Soft Power Framework
At the heart of Beyond the Sword is the Triangle of Influence, a soft power model built on the belief that the most enduring forms of influence speak to the heart, the stomach, and the mind. Each pillar carries a distinct narrative current:
The Heart: Symbolism, beauty, emotion, and identity. Where diplomacy touches the soul.
- Scented States: Cultural, emotional, iconic. A journey through scent as an invisible language of memory, majesty, and national identity, where fragrance becomes soft power in its most intimate form.
- Polished Politics: Visual, symbolic, strategic. A journey through style as soft power, where dress, posture, and image become tools of influence, shaping how nations see and are seen.
Ferdinand Foch : “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”
The Stomach: Food, ritual, shared humanity, everyday diplomacy
- Plates for Peace: Relatable, scalable, inclusive. Where food becomes more than nourishment. It becomes a bridge. Through shared meals, nations tell stories, offer trust, and express who they are.
Anthony Bourdain: “Food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a start.”
The Mind: Strategy, Narrative, and Soft Power Architecture
- Beyond the Battlefield: Strategic, policy-driven, bold. Revealing how nations shape the language of war and peace not just through action, but through narrative, arms diplomacy, and symbolic positioning.
- Flags Beyond Borders: An exploration of the power of symbols. How flags transcend geography to become emblems of memory, struggle, and belonging.
- Currency of Influence: A look at the silent negotiations of capital. How aid, investment, and economic gestures forge alliances and reshape perception more profoundly than any podium ever could.
Sun Tzu: “Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
The Triangle of Influence Fills a Gap in Global Soft Power Discourse
Most existing soft power frameworks are:
- Western-centric
- Institutionally rigid (focusing on media, education, foreign policy)
- Detached from sensory and emotional dimensions
Together, these series form a living ecosystem of diplomacy where emotion softens, culture speaks, and strategy endures.
Beyond the Sword offers not just analysis, but imagination.
It is a space where storytelling becomes statecraft, and where nations are remembered not only for what they do, but for how they make the world feel.