Realism or Idealism? The Activities of the BRICS in Africa

• In Event: Poster Session: Comparative Politics I

Abstract

This work, part of a dissertation, examines the nature of the intergovernmental organization known as the BRICS within Africa. The BRICS is an informal international organization of emerging countries that has spanned over a decade, calling for Global South-South cooperation. The regime consists of the member-states Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS has declared its commitment to cooperation for the promotion of fellow developing countries. The advancement efforts of the organization and its member-states have heavily focused on the African continent for over a decade, making the region its heaviest trade partner. Official documents, convenings, and statements appear to display theoretical liberal foundations of cooperation, while some of their initiatives within Africa have focused on national interest and competition, which aligns more with realism. Since the BRICS have proven themselves to be a key actor within the African region, this research asks if the BRICS are functioning in Africa as a liberalist intergovernmental collective or a realist regime of individual-member states, and what that means for African foreign policy, and perhaps the policy of other countries' foreign policies within Africa.

Author

• Constance Pruitt, Howard University