Pan Africanism in Dialogue

This book considers how people of African descent can generate policies and ideas for the twenty-first century that are embedded in the ideals of Pan-Africanism. For decades, Pan-Africanism has championed an intellectual ideal that recognizes the unity of people of African descent in their efforts to resist imperialism, racism, slavery, inequality, and neo-colonialism while advancing the decolonization of Africa. Yet, despite the Pan-African commitment to self-determination and transformation based on common interests and identities, in many areas of Africa there has been a resurgence in the discrimination and suppression of people of African descent, marked by fraudulent elections, the suppression of opposition parties and the media, and the exile of key intellectual figures. This book argues that Pan-African ideas can help to provide practical solutions that address both persisting and emerging challenges, such as the scramble for material wealth by Europeans and now the Chinese. Interdisciplinary and collaborative by design, this book brings together a range of themes, from women’s contributions to the movement, to Ubuntu, to the role of religion, politics, and the environment, with the intention of mobilising a new generation to reclaim their African culture, knowledge, dignity and equality. This important new book will be of interest to Pan-African researchers and students across the social sciences, as well as to activists and civil society actors.