Political Globalization in an African Perspective: Continuity and Change

Abstract

Ever since colonization started, African countries have been the subject of external efforts to shape their future. When European powers occupied the continent, these efforts were initially brutal, later still hard for those who had to live with enforced change. After political independence in the 1960s, reform efforts have been more benign, yet leaving Africans at the receiving end. This chapter traces the various turns of this narrative, showing how Western donors in the last six decades have largely failed in producing the kind of societal transformation that they have had in mind. The main reason is that they have not taken into consideration African context and agency. Most notably, they have not realized that African countries are not nation-states like those in Europe but state-nations which face totally different governance challenges. How these state-nations are best governed is still an open question, but it is increasingly evident that only Africans themselves will be able to find the right formulas. This would entail a more meaningful change than those that have been attempted by outsiders. It would give Africans the sense of self-confidence to act in their own interest that has been held back to date.