Harnessing Ghana’s soft power for global influence

Abstract

This paper aims to add to the field of foreign policy in general and, specifically, make an insightful contribution to Ghana’s use of soft power in projecting her image internationally. The research involved largely secondary data sources and a few primary pieces of information that is experts’ opinions. Foreign policy formulation and implementation by states is underpinned by exerting both hard and soft power in the international system. Ghana was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial rule as far back as 1957 and has made a tremendous contribution to achieving Pan-Africanism. It enjoys an enviable position as a bastion of peace in Africa. In contemporary times, states are investing in soft power strategies, policies, and programmes to grow their influence globally. Soft power is the ability to persuade state and non-state actors to attain goals through attraction rather than force. A state’s soft power emanates from its political values, its culture, and its foreign policies. Ghana's political values (example, a haven of democracy), rich cultural heritage, economic diplomacy and good neighbourliness foreign policy has positioned the country as a soft power state. The country’s involvement in peacekeeping missions globally has engendered admiration in the international system. This paper emanates from the examination of the strategies, policies, and programmes that Ghana is using to cement its soft power position internationally. Three major themes emerged from the data that were gathered and analysed, namely: soft power, foreign policy, and gastro diplomacy.