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Download - LSE Theses Online - London School of Economics and ...

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after the end <strong>of</strong> the Cold War. While these principles may appear unproblematic intheory, they involve a tension between the foreign <strong>and</strong> domestic policies <strong>of</strong>developing states. As noted in Chapter 2, the cosmopolitan assumptions at the root<strong>of</strong> Southern internationalist foreign policies are considered to be the products <strong>of</strong>‘modern’ outlooks on international life. Yet, developing countries are typicallyconsidered to be still grappling with the establishment <strong>of</strong> the first ‘modern’ principle<strong>of</strong> international life, sovereignty or statehood, <strong>and</strong> the strengthening <strong>of</strong> theirjurisdiction over clearly delimited geographical territories. With high numbers <strong>of</strong>unemployed, gross income disparities, <strong>and</strong> numerous other socio-economicchallenges, the justification for foreign policies that recognise international duties<strong>and</strong> obligations that require the allocation <strong>of</strong> state resources is potentiallyproblematic. This was not the case for the first wave <strong>of</strong> middle powers from theWest, whose vast domestic social welfare schemes, <strong>and</strong> the relations between state<strong>and</strong> society on which they were predicated, served as inspiration for their activistforeign policies.ConclusionThe engagement <strong>of</strong> South Africa <strong>and</strong> Brazil, respectively, in the Haiti crisisstimulated a number <strong>of</strong> foreign policy debates in these countries. The sight <strong>of</strong> twoavowedly internationalist states becoming involved in Haiti’s seemingly irresolvablecrisis spurred questions about what intervention would look like when spearheadedby Southern states whose foreign policies were guided by ‘internationalism’,including the peaceful resolution <strong>of</strong> disputes; a commitment to multilateralism; nonintervention;<strong>and</strong>, South-South solidarity.Proponents <strong>of</strong> involvement on both sides sought to emphasise the uniqueness <strong>of</strong>Southern engagements. South Africa, for its part, acted, it would appear, largely onthe whim <strong>of</strong> President Mbeki. As Mbeki noted in his weekly newsletter, SouthAfricans had little knowledge <strong>of</strong> the crisis unfolding in Haiti <strong>and</strong> South Africa’sengagement served to edify a policy issue (the mobilisation <strong>of</strong> the African Diasporaabroad) that was central to Mbeki’s plans for Africa’s renewal. The concept <strong>of</strong>‘African Renaissance’ <strong>and</strong> its accompanying plans had already been criticised forbeing developed out <strong>of</strong> the glare <strong>of</strong> public scrutiny <strong>and</strong> without public participation,269

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