Soft Power and Human Rights: The Geopolitical Impact of Financial Initiatives by the US, China, and the EU
In today’s global landscape, financial aid, development funding, and economic partnerships have become powerful tools of soft power, allowing nations and political blocs to exert influence without direct military intervention. The strategic allocation of funds through institutions such as USAID (United States Agency for International Development), China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), India, and the European Union’s Global Gateway raises critical questions about how financial initiatives shape human rights, governance, and sovereignty worldwide.
This year’s edition of Panoply Journal will explore the interplay between geopolitics, finance, corporate vs. state interests, human trafficking, and the impact of COVID-19 on human rights, examining how economic statecraft and financial influence impact political systems and civil rights in recipient nations.