Schiller Conference Panel One: Cooperation Between the BRICS and Europe To Implement the Oasis Plan and the Agenda 2063 for Africa (partial report)

July 14—The two-day Schiller Institute international conference “Man Is Not a Wolf to Man: A New Paradigm in International Relations!” opened in Berlin July 12 to an international chorus performing the African National Congress hymn “N’kosi sikelei,” in a four-part setting by Benjamin Lyloff. The Schiller Institute’s Stephan Ossenkopp then introduced the theme of the new dynamic for the creation of a new global economic and security architecture as the way to overcome the incompetence of the West and its neocolonial aggression, an aggression which will, if not stopped, mount into nuclear war.

The keynote speech by Schiller Institute chairwoman Helga Zepp-LaRouche emphasized Friedrich Schiller’s concept of the “punctum saliens,” the historical turning point which offers the potential of all activities creating the conditions of a new paradigm. Today’s situation is the result of decades of degeneration of the strategic situation, from 1971 on, continued with NATO’s extension toward the Soviet Union borders, despite promises by Western politicians to do no such thing. The Soviets trusted these promises, but they were betrayed. The Yeltsin era, under which the Russian economy was shrunk by the IMF “shock therapy,” the Maidan coup in Ukraine and its development into war against Russia, following the Western dogma that Russia must be destroyed, that Russia must lose the war against Ukraine, or to quote then-U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, who at the end of 2022 said that there would be war for many years to come … the German people have to realize that their own survival is not a priority, that it will be sacrificed if that policy is not stopped. And, the idea of a limited nuclear war does not work, as Theodore Postol has pointed out: It will at once become general war—80 years after World War II, when “Never Again War” was proclaimed. Germany is exposed to an existential threat, to its being sacrificed by the Anglo-American cabal.

Never before has the creation of a new global architecture been so urgent, and what was declared at the 1955 Bandung Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, namely the end of 500 years of colonialism and wars, must be turned into reality now. China has given a promising example that a new paradigm is possible: It has pulled 800 million Chinese citizens out of extreme poverty.

The Schiller Institute has a report in progress which addresses potentials of Euro-Chinese-African cooperation in major projects for economic development. As opposed to Western methods of confrontation, the New Paradigm is an offer to all nations for cooperation.

Again: As Friedrich Schiller wrote in 1786, the world is at a punctum saliens, bringing the potential for a transition to freedom, to human existence being greater than the circumstances. This is a revolutionary moment in human history, when the sword is replaced by the desire to improve things, not just for oneself, but for others as well.

The second speaker was Prof. Zhang Weiwei (Fudan University, China), who presented aspects of “the relative decline of the West and the rise of the rest, notably BRICS,” whose GDP is already outdoing that of the G7 nations. As for developing Africa, China acts, while Europe talks. That is why the Chinese approach is relevant for Africa. China’s Taklamakan Desert Reclamation Project is a model for Africa’s fight against its deserts. Contrary to the West’s “hard power,” China’s approach is “discussing together, building together, benefitting together.” Instead of Western “divide and rule,” China offers “unite and prosper.” Such an approach allows an optimistic look into the future, and that is extremely good news for the world.

Next was a video presentation by Dr. Naledi Pandor, former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, who emphasized that this Berlin conference would be the beginning of something completely different from the Berlin Conference on Africa at the end of the 19th Century. It would be the beginning of a movement that would, as the world was near the tripping point of nuclear war and trade war, be the creator of a new system. Pandor referred to the Schiller Institute and its International Peace Coalition activities as important contributions to this new system. As for Africa, it is facing significant problems, but also significant progress. For instance, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Republic of South Africa are on the way to realizing the Agenda 2063—development potentials complemented by the Oasis Plan. As the international discourse becomes more worrisome, these plans have to become the focus of global discourse. It is possible, Pandor said, as an international solidarity was once created to bring an end to Apartheid, for such a new solidarity to turn these plans into reality to be created.

Drawing on his background of 27 years of service for the United Nations, including as assistant to the UN General Secretary, Hans-Christoph von Sponeck of Germany spoke on “The Strategic Challenges and the Emerging New Order.” Now, at the point of the greatest geopolitical crisis, one should recall the Dream of Yalta, the dream of the founding of the United Nations, that after the end of World War II there would begin an era of cooperation. This dream was a very short one, replaced by a nightmare of fear and confrontation, but the UN Charta of 1944 still is an offer to a humanity of 8 billion people. The UN needs reforms: the United Nations Security Council is a failure, the U.S. unilateralism paralyzes the UN, the UNSC veto power minority is undermining the will of the General Assembly majority, the UN institutions must be made independent from interference. The disrespect of international law must have consequences.

There must no longer be a Western-centric world, but a system built in a multilateral team spirit that reflects the will of the 193 member states of the UN, as it was expressed at a special summit in September 2024 with a “Pact for the Future.” The present geopolitical situation indicates that the road to a new, just world order is a long one, with many obstacles and potholes and landmines, but it is possible to achieve something along this Pact. All nations should accept this Pact not for geopolitical pragmatism but for humanitarian reasons. “To create something new means to put up resistance. To resist is to create something new,” Von Sponeck quoted the great Frenchman Stéphane Hessel.

The next speaker on the panel was Dmitri Trenin, Academic Leader of the Institute for Military World Economy and Strategy, Higher School of Economics University Moscow. Trenin gave a sober assessment of the profound changes which Europe and particularly Germany have undergone. Europe is intent on becoming the frontline of the military battlefield against Russia. This confrontation serves as the unifier of Europe, to become the replacement for the U.S. as a strategic player against Russia, while the U.S. focuses on China as its next enemy. This is all done with the ludicrous claim that Russia plans to attack NATO, a claim to justify military preparations to attack Russia in the next five years. The focus on long-range systems and plans to send troops to the Ukrainian frontline is based on the illusion that Russia would not retaliate. The situation now is more dangerous than during the Cuban Missiles Crisis of 1962, but there is still hope that the worst can be prevented by relevant action at this 11th hour, Trenin said.

In a video address, Daqi Fan, Vice President of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, presented a preview of a report conducted in cooperation with the Schiller Institute. The working title of the report, which will be published in September, is “China-EU Economic and Trade Cooperation.” The report is based on the assessment that China and Europe, being the major trade partners of each other, can contribute a lot to the creation of a new multipolar architecture, making great contributions to world peace and stability, development and prosperity. This is done with reference to what is now 50 years of diplomatic relations between the EU and China. The partnership between them should be characterized as one that has cooperation as its main feature, independence as a key value, and win-win as the orientation for the next 50 years.