This term paper is to examine the foreign policy of Malawi and discuss the pattern of external relations since independence which means that it is necessary to outline the foreign policy of Malawi since independence and also in the same order discuss the conduct of the foreign policy since independence, of course with other countries of the world.
The geography, socio-economical and political background of Malawi is very much important in discussing and understanding the foreign policy of Malawi since independence. Also it can be said that both domestic and international politics decided the kind of foreign policy that Malawi adopted since independence.1
Malawi is faced with a kind of geographical limitation which established the choice of Malawi’s first president Hastings Banda who was solely involved the drafting and formulation of Malawi’s foreign policy after independence, also it could be said that the foreign policy of Malawi was formulated based on power politics and various national problems ranging from its economy to poverty and diseases which would be explained later when considering the foreign policy itself.2
However, to go further certain issues would be discussed to give the topic the requirement to be understood properly, also for co ordination and referencing the Chicago manual of style 15th edition would be used.
WHAT IS FOREIGN POLICY
Foreign policy could be explained to be a set of ambitions that seek to prescribe how a nation will relate at an international level with other nations of the world and to an extent with non state actors in pursuit of its national economic, political, social and cultural interest.3
However, a country needs to consi...
... middle of paper ...
... first stage is the era of national interest in terms of economic and security, as I said in the introductory part of this paper that Hastings Banda inherited a government full of economic problems and all, so the promotion of socio economic interest and protection of territory integrity was the centre of Malawi’s foreign policy.32
The second stage defines the era of cold war and political dependence and the participation in regional co operations, the foreign policy of Malawi was shaped by conflicts and co operations between Malawi and Mozambique as they both struggle for influence over bilateral as well as regional issues. The cold war had a significant impact on the foreign policy of Malawi as Malawi was well aligned towards the western capitalist ideology. It should be noted that the cold war characterized Malawi’s relationship with other countries.33
Alas, in 1961 Patrice Lumumba was assassinated by a US- sponsored plot 7 months after independence, and replaced him with a “puppet dictator named Mobutu” (Kingsolver). In her book, Barbara Kingsolver surfaces a forgotten part of our nation’s history in the exploitation of the Congo through her main characters, the Price family, who are missionaries sent to the Kilanga village. Through characters’ narratives that “double as allegories for the uneasy colonial marriage between the West and Africa” (Hamilton, Jones), Kingsolver creates a relatable way for her readers to understand the theme she is trying to convey, which is “‘what did we do to Africa, and how do we feel about it?’” (Snyder). Kingsolver began with this theme and developed the rest of the novel around it, just as she does with her other works, and sticking with her trademark technique, she utilizes her book as a vessel for “political activism, an extension of the anti-Vietnam protests” she participated in college (Snyder).
Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 160th out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index. Malawi has extremely low life expectancy and high infant mortality which couldn’t be controlled yet. It’s one of least developed nations in the world; however, some of improvements have
... it needs (four thousand instead of the needed twelve thousand) and nearly ten percent of the doctors (three hundred instead of the needed three thousand) for a population of over fourteen million. Malawi is the perfect example for a show of how destructive the Structural Adjustment Programs can be for a developing country and how much power it can give to the IFIs that they (an outer entity) can overrule the demands of a sovereign government and can thus have far greater influence over a country’s economy and development than the country’s government itself.
Odd Arne Westad, Director of the Cold War Studies Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science, explains how the Cold War “shaped the world we live in today — its politics, economics, and military affairs“ (Westad, The Global Cold War, 1). Furthermore, Westad continues, “ the globalization of the Cold War during the last century created foundations” for most of the historic conflicts we see today. The Cold War, asserts Westad, centers on how the Third World policies of the two twentieth-century superpowers — the United States and the Soviet Union — escalates to antipathy and conflict that in the end helped oust one world power while challenging the other. This supplies a universal understanding on the Cold War (Westad, The Global Cold War, 1).
Mingst, K. A. (2011). Essentials of international relations. (5th ed., p. 79). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Foreign Policy is a very common topic today. Foreign Policy is the strategy or process when dealing with other nations. There are two different types of Foreign policy used which are Moral Idealism and Political Realism. They both have their own way of running external things from their country the best one is Moral Idealism.
Shiraev, Eric B., and Vladislav M. Zubok. International Relations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Overall, America’s foreign policy changed dramatically throughout the course of the 20th century. From the Monroe Doctrine to the Vietnam War, foreign policy has had a major impact on American society. It has shifted from not interfering with internal European affairs, to maintaining internal peace and security, to containing the spread of Communism, to playing ping pong with the Chinese to create and maintain trade with them. The idea of Foreign Policy has changed since it has started and will continue to change until the United States of America is no longer.
African leaders knew that isolating Africa from international politics would harm security and economic stability, but opening their states to aid from the US and the USSR allowed for foreign ideological influence. The West planned to stop the spread of foreign communism with “containment” policies, using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as military force, while the USSR responded with the Warsaw Treaty Organization in 1955. These military organizations were examples of the actions the West and East took to make themselves appear intimidating to other states, but neither resulted in major military action. Instead, they acted as support and communication systems for the West and East as they tried...
What is Foreign Policy? Foreign Policy is a nations’ attitude, actions (ie economic sanctions, peacekeeping, military activity) as well as our dealings with other countries (ie trade, immigration, aid, defence) and anything that is directed towards preserving and furthering certain national interests. Foreign Policy seeks to maintain national security, promote economic and trade interests, expand regional and global links, and promote the nation as a good global citizen.
It is thought-provoking, in the sense that Africa’s need for foreign created a race to the bottom, much like what Pietra Rivoli described in The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy. Due to some African states’ reliance on foreign aid in order to mine and profit on their resources, they allow business standards to be lowered and for Chinese firms to tip the contracts moresoever in the favor of Chinese firms. This lowers the potential earnings of African states by lowering royalty rates, for example. Additionally, Burgis’ research was thorough and transparent. When he did not receive a response or if his questions were dodged, he made it obvious to the readers. Sure, some could view this book as too anecdotal to be used as a credible source of Africa’s situation. However, this is due to the nature of the system Burgis is writing about; after all, they are shadow states for a reason. Some readers will be saddened by this text, others angry, most curious to learn more, but above all, everyone will be intellectually stimulated and
For this assignment I chose to write about Jomo Kenyatta. After reading chapters three and four of Khapoya’s book, it was hard to imagine an Africa that wasn’t under colonial rule. I can only comprehend on a very basic level the impact colonialism had on the Africans economically, physically, and mentally. It is inspiring to read further and discover the immense, calculated, and passionate efforts that many Pan African leaders played in the years that followed. I found Jomo Kenyatta to be particularly interesting. For many reasons, Kenyatta is considered one of the most significant leaders of the Pan African movement in the twentieth century. Kenyatta had a clear vision of what he wanted for Kenya (or Africa as a whole), he was prepared for the path he would have to take, and he accomplished much for the country and continent as a whole.
stability and peace in Burundi. The foreign policy of Burundi is to look for aid from
The study of international relations takes a wide range of theoretical approaches. Some emerge from within the discipline itself others have been imported, in whole or in part, from disciplines such as economics or sociology. Indeed, few social scientific theories have not been applied to the study of relations amongst nations. Many theories of international relations are internally and externally contested, and few scholars believe only in one or another. In spite of this diversity, several major schools of thought are discernable, differentiated principally by the variables they emphasize on military power, material interests, or ideological beliefs. International Relations thinking have evolved in stages that are marked by specific debates between groups of scholars. The first major debate is between utopian liberalism and realism, the second debate is on method, between traditional approaches and behavioralism. The third debate is between neorealism/neoliberalism and neo-Marxism, and an emerging fourth debate is between established traditions and post-positivist alternatives (Jackson, 2007).
According to Haynes, on gaining independence, most of the countries drafted a constitution for themselves, one that allows them the democracy and freedom they so wanted (12). The exit of the colonialists did not change situations in most of the countries. The leaders in power do not respect the constitution. The people are free but there is no democracy. The liberation they wanted remains, but a dream. This situation compares pe...