Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

Cultural diplomacy is a term, which seems to be quite new in the committee of Nations. This term has been used increasingly often by political scientists, communications experts as well as politicians, yet it still remains an area, which is relatively known. The concept of cultural diplomacy goes with the idea of ‘branding’ or to put it simply brand management of a country. It may be assumed that the basic principles in building the brand of a country are the same as in the commercial sphere of identity building. It is of note that art and culture are in the forefront of many countries’ promotional efforts and should be same for developing countries. These countries should recognize that showing their cultural heritage provides them with an opportunity of showing who they are, creating a positive image and thus helping to achieve their political aim in the international relations. With the method of analysis, this paper aims to explore how cultural diplomacy can be a great asset for the developing countries, especially in Africa. Cultural diplomacy, we have to note, has two primary dimensions. First, it emphasizes the role of culture in relations with other countries’ benchmarked through soft power, and secondly it encourages national competitiveness in the global creative economy.

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