BRICS and the Shifting Sands of Global Power: Can it Evolve into a Credible Counterweight to Western Dominance?

In geopolitics, symbolism and substance often march hand in hand. The recent BRICS summit in Brazil is a case in point. While Western media largely reduced the event to a footnote, dismissing it as just another gathering of emerging economies, the joint declaration issued by the BRICS bloc signals something far more profound: the slow but undeniable erosion of Western hegemony and the ascent of a multipolar world order.

- M A HOSSAIN

The BRICS declaration underscores what is increasingly self-evident: multipolarity is no longer an aspiration; it is a geopolitical fact. For decades, the world has operated under a system shaped by the neoliberal values of the so-called "Washington Consensus," a system that has too often served as a thin veil for neocolonial exploitation unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid. It is a position that flies in the face of Western double standards.

The contrast is instructive. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the West was quick to mobilize outrage, sanctions, and military aid. Yet when Israel's bombardment of Gaza results in mass civilian casualties, the Western response is often muted, mealymouthed, or altogether absent. BRICS has rightly pointed out this hypocrisy, calling for adherence to international law and the dignity of all people, regardless of political alliances.