Panafricanism and Gov't Instability

Panafricanism and Government Instability in Africa

Independence in Africa

●

During the 1950’s, Africans began demanding change
after realizing colonialism was only benefitting the
Europeans.

●

After World War II, European countries were focused on
rebuilding their own countries, taking their focus off of
their African colonies.
•

Europeans began granting their African colonies
independence, with 27 independent countries by 1960
and 47 by 1975.

●

When the Europeans first created their colonies, ethnic
groups were not considered, so rival groups were
occasionally put in the same colonies.
•

Colonial lines were followed when granting each
country independence, so these rivalries continued.

•

Because of this, civil wars, or wars between citizens
of the same country, and dictatorships, harsh rule by
persons with total authority, became very common
though Africa.

1

The Pan-African Movement

●

The Pan-African movement called for unity
among African people as a reaction to the terrible
experiences of colonial rule.
•

The goal was for people of African descent
around the world to think of Africa as a
homeland.

•

Many supporters hoped this movement would
help Africans forget their differences and work
to the benefit of each other and African
countries’ economies.

●

Even though the peaceful unification of Africa
never happened, this movement was responsible
for independence movements across the continent
and the formation of the African Union in 2002,
which works to help people across Africa.

2

Multiple Choice

Who did colonization benefit?

• The Africans the Europeans colonized

• Only the Europeans

• It was mutually beneficial

• Neither benefited because of the disregard of ethnic groups when initially settled

Multiple Choice

Which war created a chance for the people to start gaining their independence? Why?

• WWI because it showed that the colonies could manage themselves

• Korean War- because many Africans helped their colonizers in the war

• WWII- many colonizer countries were focusing on rebuilding themselves and not their colonies

• War on Terror- These countries were striking fear into their colonizer homelands until they gained indpendence

South Sudan

●

Until 2011, South Sudan was a part of Sudan.

●

Sudan was a British colony until it gained independence
in 1956, and, shortly after, conflict between the north
and south began.
•

North Sudan is primarily Arab and practices Islam,
and south Sudan is a mix of 60 different ethnic groups
and practice traditional religions and Christianity.

●

The country’s second civil war broke out in 1983. This
was because the government, in the north, wanted to
impose Sharia Law throughout the country, which the
south did not want.
•

Sudan suffered nearly 2 million deaths in their civil
war.

●

In 2011, South Sudan became an independent country,
ending civil war with Sudan and South Sudan.
•

However, the different ethnic groups now have large
conflicts and civil war.

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Fill in the Blank

To sum it up: ___________ caused the split between Sudan and South Sudan, with the Northern part practicing Islam and the Southern part mostly practicing Christianity.

The Legacy of Colonialism

●

Because of colonialism and the rapid European
withdrawal from the continent, Africa has
many unstable governments.

●

Civil wars broke out between ethnic groups.
Dictators, supported by their militaries, seized
power.

●

Government instability has led to many
problems with African countries: poor
education opportunities, lack of food and
medicine, and the inability to combat disease
and famine.
•

Instability means a tendency toward
unpredictable or erratic behavior.

4

Open Ended

In your own words, what is Instability?

Access to Education in Africa

●

In relatively peaceful independent countries, education
opportunities are better.
•

In Kenya, the government has made school
improvements a priority.

•

The better educated a population is, the more they
can contribute to an economy.

●

In some countries, civil war has led to educational
neglect.
•

These conditions have made it unsafe for children to
attend school. School buildings could be in ruins, and
schools have little access to learning materials.

●

Another education issue is gender, with boys more likely
to attend school than girls.
•

In rural areas, the traditional role of girls is to stay
home and learn to cook and clean.

•

Government programs are working to close this
education gap.

5

Multiple Select

Quick and swift pull out of European colonizers in Africa created Instability in many African Countries. What are some results of the quick independence?

• Poor Education Opportunities

• Lack of Food and Medicine

• Struggle to combat disease and famine

• Many Dictators ascended to head of Gov't

• Many colonies fell back under colonial rule

Jimmy Carter and the End of the

Guinea Worm

●

Up until the 1980s, the Guinea worm was found in 21
countries throughout Africa and Asia and infected over 3
million people.
•

Today, it is only found in 4 countries: South Sudan,
Ethiopia, Mali, and Chad.

●

The Guinea worm is a parasite that lives in water, and people
swallow the worm larvae when they drink untreated water.
•

The females develop in the stomach for a year, then try
to exit the body through the foot or leg, creating a
burning sensation.

•

This burning causes people to put their feet in water,
which lets the worm release more larvae. The removal of
this worm can be difficult.

●

Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center have worked to
eradicate the worm since 1986.
•

While there is no cure for the worm, it can be avoided by
drinking clean water and by preventing the infected
person from putting their legs and feet in water.

6

Combating HIV/AIDS in Africa

●

Control and treatment of diseases is another area where
unstable governments cause problems.

●

HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome) has the highest infection
rates in the world in Sub-Saharan Africa.
•

There are an estimated 26 million people living in
Africa with AIDS.

●

Poor health care systems, poverty, and lack of government
organizations all contribute to the rising number of cases.
•

People are also not usually informed about how to
prevent the disease.

●

While there are now drugs that can slow the progress of
the disease, they are very expensive, which means the
people who need them can’t afford them.

●

Countries with more stable governments tackle the AIDS
issue more effectively than countries with unstable
governments.

7

Combating Famine in Africa

●

Famine occurs when there is a food shortage and
people aren't able to get enough food to eat.
•

People can starve to death because of
famine.

●

The leading causes of famine in Africa are:
climate change, political conflict, low prices for
African goods on the world market, and
disorganized or corrupt governments.

●

Bad land policies which try to favor native
farmers often end up reducing the amount of
food grown when compared to European farmers.

●

Civil wars can disrupt agriculture and trade,
limiting the amount of food being brought into
the country.

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