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Colonialism, Humanism And Post-colonial Development In Africa Introduction ...

Colonialism, Humanism and Post-colonial Development in Africa
Introduction
This dissertation examines development issues in former colonial states. It starts by examining the process of colonialism in Africa and identifies the relationship between the coloniser and the colonized. The second part examines the emergence of humanist development theory in post-colonial states arguing that this has resulted as reaction to the treatment and almost dehumanisation of the natives during colonial times. The final part of the dissertation examines the realities in post-colonial states.
Colonialism
If we look at the once great British Empire, Britain colonised many countries and reaped the wealth and benefits of doing so. In Africa they were by no means the only colonisers, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Belgium all had colonies in Africa. By the start of the 20th century virtually all of Africa was under European Control.
There is a large amount of literature about the suppression and abuse of natives during colonial times as was often the case in the colonies that the natives were suppressed under foreign rule, although there are accounts of where colonisers helped the natives to develop these are largely in the minority. In the case of Africa there is very little to account for this happening, rather that the natives were first paraded as a kind of curiosity. It was during the slave trade that the worst degradation of African natives took place. The height of the slave trade was from the start of the 18th Century to the mid 19th century. It is estimated that 80% of slaves were exported during this time. However the Slave Trade of African's pre-dates this and can be traced back as early as 600's although this not necessarily to other countries but within the African state. The buying and selling of people as a commodity results in a total de-humanisation of the individual, this it is argued is why humanism has developed as a discourse in relation to post-colonialism as the next section examines.
The ‘scramble for Africa' in the later part of the nineteenth century carved up the map of Africa largely among the European leaving only two nations independent: Ethiopia and Liberia. The colonial powers introduced boundaries and borders where they had previously not existed and so quite literally carving Africa up separating groups who were used to living together harmoniously and forcing enemies to live together side by side thus creating ethnic divisions.
Propaganda played a large part in this justifying the need for colonial empires. In the late nineteenth century it was not uncommon for the indigenous population to be displayed in exhibitions. Exhibitions such as the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 were attempts to justify and legitimise colonisation. The indigenous Africans were even taken on tour, across Europe.


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