The Dialectics of Transformation in Africa

In the first part of this book, Bongmba argues that the African crisis has resulted from the abuse of political power, prodigal economic activities, and the proliferation of violence. He blames postcolonial leadership for a lack of political will for this crisis and argues that African states must reform their economies, establish democratic rule, practice good governance, create a space for civil society, and institute a renaissance of politics and values. In the second part, Bongmba proposes humanistic interventions centered on the recovery of interpersonal relations. COVER 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 PREFACE 9 INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER 1 DEFINING THE HUMAN CRISIS IN AFRICA 19 The Privatization of Power 20 The Pauperization of the State 27 The Prodigalization of the State 33 The Proliferation of Violence 38 CHAPTER 2 THE GENESIS OF THE AFRICAN CRISIS: THE MANIFESTATION OF A POLITICAL WILL 48 Mamdani on Citizen and Subject 49 Independence Opened a Space for Change 52 Outworking of Political Will: Ahidjo’s Political Philosophy in Cameroon 55 The Single Party as a Mechanism of Political Totality 61 Totality Over Subjects 64 CHAPTER 3 RECOVERY IDEAS I: ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENTS, DEMOCRACY, AND GOVERNANCE 72 Structural Adjustment Program 72 Hopeful Initiatives: The African Union and Nepad 78 Democracy 81 Theorizing Democracy for the Future 85 The Church and Democracy in Africa 93 Good Governance 95 Governance Is a Social Praxis 99 CHAPTER 4 RECOVERY IDEAS 2: CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE AFRICAN RENAISSANCE 103 Civil Society 103 Christian Churches and Faith-Based Organizations as Civil Society 110 The African Renaissance 114 Defining the Renaissance 115 Debating the Renaissance 121 The African Renaissance in Global Perspective 123 CHAPTER 5 TOWARD AN INTERSUBJECTIVE POLITICAL COMMUNITY IN AFRICA 130 Wimbum Articulations of Intersubjectivity 131 Subjectivity and the Political Community 137 The Ego and the Alter Ego in Intersubjective Phenomenology 140 Beyond Husserl to Genuine Intersubjectivity 144 Intersubjectivity and a New Political Ethics 146 CHAPTER 6 RETHINKING GENDER RELATIONS: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION 152 African Women in Feminist and Gender Discourse 153 African Widows: A Phenomenology of Eros 155 The Erotic Is a Realm of Freedom 166 CHAPTER 7 RETHINKING POWER IN AFRICA: RELIGIOUS AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES 173 Religion and Society: Ambiguity and Promise 174 Religion and Power in the Post-Patrimonial State 177 Religion and the Possibility of Peacebuilding 179 On Àse—Yoruba Perspectives on Power 183 Theological Perspectives on Power 185 Power is constitutive of being 186 Power is derived from God 189 Those who have political power must not use it for self-aggrandizement 190 Power should be exercised in the light of human finitude 191 Power should be tempered with the spirit of Christ 192 Political power should be used to empower people 192 Power should be used to strengthen intersubjective relations 193 Leaders should use their power to promote justice 195 Political power should be employed to promote freedom 200 The dynamics of power requires a new theology of the future 202 CONCLUSION: BEYOND PESSIMISM TO OPTIMISM: IN LOVE WITH AFRICA 204 NOTES 218 BIBLIOGRAPY 271 INDEX 305 A 305 B 305 C 306 D 307 E 307 F 308 G 308 H 308 I 309 J 309 K 309 L 310 M 310 N 311 O 311 P 312 Q 312 R 312 S 313 T 313 U 314 V 314 W 314 Y 314 Z 314 "In this new book, Elias Bongmba argues that the African crisis has resulted from abuses of political power, prodigal economic activities, and the proliferation of violence. Bongmba argues that African states must reform their economics, establish democratic rule, practice and governance, create a space for civil society, and institute a renaissance of politics and values in order to arrest socioeconomic decline and transform the continent. In the second half of The Dialectics of Transformation in Africa, Bongmba proposes humanistic interventions centered on the recovery of intersubjective relations and demonstrates how this could be worked out in the realignment of gender relations Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-7 Defining the Human Crisis in Africa....Pages 9-37 The Genesis of the African Crisis: the Manifestation of a Political Will....Pages 39-62 Recovery Ideas I: Economic Adjustments, Democracy, and Governance....Pages 63-93 Recovery Ideas 2: Civil Society and the African Renaissance....Pages 95-121 Toward an Intersubjective Political Community in Africa....Pages 123-144 Rethinking Gender Relations: a Preliminary Investigation....Pages 145-165 Rethinking Power in Africa: Religious and Theological Perspectives....Pages 167-197 Conclusion Beyond Pessimism to Optimism: In Love with Africa....Pages 199-212 Back Matter....Pages 213-310 Annotation. A discussion of political and religious crisis in Africa, this book covers such topics as democratic transition, good governance, civil society, and the African renaissance. Elias Bongmba proposes humanistic interventions centered on the recovery of interpersonal relations and seeks to understand the ongoing struggles in Africa A discussion of political and religious crisis in Africa, this book covers such topics as democratic transition, good governance, civil society and the African renaissance. Elias K. Bongmba proposes humanistic interventions centred on the recovery of interpersonal relations and seeks to understand the ongoing struggles in Africa.