Europe: Populism and Nationalism West and Central Europe and recent attempts by the
European Union through H.E. Federica Mogherini’s White Paper/Joint Communiqué on Intercultural relations and subsequent strategy to enhance Europe’s external engagement through
international intercultural relations and cultural diplomacy.
(c) In Asia: Differing kinds of nationalism in Asian countries such as China, Japan’s, the
Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia and China’s ‘soft power’ dialogue strategies towards intercultural relations in the East Asian region.