The Path of Good Intentions: Civil Society's Role in Romania's National African Strategy

Abstract

The paper discusses, from a social constructivist theoretical perspective, the manner in which Romanias African Strategy, Romania-Africa: A Partnership for Future through Peace, Development and Education, envisions civil society's role. The paper tries to identity the political, theoretical and ideological underpinnings of the document's view of civil society, by analyzing not only its content, but its position within the wider context of Romania’s foreign policy. The ambiguous or rather limited role that civil society is expected to play is explained as a result of the two rather conflicting views of international politics which the document tries, albeit unsuccessfully to reconcile: an understanding of international politics, focused on the distribution of power and centered on the privileged role states play in international politics, stemming from a historical sense of vulnerability exacerbated by the War in Ukraine, which cannot be reconciled with a view of international relations focused on the role of international institutions and Romania's historical support for decolonization. In addition to the interaction between these perspectives, both views, however, prescribe a subordinate role for civil society.