By Umur Tugay Yücel
The 53rd Davos Forum was held in 2023 with the theme “Cooperation in a Fractured World”. A fragmented world was mentioned for the first time in a Western-based organization that is representative of Western civilization.
Then, comments and determinations that our world was divided or fragmented began to increase. Most analyzes have shown us that division and fragmentation are increasing day by day. Especially, the giant pieces breaking off from the non-Western world caused fractures in our globe. Today, the largest demographic and economic part of our planet’s fragmented structure is the BRICS formation.
The BRICS structure, which decided to expand at the last BRICS Summit, will continue on its way as BRICS+ in 2024. Although this expansion brought with it many opportunities and challenges, it was a fact that BRICS expansion was inevitable. Reading this truth and the spirit of the time, BRICS leaders included the Islamic civilization and the Middle Eastern countries on which to build the future. Thus, the BRICS power took its place on the global stage without exploiting, colonizing, enslaving and genocide the world, unlike what the USA and EU countries did in the past.
In 2024, the BRICS+ structure, with its 11 members, will cover 47% of the world population, 32% of the world’s land, 37% of the world economy according to purchasing power parity, 38% of world industrial production, 25% of world trade in goods, It will hold 45% of oil production and 44% of world oil reserves. Today, BRICS+ produces 38% of global industrial production, while the USA can only produce 17%. In addition, BRICS+ countries are regional hegemons with their huge defense expenditures and armies, and their global influence capacity is also increasing.
The main reason for BRICS expansion is that the BRICS entity has built a significant economic, diplomatic, military and technological accumulation at the global level. BRICS countries are the pioneers of intellectual change and transformation in many areas around the world. BRICS+ is on the way to building a high culture based on traditional culture and ethics outside the West. BRICS+ is now the world’s largest economic, demographic, productive, cultural, social and social power. In addition to this power, the transformation of BRICS is proof of a structure that has created complete stability and trust. That’s why BRICS and the countries that make up this structure are seen as reliable partners.
The motto “Our differences are our riches” is the best summary for BRICS. BRICS+ is a more cosmopolitan, more dynamic, more energetic, more attractive and richer formation than the G7. After all, BRICS is an organization that has managed to bring together countries with very different problems, interests and conflicts with each other. With this success, it should not be forgotten that each of the BRICS countries has a separate goal, separate model, separate vision and separate role.
The largest and most powerful organization outside the influence of the Western world is the BRICS organization. This organization is a union of civilizations that are ideologically, economically, culturally, politically, religiously, ethnically and civilizationally dissimilar. BRICS+; It is a giant civilizational organization that includes Chinese, Indian, Russian, Latin, African and Islamic civilizations. It is the strongest democratic and egalitarian structure of the polycentric-multi-civilizational world of the 21st century. This structure is not anti-Western, but it is a non-Western formation. BRICS does not challenge the West because it is a peaceful and constructive force that wants the reform of Western institutions, not their destruction. This force is an international cooperation platform with an anti-conflict mission and vision that operates through reconciliation.
The era when power was accumulated to the maximum extent only in the US-centered Western civilization-based order is now over. Because the change of hands and spread of power prevented the maximum accumulation of power and led to the rise of new power centers. The multi-national, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-centered, multi-civilizational BRICS+ is the strongest example of this. BRICS+ represents a structure that is quite different from the Western hegemonic system, with its leaderless decision-making mechanism and dialogue between equals. That’s why BRICS will never be anti-Western, but will be the builder of a non-Western world and agenda.
Previously published on the website of ATASAM, independent Turkish Think Tank based in Ankara.