Opinion / Columnist
An introspection of Pan - Africanism ideology and Its relevance to contemporary politics
30 Jul 2017 at 13:44hrs | Views
Today I am going to look briefly at Pan Africanism ideology. This ideology has its roots from the time of slave trade and colonization of the peoples of Africa. However, the need to extricate African states from the yoke of bondage imposed onto them by the white men made most African states to stand in unity and solidarity with utmost sagacity and tenacity against a common enemy and with a common goal of liberation from these ruthless imperialists.
Pan Africanism as an ideology seeks to integrate Africans in all spheres whether political, social, economic and religious. Some of its advocates are inclusive of Malcom X, Ahmed Sekou Toure, Julius Nyerere, Haile Selassie, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah and academics such as W. E. D. Dubois among others.
It is crucial to note at this juncture that pan Africanism as an intellectual movement extends beyond continental Africans. The movement has a substantial support base among the African Diaspora in the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States of America. "African people both on the continent and in the Diaspora share not merely a common history but a common destiny''.
The African cause inspired convergence of African leaders and the first conference to discuss African issues was convened by Henry Sylvester - William in 1900 in London. The success of this symposium painstakingly revealed and made plain that the African people can unite for the achievement of prescribed goals. Delegates of this remarkable conference conversed on the need to create a movement that would campaign for the rights of the African. Fundamentally, the conference created "oneness in experience".
Series of pan - African Congresses spearheaded by DuBois were held between 1919 - 1945 and these were successful. Ostensibly, the 1945 Congress marked a watershed for the eventual decolonization of the African continent through the declarations to end colonial rule and racial discrimination.
The 1945 Declarations did not only perpetuate visions and hopes of a United Africa but also injected a dosage of militancy which nourished the struggle for national independence. The 26 delegates included Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Obajemi Awolowo of Nigeria, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Hastings Banda.
The liberation of Ghana in March 1957 paved way for other African countries to come up with sound courses of action towards their much needed independence. Kwame Nkrumah became the icon of Pan - Africanism and he acknowledged the efforts of American and West Indians of African origin in the development of Africanism; the likes of Marcus Garvey.
To safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established in 1963. The same organization would further promote the global relations within the framework of the United Nations. A United State of Africa was what Gaddafi really wanted after he took leadership from Nkrumah in 1972.
The Pan - African ideology seeks among a multiplicity of considerations to:
The contemporary politics has revealed that the relevance of Pan Africanism as an ideology is now questionable.
Unity or integration in today's political sphere is limited. The current political dispensation is more like a "One man For Himself and God for Us All" situation as argued by Lord Castlereagh. Therefore, the fate of African countries is not intertwined as it was meant to be. Africans collaborated for the sake of extricating themselves from the shackles of imperialism and soon after that it proved that collaboration was getting weak.
We cannot talk of homogeneity in terms of economic development. South Africa, for example, has proved to be economically progressive than the rest of African countries due to a plethora of reasons. Its development levels cannot be compared to that of Somalia for instance.
Regional Economic Integration is limited among Africans. Some states within Africa prefer integration with other bodies outside the African continent. This to me reveals that local regional bodies aren't progressive and are existential for formality sake or mere talk shows otherwise they aren't beneficial to the member states.
Therefore, divided attention means that some member states will therefore show their allegiance where their interests are best served. South Africa, for instance, is a member of BRICS (Britain, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). South Africa is therefore better served by this regional bloc as it enhanced her development plan other than Regional and Economic Bodies in Africa.
The pan African ideology is in a quagmire as there is no religious commitment to the notion of disengagement from the West. The current Look East Policy which most African States have endorsed has become more dogmatic for the majority of African countries.
It is quite unimpressive and paradoxical that in as much as the Africans lament of the Look East Policy, they are actually looking directly West from a very close point of view. Therefore, external influence is still existential and neo - colonialism is so rampant.
Most Africans are suffering from schizophrenia and this already underscores the notion of African identity. Empowerment among Africans is still limited as of now.
Arise Oh Africa!
Stand your Ground!
Defend the African Cause!
No to Neo Colonialism!
We Need Sound and Effective Regional Bodies!
Let us BE Proud Africans!
Let US be Conscious Africans, LET US EXERCISE OUR HARD EARNED FREEDOM!!!
LET US WORK TO DEVELOP OUR CONTINENT!
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT!
ARISE AFRICA, ARISE! LET US ARISE TO DEFEND THE AFRICAN CAUSE, YES WE CAN!
Written by Patricia Masiyakurima, A 3RD Year Student in the Department of Politics and Public Management, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe.
Pan Africanism as an ideology seeks to integrate Africans in all spheres whether political, social, economic and religious. Some of its advocates are inclusive of Malcom X, Ahmed Sekou Toure, Julius Nyerere, Haile Selassie, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah and academics such as W. E. D. Dubois among others.
It is crucial to note at this juncture that pan Africanism as an intellectual movement extends beyond continental Africans. The movement has a substantial support base among the African Diaspora in the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States of America. "African people both on the continent and in the Diaspora share not merely a common history but a common destiny''.
The African cause inspired convergence of African leaders and the first conference to discuss African issues was convened by Henry Sylvester - William in 1900 in London. The success of this symposium painstakingly revealed and made plain that the African people can unite for the achievement of prescribed goals. Delegates of this remarkable conference conversed on the need to create a movement that would campaign for the rights of the African. Fundamentally, the conference created "oneness in experience".
Series of pan - African Congresses spearheaded by DuBois were held between 1919 - 1945 and these were successful. Ostensibly, the 1945 Congress marked a watershed for the eventual decolonization of the African continent through the declarations to end colonial rule and racial discrimination.
The 1945 Declarations did not only perpetuate visions and hopes of a United Africa but also injected a dosage of militancy which nourished the struggle for national independence. The 26 delegates included Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Obajemi Awolowo of Nigeria, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Hastings Banda.
The liberation of Ghana in March 1957 paved way for other African countries to come up with sound courses of action towards their much needed independence. Kwame Nkrumah became the icon of Pan - Africanism and he acknowledged the efforts of American and West Indians of African origin in the development of Africanism; the likes of Marcus Garvey.
To safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established in 1963. The same organization would further promote the global relations within the framework of the United Nations. A United State of Africa was what Gaddafi really wanted after he took leadership from Nkrumah in 1972.
The Pan - African ideology seeks among a multiplicity of considerations to:
- March towards the complete emancipation of the African continent
- Ensure that African development goals are predicated on unity for equal levels of development
- Make it known that the fate of African countries are and peoples are intertwined
- Unite African nations through sound regional bodies
- Ensure collective self reliance
- Oppose external economic and political involvement of the continent
- Guarantee power consolidation in Africa
- Re-allocate global resources as well as unleashing fiercer psychological energy and political assertion that would unsettle social and political (power) structures in the Americas.
- Act and compete on the world stage as do other large entities, such as the European Union and the United States.
- Make sure that there is an end to racialism and segregation
- Conserve the African culture or rather the African way of doing things.
- Ensure independence from the Europeans
- Be proud of being African and also the African languages
- Further integration whether political, social or economic.
The contemporary politics has revealed that the relevance of Pan Africanism as an ideology is now questionable.
Unity or integration in today's political sphere is limited. The current political dispensation is more like a "One man For Himself and God for Us All" situation as argued by Lord Castlereagh. Therefore, the fate of African countries is not intertwined as it was meant to be. Africans collaborated for the sake of extricating themselves from the shackles of imperialism and soon after that it proved that collaboration was getting weak.
We cannot talk of homogeneity in terms of economic development. South Africa, for example, has proved to be economically progressive than the rest of African countries due to a plethora of reasons. Its development levels cannot be compared to that of Somalia for instance.
Regional Economic Integration is limited among Africans. Some states within Africa prefer integration with other bodies outside the African continent. This to me reveals that local regional bodies aren't progressive and are existential for formality sake or mere talk shows otherwise they aren't beneficial to the member states.
Therefore, divided attention means that some member states will therefore show their allegiance where their interests are best served. South Africa, for instance, is a member of BRICS (Britain, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). South Africa is therefore better served by this regional bloc as it enhanced her development plan other than Regional and Economic Bodies in Africa.
The pan African ideology is in a quagmire as there is no religious commitment to the notion of disengagement from the West. The current Look East Policy which most African States have endorsed has become more dogmatic for the majority of African countries.
It is quite unimpressive and paradoxical that in as much as the Africans lament of the Look East Policy, they are actually looking directly West from a very close point of view. Therefore, external influence is still existential and neo - colonialism is so rampant.
Most Africans are suffering from schizophrenia and this already underscores the notion of African identity. Empowerment among Africans is still limited as of now.
Arise Oh Africa!
Stand your Ground!
Defend the African Cause!
No to Neo Colonialism!
We Need Sound and Effective Regional Bodies!
Let us BE Proud Africans!
Let US be Conscious Africans, LET US EXERCISE OUR HARD EARNED FREEDOM!!!
LET US WORK TO DEVELOP OUR CONTINENT!
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT!
ARISE AFRICA, ARISE! LET US ARISE TO DEFEND THE AFRICAN CAUSE, YES WE CAN!
Written by Patricia Masiyakurima, A 3RD Year Student in the Department of Politics and Public Management, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe.
Source - Patricia Masiyakurima
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