Atlantic Dialogues discusses the South in Time of Turmoil

Fri, Dec 13, 2019
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By Maureen Chigbo, reporting from Morocco

THE eighth edition of the Atlantic Dialogues conference began on Thursday, December 12, in Marrakesh, Morocco, with the launch of the 6th edition of the Atlantic Currents: An Annual Report on Wider Atlantic Perspectives and Patterns.

Speakers at the opening session of the conference focused on the theme – “The South in the Time of Turmoil”. The speakers are Annabel Gonzalez, senior fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, PIIE and former minister of Trade, Costa Rica, Len Ishmael and Rida Lyammouri, both senior fellows, Policy Center for the New South; Olisaeloka Okocha, managing partner and co-founder PS Nutraceuticals International and Aminata Toure, president, Economic, Social and Environmental Council and former prime minister, Senegal.

All the speakers noted that the there is turmoil in the global arena as a new world order is emerging causing uncertainty.

According to Ishmael, the South is caught in the vortex of crisis in the global arena as traditional alliances are fractured, especially as the relationship between the United States and China becomes increasingly strained with a resurgence of Russia. The centrifugal forces in the global arena are also forcing the South, especially Africa choose who to side in the new world order that is going to emerge.

The new world order sees rising populism typified by United States with its people first centric policy which propels it to retreat from its place as a Unipolar power. This coincides with the rise of China which used capitalism principles to modernize its economy but failed to adopt the accompanying tenets of democracy.

“Are we in a turmoil. Yes, absolutely. We have a new world order just emerging,” Ishmael told about about 486 participants from 61 nationalities who are attending the three-day conference which ends on Saturday, December 14.

However, Toure sees opportunities amidst the turmoil which can lead to increase in thriving South South co-operation; regional cooperation. She sees Africa making the most of the new world order as it will extend the arena of friendship instead of trading old friend for new ones. “Africa can be an earnest broker. We don’t see ourselves involved in any economic friction but will advocate new paradigm based on fairness,” she said.

The Atlantic Dialogues is organized by the Policy Center for the New South, formerly known as the OCP Policy Center, a think tank launched in Rabat, Morocco, with 39 associate fellows from the South and the North.

– Dec. 13, 2019 @ 12:51 GMT |

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