Karen Smith

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Leiden University

The current discussion on R2P at the UN is largely ahistorical or at most informed by selective historical references, which exclude earlier forms of intervention aimed at atrocity prevention, particularly by states in the global South. This contribution argues that the result is a skewed understanding of the practice of intervention that serves to...

This article is based on the assumption that theoretical contributions from the global South - and in this case, from Africa, do not need to be radically different from existing theories to constitute an advancement in terms of engendering a better understanding of international relations. Reinterpretations or modifications of existing frameworks a...

This article provides an overview of the South African government’s evolving position on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). While the country was an advocate of R2P in the run-up to the 2005 United Nations (UN) World Summit and the related idea of non-indifference in Africa, its conduct while serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nation...

This chapter explores South Africa’s foreign policy aspirations and identifies some of the strategies used in pursuing them. It also reflects on how successful these strategies have been, and outlines some of the challenges facing the country in achieving its national interests and influencing the international system of global governance. It is ar...

This report of a public opinion survey on South Africas foreign policy did not attempt to gauge South Africans knowledge about specific issues in international politics, but rather their underlying attitudes, specifically their foreign policy postures. After providing a brief overview of the scholarly debates about the role of public opinion in for...

This article presents a reflection on the state of the discipline of International Relations (IR) in South Africa, focusing specifically on questions about its theoretical content and ‘Africanness’. The country's unique history continues to have a significant impact on the development of the discipline and the type of research conducted, with secur...

This article engages with the question whether India's identity predisposes it to playing a specific international role, in particular one which promotes the redistribution of power and wealth in the international system. This is done by exploring emerging and competing identity constructions and perspectives on the role that India should play in t...

This article argues that International Relations (IR) theory has much to learn from African experiences and African scholarship. The African context provides novel political, cultural, social and economic experiences and knowledge that can and should inform IR theory and encourage its further development. This article outlines how African experienc...