The geopolitical race has intensified, accelerated by the war in Ukraine. Africa has become a geopolitical hotspot where all the main players in international politics are competing. We are talking about the competition of offers in geopolitics, who is offering and what to whom. Everyone wants to build partnerships, but the ways and means are very different between China, the EU and the US.
When the Global South demands more and more attention in various ways also in the Nordic countires, the Nordic South Forum ry, founded in November 2023, focuses exclusively on geopolitical issues related to the Global South by organizing debates, events and carrying out other activities.
The Global South does not have a precise definition, but refers to regions and states in Latin America, Africa, the Persian Gulf region and South and Southeast Asia with a total of more than 100 independent states. Those regions are outside the economically and politically developed countries of the ”Global North”, but still relatively developed compared to the world’s poorest countries. The Global South refers to post-colonial power structures, not a geographic region or a unified power bloc.
Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and India belong to a kind of leading stars of the Global South. They want to be independent in geopolitical issues and do not want to clearly choose a side between the United States and China – or, in relation to Ukraine, Russia.
India’s foreign policy priorities include economic strengthening, security and access to technology, without it wanting to take sides, soon to be the most populous country in the world.
NATO membership improves the security of Finland and Sweden. However, that alone is not enough. In the future, Europe must be more ready for global responsibility and also for presence and influence. When, for example, the stability of Africa and the security of Africans are at risk, we should be aware of its global implications. At the same time, we have to win the support of public opinion and the support of the states also from Africa, for whose the UN is still important and it is ultimately the field of action where peace and the justification for war are determined.
Africa and the entire Global South have come into our consciousness in a new way with the war in Ukraine. Authoritarian countries seek a foothold and influence there. In the Nordic countries, we have to be vigilant about this development, because it is about our global security.
In a world marked by complex challenges, the Nordic South Forum engages political, business, academic, civil society and other people of society to discuss and analyze common issues of the Global South and the North. It is a not-for-profit, independent, impartial forum and not tied to any special interests.