Decolonising International Solidarity

Most explanations for the bumpy post-independence trajectory of many countries in Africa and the Middle East presuppose the existence of an objective, universal development format, modelled on western European civilisational principles. Decolonising International Solidarity argues that the supposed universality of the civilisational model that was ‘offered’ during and after colonisation in exchange for the ‘resources’ of Africa and the Middle East was flawed, not only in its social, cultural, political, economic and historical underpinnings but also in its environmental assumptions. The latter is a dimension that has, surprisingly, received little attention in post-independence literature on colonisation. This natural environmental lens on development challenges also offers an innovative perspective on current issues of governance, agricultural development and environmental management, multiculturalism and migration in developing and rich countries. The book concludes with some proposals for a decolonised global solidarity framework that values rather than erases diversity.