Journal Article Jorge Heine Journal Article Jorge Heine

Polycrisis, the Global South and Active Non-alignment (ANA): Is Common Ground Possible?

Heine, Jorge. (2025) “Polycrisis, the Global South and Active Non-alignment (ANA): Is Common Ground Possible?”. Fudan J. Hum. Soc. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40647-025-00439-2

Abstract:

Abstract This article explores the multifaceted crises affecting the world, termed “polycrisis,” with a specific focus on the Global South’s response through the lens of active non-alignment (ANA). These crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic downturns and escalating geopolitical tensions—most notably the Russia–Ukraine conflict and the United States–China rivalry, have exacerbated the vulnerabilities of nations in the Global South, leading to significant humanitarian crises and economic hardships. It further examines the historical context of the West’s diminishing influence in global affairs and the rise of emerging powers, particularly in Asia and Latin America. The concept of ANA is presented as a strategic foreign policy approach that enables nations in the Global South to navigate the pressures from the great powers while asserting their sovereignty and interests. By analyzing the trajectory of international relations and the responses of Global South nations to current geopolitical dynamics, the article seeks to identify potential avenues for collaboration and common ground with the so-called great powers, while emphasizing the necessity of applying a nimble approach to foreign policy that acknowledges the complexities of the contemporary world.

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Journal Article Jorge Heine Journal Article Jorge Heine

Active non-alignment, the sovereignty paradox and the Russia-Ukraine war

Heine, Jorge. 2024. “Active Non-Alignment, the Sovereignty Paradox and the Russia-Ukraine War.” Contemporary Security Policy, October, 1–10. doi:10.1080/13523260.2024.2413337.

ABSTRACT: The differing reactions between Western nations and the Global South to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine present a puzzle. Shouldn't post-colonial states be just as concerned about the principles of national sovereignty and non-intervention as Western countries? The idiosyncratic, ad hoc explanations on a country-by-country basis are insufficient to account for a much broader phenomenon. This article deconstructs the “sovereignty principle” as it is seen in the Global South and examines the standing of the so-called Rules-Based Order (RBO), allegedly under mortal threat by Russia’s action. It then argues that a far better explanation for the Global South’s reaction is the rise of Active Non-Alignment (ANA). The foreign policy doctrine of ANA arose in Latin America in 2019–2020 in response to US–China tensions, It then spread to the rest of the Global South in 2022–2024 because of the war in Ukraine, BRICS expansion, and the war in Gaza.

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Journal Article Jorge Heine Journal Article Jorge Heine

Active Non-alignment and Global Governance: From Latin America to the Global South

Abstract:

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean—but also, more broadly, across the Global South—are being subjected to pressures from Washington and Beijing to take sides in what is emerging as a Second Cold War. How should countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America react to this? The purpose of this essay is to outline one response that has arisen to it in Latin America; namely, Active Non-Alignment (ANA). The essay first examines the concept of ANA. Then, it deals with the reaction elicited across the Global South to the war in Ukraine, in what many have referred to as a “new non-alignment”. Finally, the essay examines the case of India, seen by many as a leader of the Global South, and Africa. ANA provides a useful guide to action for the foreign policy of postcolonial states to navigate the stormy waters of a world order in transition.

Heine, J. (2024). Active Non-alignment and Global Governance: From Latin America to the Global South. Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations 30, 2, 214-224, Available From: Brill https://doi.org/10.1163/19426720-03002004

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