CENTRE FOR EAST EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES (CEEPS)

1. CENTRE FOR EAST EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES (CEEPS) Main goals of CEEPS: • to contribute to Latvia’s foreign policy development, carrying out research in the sphere of East European countries policy, history and economy; • to develop cooperation with Latvian and foreign research institutes and the other organizations;

2. Soft Power and Russia’s Compatriots Policy in Post Soviet Area • Joseph S. Nye about Soft Power • Sources of Soft Power • Instruments • Concept “Russian World” as Soft Power project

3. Power in Global Information Age

4. Soft Power is • ... the ability to shape the preferences of others • ... the ability to attract, and attraction often leads to acquiescence • ... the ability to get others to want the outcome you want because of your cultural or ideological appeal • A country may abtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries – admiring values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level properity – want to follow it • ... a key element of leadership. The power to attract – to get others to want what you want, to frame the issues, to set the agenda

5. Before Nye... • The thinking behind the cocept of soft power can be traced even back more than 2,000 years. • In ancient China, soft power was perceived stronger and more powerful than hard power, as suggested by proverbial wisdoms: to use soft and gentle means to overcome the hard and strong • Morgenthau (1967) identifies nine elements of national power, among which national character, national morale, the quality of diplomacy and the quality of government are closely associated with intangible sources of power, that is , soft power.

6. Sources of Soft Power • Culture (in places where it is attractive to others) • Political values (when it lives up to them at home and abroad) • Foreign policies (when they are seen as legitimate and having moral authority)

7. Some examples • The USSR placed great emphasis on demonstrating the superiority of its cultural and educational system, spending large sums on the arts. • The Bolshoi and Kirov ballet companies and Soviet symphony orchestras attracted wide acclaim. • USA: Hollywood, democracy, freedom of religion, etc. • Japan: arts, restourants, Honda, Sony, etc.

8. The Nature of Soft Power • Power dpends on context – who relates to whom under what circumstances – but soft power dpends more than hard power unpon the existence of a willing interpreter and receivers’ • Soft power is context specific, taht is, a form of soft power is relevant to only one specific country or a specific group in that country • Soft power, in general, in not controlled by the government or singl organisation. Soft power comes in various sources owned by non-state actors. • Exceptions...

9. Tools • Public Diplomacy • N.G.O. • Mass media

10. Russia’s Compatriots Policy • Part of Humanitarian Trend of Foreign policy • Institutions involved • Law and programs • Aims

11. Concept ‘Russian World’ • Authors: Пётр Щедровицкий, Ефим Островский, Татяна Полоскова, Валерий Тишков and others. ‘Russian World’ as the idea of an integral element of contemporary civilization. ‘Russia’s World’ has emerged as the idea tantamount to a cultural phenomenon which will unify all Russian-speaking people. • One advantage attributed to this term is that it considered that it unites all the various eras without legal consequences ranging from waves of Russian-Nationals emigrating from Russia to a new life overseas, as well as the Russians who emerged overseas beyond Russia’s boundaries after 1991

12. ‘Russian World’ and Culture • Culture as tool of Foreign policy (2007) • The role of language • Civilization and values • Target group • Aims

13. Actors and Tools • ‘Russkiy Mir’ Foundation • N.G.O.s • TV Channel ‘Russian World’

14. Problems • ‘Self – cancelling effect’ • Double standarts • Lack of universal idea

15. Thank you! Centre for East European Policy Studies, Riga, Latvia andis.kudors@appc.lv