African Anarchism

Sam Mbah

• Publisher: See Sharp Press
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781884365959
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Anarchism
• Index: Politics & International Relations

African Anarchism covers a wide range of topics, including anarchistic elements in traditional African socieites, African communalism, Africa's economic and political development, the lintering social, political, and economic effects of colonialism, the development of "African socialism, the failure of "African socialism, and a possible means of resolving Africa's ongoing crises.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• 1. What Is Anarchism?: definitions; attitudes toward capitalism, the state, religion, and other hierarchical institutions; positive aspects-voluntary cooperation, mutual aid, decentralization, horizontal organization, individual autonomy; what anarchism is not (chaos, terrorism); origins of anarcho-syndicalism
• 2. Anarchism in History: Marx and Bakunin; the First International; disagreement over the role of the state; relationship to syndicalism and guild socialism
• 3. Anarchistic Precedents in Africa: anarchic elements in African traditional societies; African communalism; political organization under communalism; administration of justice; traditional religions; age grades; secret societies; eonomic aspects; work specialization, trade, and the breakdown of communalism; stateless societies in Africa; the Igbo; the Niger Delta peoples; the Tallensi; colonialism and the incorporation of Africa into the world capitalist economy; economic aspects of colonialism; the colonial educational system; class formation in post-colonial Africa; function of different classes in post-colonial economies; African socialism; is there an African anarchism?; anarchistic elements in African socialism-Julius Nyerere and Ujamaa; anarchist groups in South Africa and Nigeria
• 4. The Development of Socialism in Africa: class formation under colonialism; cooptation of local leaders; the trade union movement and the liberation struggle in Africa; the Nigerian labor union movement; lack of revolutionary perspective in Nigerian labor unions; the South African labor movement; foundation of Communist Party in South Africa; the "revolution" in Guinea; Sekou Toure and the Democratic Party of Guinea; the Awareness League in Nigeria
• 5. The Failure of Socialism in Africa: ideology and economic development; failure of Guinean "revolution"; lessons from Guinean failure; Tanzania, Julius Nyerere and Ujamaa socialism; reasons for failure of Ujamaa socialism; additional failures of "African socialism" Ethiopia, Burkina Faso; state capitalism and instability; one-party ideologies and depoliticization; military interventions and their effects; political corruption and social instability-case studies of Ghana and Nigeria; the IMF's structural adjustment programs (SAPs), electoralism, and Africa's future; economic and social effects of SAPs; constitutional conventions; the human rights question; repression in Nigeria, Libya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe
• 6. Obstacles to the Development of Anarchism in Africa: colonial education and its aftermath; the Western-style legal system; the military; ethnic versus class consciousness; religious and cultural factors; the need for international solidarity
• 7. Anarchism's Future in Africa: anarchism in a world context; the crises of capitalism and marxist "socialism"; Africa's dire economic situation; anarchism and the national question; anarchism-the only way out for Africa
• Bibliography
• Index
• Back Cover