Foreign Policy and its People: Transforming the Apartheid Department of Foreign Affairs
Just as apartheid was ending, South Africa’s foreign relations witnessed a massive expansion. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs that was to manage this change found itself undergoing institutional transformations of both personnel and ideology. Studies on South African foreign policy have mostly neglected this transformation, which has had a considerable influence on the content and direction of South African foreign policy. In discussing this seldom-studied issue, this analysis unearths the discussions and debates that took place between various stakeholders to bring about transformation in the Department. In doing so, it argues that two different cultures of diplomacy came together in forming the new Department of Foreign Affairs. These cultures have had a significant impact on the thrust and direction of post-apartheid South Africa foreign policy.
Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa
"Beyond the Miracle" offers a comprehensive and moving account of the years in South Africa since the 1994 election of a democratic government - a defining moment in twentieth-century political life. Written by Allister Sparks, one of South Africa's most distinguished living journalists, "Beyond the Miracle" covers both the proud achievements and disappointing failures of the administrations and then looks to the future, asking whether this nation can overcome its history and current global trends to create a truly nonracial, multicultural, and multiparty democracy. Sparks unflinchingly examines the obstacles that the new, democratic South Africa faces: an increasingly wide gap between rich and poor, the disastrous long-term effects of civil conflicts, and the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. Drawing on decades of experience as a journalist, as well as his recent insider access to key figures in the liberation government, Sparks takes stock of where South Africa has been, where it's going, and why the rest of the world should not turn away from this country where the First and Third Worlds meet. "Beyond the Miracle" includes interviews with presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, as well as with less widely known individuals, such as Afrikaner Helena Dolny, the widow of anti-apartheid activist Joe Slovo. A brilliant analysis of political life since South Africa's "bloodless revolution," "Beyond the Miracle" persuasively argues that achieving Mandela's vision of a peaceful "rainbow nation" is crucial not just for the salvation of Africa, but also for the world.
Do Arab public opinion support policies of regional powers in MENA? View from Tunisia
ABSTRACT The Arab Uprisings and subsequent events continue to transform policies of regional and major powers toward the Middle East and North Africa. These powers have shown different approaches toward the Uprisings, ranging from support for the status quo to endorsing regime changes. Their policies have also exerted a significant impact on the course of events. Despite this growing importance and implications of policies of regional powers on the Uprisings and the Syrian conflict, we still do not know much about how the public assesses these policies and to what extent domestic cleavages shape these assessments. Using a nationally representative original survey conducted in 2014 in Tunisia, this study examines the perceptions of the policies of France, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia towards the Uprisings and the Syrian conflict. It finds that French and Turkish policies about the Uprisings have garnered substantial support among citizens, whereas most citizens negatively assess the Saudi policies. On the other hand, the majority of Tunisians negatively assess all these countries’ policies toward the Syrian conflict. Another major finding suggests that political identity reflecting secular/religious cleavages shapes how citizens view the policies of these three countries toward both issues, but its effect is higher in assessing the Uprisings.