Why choosing sides is out of style | Jorge Heine

In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Jorge Heine, a seasoned diplomat, former Minister of State, and Chile’s ambassador to China, India, and South Africa — three pivotal countries at the center of today’s shifting world order. Drawing on his extensive diplomatic experience, Heine discusses the growing influence of the Global South and the resurgence of active non-alignment as nations navigate an era defined by U.S.–China rivalry. Together they explore how countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America are redefining their foreign policies—resisting pressure to choose sides while advancing their own development agendas. Heine, who is also the co-author (with Carlos Fortin and Carlos Ominami) of the timely new book The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition, argues that this movement signals a more confident and connected Global South, reshaping global governance, development finance, and the balance of power in the twenty-first century.

Resources:

• The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (Polity, 2025)
• Jorge Heine, Global Development Policy Center, Boston University
• Jorge Heine on X and LInkedIn

Host:

Professor Dan Banik, 

Centre for Global Sustainability, University of Oslo

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