Editors:
- Explores the historiography of various African unification and Pan-African projects, including the OAU, and their impact on the Cold War and liberation struggles
- Gathers perspectives from a diverse range of scholars across disciplines, including history, law and international relations
- Considers the sometimes conflicting ideals behind projects aimed at unification.
Part of the book series: African Histories and Modernities (AHAM)
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Table of contents (16 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Imagining and Debating African Unity
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Front Matter
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The Impact of African Liberation and Cold War on African Unity
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Front Matter
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From the OAU to the AU: Historical Trajectories
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Front Matter
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Postscript
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Front Matter
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About this book
Reviews
—Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba, Thabo Mbeki School of Public and International Affairs, University of South Africa
This is a timely contribution to the study of the ambiguities of Pan-Africanism, African unity and the institutional cooperation that Africa’s states built up in the post-colonial era. In studying the multifarious expressions of Pan-Africanism this volume privileges views from within the African continent rather than the diaspora, giving voice to grass-roots perspectives that have been neglected in studies of the inter-state cooperation after independence. Citizens’ views, the role of labour in the unity project and issues of culture in Pan-African cooperation come to the fore. The institutionalisation of African unity is re-analysed in its complex interplay with global forces, especially the violence of the Cold War and the liberation struggles in southern Africa. The volume reassesses the transformation of the OAU into the African Union, discussing human rights, notions of African-ness and the state of Pan-African archives. A must for those studying the complexities of Africa’s international networks.
—Klaas van Walraven, African Studies Centre, Leiden University, the Netherlands
The OAU and AU have for too long been on the sidelines of historical scholarship on twentieth-century Africa. This volume not only brings together an important, rich, and multidisciplinary collection of essays that delves into some of the most significant moments in these organizations’ histories, but also pushes its readers to think more broadly and deeply at the changing nature and institutional history of pan-Africanism on the continent. There is little doubt that Visions of African Unity will become a cornerstone for future studies of these two pivotal international organizations.
—Jeffrey Ahlman, Smith College, USAEditors and Affiliations
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International Studies Group, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Matteo Grilli
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Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Frank Gerits
About the editors
Frank Gerits is Assistant Professor in the History of International Relations at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He previously held postdoctoral positions at New York University, USA, and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Visions of African Unity
Book Subtitle: New Perspectives on the History of Pan-Africanism and African Unification Projects
Editors: Matteo Grilli, Frank Gerits
Series Title: African Histories and Modernities
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52911-6
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-52910-9Published: 10 February 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-52913-0Published: 10 February 2022
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-52911-6Published: 09 February 2021
Series ISSN: 2634-5773
Series E-ISSN: 2634-5781
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIX, 435
Number of Illustrations: 5 illustrations in colour
Topics: African History, World History, Global and Transnational History, Political History