Neocolonialism

Introduction

Neocolonialism is the process in which developing states are politically controlled through economic power; perpetrated by imperial states, intergovernmental organization and transnational corporation. The process is done through economic control, not military control; which is the main characteristic of neocolonialism.

Theoretical background

First coined by Kwame Nkrumah, neocolonialism is a political and economic theoretical framework that exists within the conceptual framework of post-colonialism. Scholars who work with neocolonialism assume that after an imperial state loses its power over a colony, due to the decolonization process, the imperial state will naturally seek to regain its power over its former colony. Other imperial powers may try to establish a neocolonial relationship with former colonies as well. South Vietnam, for example, was a former French colony, yet the United States was able to establish a postcolonial relationship with South Vietnam after the French left.

According to Kwame Nkrumah, neocolonialism "represents imperialism in its final and perhaps its most dangerous stage. It allows the imperial state to exploit without accountability, as the neocolonial relationship is complex and covert. Under the colonial model, the imperial state had to justify its actions abroad to its citizens. Under the neocolonial model, economic control is seen as a natural outcome of a global free market economy. Examples of economic control include: 'aid' programs, various types of intervention or coercion in a foreign state's economic and political policies, using intergovernmental organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to achieve the imperial state's economic objectives.

Neo-Colonialism and Development

The very concept of development has colonial origins, with the intention to assimilate non-Western countries and peoples into Western infrastructure. Capitalism introduced the possibility of ongoing, exponential growth and reproduction, and this phenomenon was framed as ‘progress’. This frame was aligned with the Enlightenment paradigm that was prevalent within Europe in the 18th century.

Through this lens, countries that were not capitalist or experiencing significant economic growth by Western standards were considered to be stagnant or in a state of decline. Two conclusions were drawn from these observations: (1) citizens of these countries were not capable of ‘developing’ their countries on their own and (2) it was up to the imperial nations to develop these countries and people.

Developing the People

Missions to 'civilize' indigenous people in North and South America, Australia, Africa and Asia took various forms, for example: White missionaries went on trips to each of these continents, set up churches in villages and towns, spread Christianity and attempted to stifle local traditions and beliefs that they believed to be backwards. The Church provided a moral backbone for the initial excursions that were made by the West in the name of development.

In Canada and Australia, Residential Catholic schools were created to forcefully separate Indigenous children from their families and to indoctrinate them with Western knowledge, customs and language. This attempt by the Canadian State to commit what we now call cultural genocide was essential in establishing the settler-colonial state as White, with Britain and France as the two founding nations. These examples highlight the how development was originally intended to erase people’s cultures, languages, traditions, perspectives and ways of life that did not conform to Western norms while assimilating the countries into a global, capitalist system.

Developing the Nation: Foreign Aid

Aid refers to the flow of money and resources from financially wealthy nations to less wealthy nations. This transfer is usually mediated by Aid organizations commonly referred to as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), or takes place directly between governments of different nations.

Mozambique is an example of a country that has its affairs largely dictated by external sources, which is why it is receiving such a high amount of foreign aid (Anonymous, 1997 Economist). However, foreign aid in neo-colonial countries such as Mozambique does not function in its intended manner; rather than providing assistance until the nation is able to educate and provide services for itself, it allows the nation to remain in a stagnant state of development. Due to colonialism, foreign involvement and investment plays a large role in the development of Mozambique and nations in similar political and economical positions, though local investors are attempting to provide locally, with little positive outcome (Anonymous, 1997; Economist).

Anti-Colonial Movements

There have been a series of attempts by countries in what is commonly referred to as the Third World or the Global South to unite in solidarity against imperialism. Beginning with the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804), the formation of the League Against Imperialism (1928), the formation of the Third World Project in Bandung (1955) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) (1961) are notable efforts by countries to reclaim the label 'Third World' and to resist the economic and cultural assimilation of their countries into a Western infrastructure. One of the current policies of NAM countries is that nations wanting to invest in a NAM country must do so following a national plan that has been developed by the local government. Nkrumah claims that this move is meant to shift power from the foreign investor to the non-aligned state.

Below is a documentary about former leader of Burkina Faso (a NAM country) Thomas Sankara, his efforts to resist neo-colonialism and the aftermath of those efforts.

References

Stoneman, Colin & Suckling, John. From Apartheid to Neocolonialism. Third World Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 2, After Apartheid (Apr., 1987).

citation for Anonymous, 1997 Economist?