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The State Subregion in the Future of Africa

Although the neoliberal reorganization of the world sets aside a place for Africa — as a reserve of the natural resources necessary for protecting the global environment and sustaining industrial production — it provides no such place for the region’s peoples. In this article the author underscores the validity of this premise and stresses the urgency of an alternative based on a humanism enriched by debate on democracy and sustainable development.The article pays special attention to political economy, although without neglecting political, social, and cultural issues. Likewise, it views Africa as part of the global system, which is the basic unit of analysis, just as the nation-state and the subregion are privileged spaces for action. The continent’s future lies in the formation of region-states, rather than territory-states, which are incapable of building national economies. The article is divided into three parts: the interests at stake, Africa without a future in the neoliberal reorganization, and Africa in the coming polycentric world.

Africa — economy, political economy, neoliberalism, state, role of the, capitalism, industrial development, economic development, economy, global

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 23, Nos. 1-2 (1996): 151-169