PEACE: DREAM OF AFRICA?
When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. – African Proverb
What goes through our mind when we hear the word Africa? Most people including fellow Africans think of it as a place where nothing good can come from. Foreigners have often referred to Africa as a black continent, not because the inhabitants are black but because of the persistent problems emanating from the continent. However, the problems faced in Africa do not arise from nature. The problems are mad-made but not by the Africans themselves. Furthermore, the African problems are more of perceptions than the reality on the ground. Until and unless the Africans themselves understand that their problems are created by those they trust to offer help, not much will change for this great continent.
Commonly used Peace Concepts:
Negative peace: The absence of war and
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International Aid- If foreign aid would develop any place, Africa will be the most developed continent in the world. International AID is now doing more harm to Africa than good. It became the main tool used by foreign governments and organizations to corrupt the African elite, and get them to behave so irrationally toward their own populations and the basic interest of their countries.
4. International Medias The western media seems to follow an agenda of further dividing African nations and populations with their constant framing of Africa through fight between tribes, religions, geography, etc. The influence of western media in Africa is very negative, and could be considered as part of Africa problems.
5. Colonial Borders. A study done in the years 70s showed that African nations had less trade between themselves than before colonization. There is no immediate solution, but initiative like the African passport or Visa would greatly improve the movement of people and increase the potential of intellectual and commercial exchanges.
6. Ignorance of the Books of Machiavelli, Hegel &
European contact with sub-Saharan Africa around the 1500’s was not mutually beneficial because they had different needs. The economic exchanges and political relationships were based off of European’s relations with the Upper class of Africa, however not the majority of Africa. Due to the massive expansion of Europe, they wanted to continue to grow, and the only way to do that was to open trading ports all around the world. In the end, Europe benefited from trading with Africa and they are the ones who ended up
Trade has been a driving force in global history, shaping societies and economies across the world. It helped bring in many resources to other countries through cultural diffusion and opened new opportunities for citizens. Nevertheless, trading has also caused overproduction in certain areas and limited resources available. Trade has been shown in global history through Middle Eastern trade routes (Document 1), Timbuktu during the height of the Mali Empire (Document 2), and Caravans from the northern coast (Document 2). Trade had a significant impact on culture and society.
Chains linking together slavery and racial discrimination, stimulated the oppression of Africans. Slavery and labor go hand in hand, there would have been “no enslavement without economic need” (Jordan 50). There is two sides to slavery: one group is displaced and exploited so that the other may prosper. Sylviane Diouf’s book Dreams of Africa in Alabama, reiterate how enslaved Africans were forcibly carried across the Atlantic to the United States after the international slave trade was abolished. Dreams of Africa in Alabama recounts the story of the last shipload of captive Africans brought to the United States and their struggles for survival and the preservation of their culture throughout.
Africa In World Politics: Engaging a Changing Global Order by John Harbenson and Donald Rothchild gives an analysis of how Africa has changed from being a European ruled colonial nation to a nation that it creating a name for itself in the global sphere. Beginning with Africa’s politics during the colonial era through the present. The book provides not only details about Africa but also how the changing world has affected African politics. The main focus of this book is to show the growth Africa has had since its time of colonization. Africa has grown as the world has changed although it has had to deal with internal conflicts and demands for political change due to its authoritarian regimes.
By having no tolerance for crime, the rulers had very successful kingdoms with complete control over them(Doc. 6). Whether it be the close proximity to other parts of the world, the barren deserts, or the rainforests, Africa’s people have been aided in their success by the continent’s natural advantages. A map showing trade routes, this document is the perfect example of Africa’s prime location. Right near Europe and Asia, trading routes in northern and eastern Africa flourished(Doc 1). Although this is another trade route map, it gives us more insight on the routes that were used to get to other parts of the world, such as Asia.
It is an unfortunate outcome but Africa did serve as a means of settling the competition between European nations although this friendly quarrel was not the only driving force behind European imperialism. The cultural attitudes of a nation can serve as a hidden motive to conquer the unknown
Africa went through significant changes due to the civilizing missions carried out by European imperialists throughout much of the late 1800s and the early 1900s. From these “civilizing missions,” we can concur those missions were carried out to further European imperialist efforts for their own benefit with the rationalization of their racist and aggressive actions. The evidence in this chapter suggests that European rule was conducted in detriment to African peoples by presenting an almost Darwinian form of “superiority” that white imperialists wished to “improve” the African continent with. This was achieved by justifying their actions by the using racist rhetoric that Africa was “uncivilized,” introducing Christianity to Africa, and ignoring critics of imperialism.
In addition, the Portuguese were unable to expand and gain control over the interior regions because indigenous African populations successfully resisted Portuguese force despite the Portuguese’ advanced firearms (Burns Collins 182-188). This example goes to illustrate that Africans had agency in the outcomes of interactions between themselves and Europeans. They were not forced to make concessions to more powerful Europeans- instead, they themselves possessed the power to influence their own outcomes. This re-interpretation of Afro-European relations is crucial to our movement toward the understanding and appreciation of the actions of Africans as well as of Africans themselves.
Like Oscar Hammerston said, “peace is not the product of a victory or command. It has no finish line, no deadline, no fixed definition of achievement. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many
In Basil Davidson’s video, “Different but Equal”, Davidson examines ancient Africa, and how Africans were perceived in ancient and modern times. Davidson discusses pre-colonized Africa and its history, and how racism prevailed in the past and in modern day. By discussing early civilizations, as well as modern day perspectives, Davidson allows the viewer to have expansive information on how individuals view Africans and their culture. In Davidson’s video, he discusses how people in the past have viewed Africa and African culture, and how that relates to our perception of Africa in modern times.
I. Slavery and the Empire A. Atlantic Trade 1. “Triangular Trade” a. Africa, Europe, America 2. Caused the racism 3. Central to world economy B. Africa and the Slave Trade 1. African elites sold their people to slavery.
The world cannot appreciate the African identity unless they don 't embrace it themselves. It is also a message for non-Africans to remember their privileged histories and acknowledge its part in their social position in the present world as the issues of identity can not be addressed unless they look at the African community from the lens of their
In The Legacy, Basil Davidson discusses the legacies of colonialism in Africa and gives an insight on modern Africa and the successes and downfalls that it possesses. Moreover, he states that many of the issues seen in modern day Africa are not new and have their roots in the long years of European colonialism that profoundly shaped and continues to shape the continent. Throughout the documentary, various themes regarding postcolonial Africa are mentioned in depth. A few of the themes that Davidson highlights are modernization, ethnicism, corruption, inequality, dictatorship, and neocolonialism.
The association of poverty with Africa goes together like apple pie and America. From the advertisements of malnourished, African children to our education, or rather lack of education, about African countries in the American school system, the concept of Africa as an impoverished continent has been engrained into our minds. This rhetoric of Africa has lasted over decades, with a substantial amount of aid being given to African countries to rectify this problem. And yet, sixteen of the world’s poorest countries were identified as being in sub-Saharan Africa as of 2013. This insinuates that foreign countries and organizations that provide aid, need to reevaluate why aid isn’t making a bigger impact at fixing the problem.
People do not view Africa as a great world power due to its history of slaves and poverty. Africa will become a great nation like it was before the peace broken by European powers. Africa will return to its natural roots being free from violence and discrimination. The poem, Africa, relates to the harass of Africans and African-Americans being seen as a lower class even in modern time. This poem repeats in America with black injustice crimes, ripping black culture to modernized.