NEO COLONIALISM AND THE QUESTION OF UNDER DEVELOPMENT

NEO COLONIALISM AND THE QUESTION OF UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES BY : HAMISI MOHAMED MAFIGA SECONDARY SCHOOL SUBJECT: HISTORY

TOPIC 8: NEO COLONIALISM AND THE QUESTION OF UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES

LESSON OBJECTIVES q. By the end of the lesson qstudents should be able to understand the meaning of the term Neo colonialism. q. Students should be able to explain the general mechanism through neo colonialism operates in Africa. q. Students should be able to explain the impacts of Neo colonialism.

NEO COLONIALISM • African nations after attaining their political independence, they faced a lot of political, social and economic problem. One among the problems which was faced by African nations after attaining independence was NEO – COLONIALISM which has big influence of underdevelopment. Problems in 3 rd world countries especially those found in Africa

cont…. • Neo – colonialism is term used by intellectuals to describe international economic agreements by which former colonial powers maintained control of their former colonies. • Neo – colonialism is indirect control of African by their former colonial master socially, politically and economically. It started soon after attainment of flag independence from their colonial masters.

cont. … The colonial administrators took steps to ensure that their economic interests wouldn’t be disturbed and stopped by the transfer of power. Marxist tend to view Neo – colonialism as another way which imperialist nations do use to exploit their former colonies, that why; they define it as the highest stage of imperialism.

GENERAL MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH NEO – COLONIALISM OPERATES IN AFRICA. 1. Through invisible governments; this refers to the groups of people and agencies which are formed by the government of the developed nations to be sent to the 3 rd world countries to study and collect information on the behavior and practices of the independent nations. For example USA uses CIA (CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY) officially to know if there is any behavior and practices which are against the interests of USA, if noted these individuals will lay down strategies to remove and even murder the leaders of that particular nations; this was done in Congo Kinshasa in 1960; whereby practice Lumumba was murdered Mozambique Samola Machel, Ghana and Muamar Gaddafi in Libya.

cont…. 2. Control of the world market; the developed nations always control the world market in favour themselves. They normally determine and fix lower prices of primary agriculture products exported from 3 rd world countries while rising up prices of manufactured goods. Production and other equipment to be imported by the developed countries in this case the less developed countries export and gain lower foreign currency for their import needs while developed nations get agricultural raw materials cheaply.

cont. …. . 3. Technology dependency. Is the situation in which 3 rd world countries, normally depend on the developed nations from machinery and other equipment for development 3 rd world countries are always forced to import technology at very high price in order to provide bigger profit to the Americans, French and British giant manufacturing companies. The bigger nations ensure that the poor nations aren’t getting ability to produce similar technology in their nations.

IPTL

cont…. 4. Foreign military bases, the developed nations normally establish stations with the troops in many less developed countries through signing treaties for instance; USA had 80 treaties by 42 states to establish military bases in those countries by 1969. The troops normally saved the interest of new colonial nations they were engaged in the training of the army officers, copes with the claims to strengthen the national defense but in reality they intend to influence the army officers so that when the leaders of the less developed countries act against the interests of European nation they can be taken out of leadership posts by armed forces allied to the developed countries.

§ Millitary bases

cont. …. . 5. Propaganda is the set of information which is spread by the developed nation to suit their own ideologies in the 3 rd world countries. Propaganda is normally integrated in all ways of life of the newly independent states by cultural organizations like United states information service, the British council and Alliance Francaise of France. They normally import films magazines, books and television programs which they intend to spread USA and western Europe superiority complex ideas over the 3 rd world countries.

cont. …. 6. Evangelism is another unseen mechanism of Neo – colonialism. It is mainly concerned with the spread of Christianity by religious sets of which many of them come from America. Nkrumah provided an example of Jehovah’s witnesses who made a lot of troubles in some developing nations, by teaching their citizen not to salute the new national flag after independence. This implies that the sets can convince the people to resent against their democratic government with ambition to replace their government which might govern according to the whites interest therefore Evangelism should not be seen merely as the spread of religion beyond the religion there causes of Chaos in 3 rd world countries.

cont…. . 7. Foreign aids, grants and loans. This is another mechanism used by Neo – colonialism to exploit the developing nations. Normally Aids is provided to recipient countries in terms of loan, under the name of assistance in the development of national economy by the donor countries and international multilateral financial institutions such as international monetary fund (IMF) world Bank (WB), International of reconstruction and development (IDRD), International development Association (IDA). In actual sense, Aids from donor countries are paid back with high interest rates to benefit the donors and indebt the developing nations

FOREIGN AIDS

EFFECTS OF NEO – COLONIALISM • Neo – colonialism has brought several effects to 3 rd world countries as follows. i. Political instability, Neo – colonialism has promoted the rise of political stability of 3 rd world countries especially in Africa; this has been contributed through planting liberal groups and invisible government in 3 rd world countries. These countries have been facing boarder conflicts and civil wars.

political instability

cont…. ii. Technological dependence (stagnation) in 3 rd world countries, Neo colonialism has made to have dependent economy and technological dependence whereby, they depend to the developed nations for machinery and other technological equipment for development. This has made 3 rd world countries to import technology and manufactured goods from outside at very high prices, something which benefited the developed nations that import technology in developing countries. This makes the technology in 3 rd countries to be stagnant.

cont…… iii. Advancement in provision of social services. Such as health services and education services, this has been promoted by the foreign investment that are increasing in 3 rd world countries through privatization policy. iv. Under development in third world countries, Neo colonialism has made 3 rd world countries, not to be able to create job opportunities, good health services, high standard of living and vicious circle of debts, and overpopulation problems, which lead underdevelopment.

cont. …. v. Emergence of military bases in 3 rd world countries. Due to Neo – colonialist which operates in military form the military bases have been scattered in Asia, Africa and Latin America; for example USA has set up many military bases in more than 44 countries. vi. Price fluctuation of African cash crops in the world market, developed nations always control the world market in favour of themselves. Neo colonialism is enabling them to determine and fix lower price of primary agriculture products exported from 3 rd world countries while rising up prices of manufactured goods from developed nations.

cont…. vii. Increase of foreign debts and aids in 3 rd world countries. The foreign aids (loans and grants) that are always given with unrealistic conditions and high interest rates, have always increased because they benefit more loan donors, and grant givers, they also increase heavy burden on 3 rd countries to the extent that many of them have reached a point where they can no longer afford to receive more loans, and even pay for the one they had before. This situation has increased the debts in 3 rd world countries.

HOW TO GET RID OF NEO – COLONIALISM (STRATEGIES TO FIGHT AGAINST NEO – COLONIALISM) Promoting industrialization in 3 rd world countries, as well as improving the level of science and technology so as to avoid being the consumers of finished goods from Europe. B. To build self-reliant economy, 3 rd world countries should strive to build or hard to use the resource found in their countries such as minerals and water for national development rather than depending primarily on aids such as loans and grants. This may eliminate dependency on developed nations, on internal success or development. A.

cont. …. Promotion of economic integrations, unity between the 3 rd world countries can strength them against Neo – colonialism relations. This unity can be obtained through the formation of different economic integration that will create fair market for the export of primary products which are produced by the farmers and peasants in 3 rd world countries. They should also offer education and training according to African culture and contents; in achieving this unity; the regional groupings like EAC, ECOWAS and SADC have to be consolidated together with New Africa Union. C.

cont…. D. International cooperation, African countries should also make an alliance with countries from Asia and Latin America to bring to an end the world unfair economic relations like higher interests on foreign loans, lower prices of manufactured goods in the world market and press for changes in IBRD = international Bank of Reconstruction and IMF = financial institutions. Implementation of this strategy can assists in the breaking of Neo – COLONIALISM IN Africa and other developing nations in Asia and Latin.

cont…. E. Nationalization of major means of production, 3 rd World countries governments should make sure that the major means of production that contribute much to the development of their nations are put under government supervision and control, only those which have less contribution should be left under the control of private sector. Example, privatization of Mining sector which is supposed to be under the government sector but it is privatized and the government gets less out of it.