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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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From soft to hard power: India and Africa
| Panel |
67. New players, old tricks?: Africa in the 21st century
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| Paper ID | 350 |
| Author(s) |
Bach, Daniel
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | India's influence in Africa has historically been primarily associated with its "soft power": a number of African nationalists drew inspiration from Gandhi's advocacy of non-violence, humanitarian values and Nehru's promotion of non-alignment policies. Today interactions between India and Africa rely upon such key changes as India's trade liberalization policies since the 1990s, a reappraisal of India's perceptions of the Indian Diaspora, and the emergence of India as a global player. For Indian transnational corporations, Africa is turning to be both a frontier and a pioneering front. Africa's representation as a frontier proceeds from the active involvement of multinationals in what is commonly described as a 'scramble' for African energy and mineral resources in general. Africa is also emerging as a pioneering front in the competition and balance of power game between India and China. Indian and Chinese corporations are, depending on circumstance, competing with each other or learning how to craft collaborations on new markets. |
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