Intellectuals and African Development: Pretension and Resistance in African Politics (Africa in the New Millennium)

This Book Looks At Different Responses To The African Predicament From Prominent Writers Like Soyinka, Ngugi, And Achebe, The Military Men In Power And The Students Who Defy Repression. It Suggests That Intervention By International Agencies Who Claim To Promote Democracy And Empower The Youth May Reinforce Authoritarian Attitudes And Structures, And Gives Voice To The Outrage, Ridicule, Revolutionary Ardour And Reformist Caution Of Those Directly Affected. It Also Exposes The Shallow Pretences Of Those In Power As Well As The Hypocrisy And Arrogance Of The Foreign Helpers, And Concludes That Being An Insider Or An Outsider Is Less Important Than Being Committed To Listen To Ordinary People.--back Cover. Psychopaths In Power: The Collapse Of The African Dream In A Play Of Giants / Olusegun Adekoya -- Re-establishing The Basis Of Social Order In Africa: A Reflection On Achebe's Reformist Agenda And Ngugi's Marxist Aesthetics / M.s.c. Okolo -- Narrating The Green Gods: The (auto) Biographies Of Nigerian Military Rulers / Gbemisola Adeoti -- Ambiguous Transitions: Mediating Citizenship Among Youth In Cameroon / Jude Fokwang -- Student Radicalism And The National Project: The Nigerian Student Movement / Björn Beckman -- Transnational Governance And The Pacification Of Youth: Civic Education And Disempowerment In Malawi / Harri Englund -- Identity And Knowledge Production In The Fourth Generation / Nana Akua Anyidoho. Björn Beckman & Gbemisola Adeoti, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book looks at the very different responses to the African predicament from prominent writers like Soyinka, Ngugi and Achebe, to the military men in power and the students who defy repression. It suggests that intervention by international agencies who claim to promote 'democracy' and 'empower the youth' may reinforce authoritarian attitudes and structures. The essays in the book give voice to the outrage, ridicule and revolutionary ardour, as well as to the reformist caution, of those directly affected. The shallow pretences of those in power and the hypocrisy and arrogance of the foreign helpers are also exposed. The book concludes that being an 'insider' or an 'outsider' is less important than being committed to listening to ordinary people. The essays in this book study responses to 'the African predicament'. They draw on a diversity of sources, including prominent writers such as Soyinka, Ngug̃i ̃and Achebe; military men in power; and students who defy repression. The volume suggests that intervention by international agencies claiming to promote 'democracy' and to 'empower the youth' may only reinforce authoritarian attitudes and structures. Instead, it gives voice to the outrage, ridicule, revolutionary ardour and reformist caution of those directly involved. It also exposes the shallow pretences of those in power, and conclud. Drawn from a CODESRIA conference on 'Intellectuals and Nationalism', the essays of this book look at different responses to the African predicament from prominent writers like Soyinka, Ngugi, and Achebe, the military men in power and the students who defy repression.