The Role of Civil Society in Strengthening the Soft Power of the Algerian State – The Tedjania Order as a Model

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of civil society in strengthening Algeria’s soft power by analyzing the model of the Tedjania order, as one of the most significant institutions of Algerian civil society. The Tedjania order possesses the capacity for internal and external adaptation and influence. The study also assesses the extent to which the Algerian state has successfully utilized it as a soft power resource contributing, domestically, to the preservation of national identity security and, externally, to the promotion of values of love, peace, and moderation.The research adopts Samuel Huntington’s framework to measure the institutional indicators of the Tedjania order—Algerian in origin and headquarters, yet global in its spread and influence—while also evaluating the degree of success achieved by the Algerian state in employing it as a source of soft power.The study concludes that Algeria has indeed begun adopting the strategic option of wisely employing the concept of soft power, particularly within African relations, by leveraging the Tedjania order as one of its resources. However, in terms of governance, development, and the structured management of soft power instruments, efforts remain relative and require improvement in the mechanisms employed.