INTS 246-01, Politics of African Unity, Spring 2008

Abstract

This course is designed as a survey and examination of the origins and development of the idea of Pan-Africanism. It focuses on the evolution of this idea into a major political movement for the empowerment of Africans in the Diaspora and the decolonization of the African continent. Particular emphasis is laid on the role of individuals in the development of the movement and the political dynamics that informed the culmination of the movement into the formation of the OAU. The role of the OAU/AU as the basis of collective African diplomay, as well as that of regional economic integration schemes in the quest for African unity, security, and development is evaluated with a view to determining their achievements, problems, and prospects.