All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 2146-7757 2757-9026 İhsan Doğramacı Barış Vakfı 10.20991/allazimuth.335811 Reshaping International Relations: Theoretical Innovations from Africa Smith Karen 06 13 2018 7 2 81 92 03 30 2017 Copyright © 2012, All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 2012 All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace

This article is based on the assumption that theoretical contributions from theglobal South – and in this case, from Africa, do not need to be radically differentfrom existing theories to constitute an advancement in terms of engenderinga better understanding of international relations. Reinterpretations ormodifications of existing frameworks and the introduction of new conceptsfor understanding are equally important. This is an accepted practice inmainstream IR, where existing theories are constantly amended and revisited.One need only consider the various incarnations of realist thought.Whileadaptations and conceptual innovations by western scholars are recognisedas legitimate and adopted into the canon of theory, this is not always the casewith similar contributions emerging from outside of the West. This article willexamine three examples of such contributions by African scholars.1The firstgroup of scholars reinterpreted the concept of “middle power,” arguing thatthere are specific characteristics that set emerging middle powers like SouthAfrica apart from traditional middle powers. The second, Deon Geldenhuys,developed the concept “isolated states” and generated a novel analyticalframework to categorise states based on indicators of isolation. Finally, ThomasTieku draws on the African worldview of ubuntu in calling for the state to bereconceptualised in a collectivist, societal way. It is hoped that these exampleswill illustrate that there are theoretical innovations emerging from the GlobalSouth that can assist us in not only better understanding international relationsin a particular part of the world, but can in fact provide greater insights intothe field as a whole.

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