Effects of the Berlin Conference

Presenter: Gabriel C. Ibekilo

Faculty Sponsor: Raúl D. Gutiérrez

School: Holyoke Community College

Research Area: Political Science and Government

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Auditorium, A69

ABSTRACT

The Berlin Conference marked a significant turning point in African history, when African nations were divided into colonies with no regard for their ethnicity, culture, or history, leaving us with present-day Africa being governed by systems that were originally designed to benefit only the colonizer. This project will look at how the colonial system of indirect governance created relationships built upon corruption and patronage that remain within today’s political systems and how the extractive model of economy (dependent on privatized companies exporting raw materials) continues to produce a cycle of poverty throughout Africa due to colonialism. Finally, this project will examine how the imposition of arbitrary and artificial borders during colonialism has weakened unity among African nations and has impeded regional co-operation. Using historical analysis and current academic research to help build an argument that the lasting structural legacies of colonialism have significantly contributed to many of the political and economic challenges currently facing African nation-states today cannot be explained solely by the failures of leadership rather there are historical links between colonial era governing structures and contemporary ones, and the need for meaningful institutional reform, diversification of the economy, and enhancement of regional cooperation are all necessary elements in achieving good governance, reducing corruption, and assisting in developing sustainable development throughout Africa.

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