Military and economic power are no longer, and perhaps never have been, the only determining factors in the games of force on the international chessboard.
An increasingly important role is given to the concept of “soft power” which, by contrasting with the use of force, threats and sanctions (so-called hard power), is based on the ability of a country to propose culture, ideals and values, fascinating first and foremost then persuading others to do what they want without force or coercion but by virtue of good and constant relationships that have the ability to shape attitudes, preferences and relationships.
Soft power involves companies, foundations, museums, universities, religious confessions and other civil society institutions to promote the construction of good, mature and lasting relationships that create not only bonds and a sense of belonging, but also possibilities and projects.
In this sense, unrivaled world champions have always been the United States of America.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of State celebrated the 80th anniversary of the International Visitor Leadership Program (ILVP), an exchange program in which current and emerging leaders from around the world are invited to the United States to meet U.S. colleagues and visit public and public organizations. private related to their field of interest.
People usually travel between different American cities or states to grasp the enormous diversity of the United States, discover the system of government at the national, state and local levels, visit schools and universities, and experience American culture and social life even with invitations to lunch or dinner at the homes of great personalities or ordinary American families.
Among the leaders who in unsuspecting times had the opportunity to participate in ILVP, Margaret Thatcher and then Tony Blair, Nicolas Sarkozy, Indira Gandhi and Anwar Sadat.
It is said that at this time there are approximately 400 heads of state, ministers or women and men with primary government positions who have participated in the program.
The travel experience, however, is only one of the topical moments of building a friendship relationship. The extraordinary staff of the Embassies constantly takes care of the maintenance of relations in the territories with telephone calls, meetings, invitations, joint projects.
Furthermore, all those who participate in an ILVP, from whatever nation they are, then become members of the ILVP Alumni Association which today has 225 thousand leaders in every part of the world, a super huge international community.
Let us return then to the importance of “relationships” and the ability to build and maintain relevant relationships. For some this skill is what in English is defined as a “gift”, a natural gift, a gift from God, one’s own natural inclination. For those who are not a natural talent but had the desire to learn, they could attend the Relational Design Master of Abadir, a small but extraordinary design school in Sicily with ramifications in every part of the planet. In the world of design, the most important skills are social, relational ones, one’s own network of relationships with other people; skills that are often not developed by traditional school.
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