War as a product of hard diplomacy is gradually becoming outdated all the more so because humanity has come to realize that war is not an option to solve real problems, especially considering the fact that it normally reaps the world of its treasures and very often brings incalculable difficulties. and a severe setback for any nation that experiences it. Apart from that, the neighbors of any war zone experience inherent threats of being affected in various ways. Hunger, economic backwardness, disease, loss of life, increased crime, etc., are all products of war. On the other hand, soft diplomacy is gaining more ground day by day as international activities like games and sports and other multicultural activities of a similar nature have helped build bridges of understanding between peoples and cultures around the world. Another form of soft diplomacy that has really had an impact on building human integration is the creation of cultural centers by countries to help educate people about the cultures and traditions of distant nations.
The establishment of cultural centers by nations such as Britain, Spain, and Germany, to name a few, have proven to be more effective in building peaceful relations and bridging differences between the peoples of other nations. In the past (and even today), a lack of understanding of one’s culture provides limited opportunities for an individual to operate or penetrate the business environment of a particular region. The problem is much more different today as different groups have opened organized cultural centers to help people overcome the main cultural barrier of language difference. The Goethe-Institut, for example, offers students who take language courses with them on the African continent the opportunity to travel to Germany and complete their studies. This gives them (students from Africa) a tremendous opportunity to interact with the people of Germany and also experience the other side of German culture that they are new to.
The British Council, likewise, plays a role similar to that of the United Kingdom (UK) government in exposing people from other nations to various aspects of European (English or British) culture. Alliance Francaise, on the other hand, has also been active in promoting French culture on the African continent and also on other continents. The good thing about these foreign cultural centers is that they have contributed in various ways in sponsoring and promoting indigenous artists in Africa. For example, the Goethe-Institut, Lagos and Alliance Francaise in Kaduna sometimes engage artists through visual arts projects such as workshops, art exhibitions and round tables on various topics that will help promote the growth and development of the arts sector. visuals.
Above all, the activities carried out by these foreign cultural centers on the African continents have been beneficial to African artists; they also have their negative effect on the cultural environment of the respective nations where they are located. This is because they contribute to allowing foreign cultures to overshadow the home culture in some way. Could this be another form of cultural colonization? Honestly, I think this is not the case. However, the approach of African artists to the activities of these foreign cultural centers in African cities may make it so.