Role Of International Relations

INTRODUCTION

International relations can be described as “ways in which countries, groups of people in those countries and even individuals within those countries interact with and affect one another. This interaction includes, amongst other, the worlds’ governments, non-state actors such as international organizations, multinational corporations and individuals, social structures such as economics and culture, and geographical and historical influence (Mgoja and Makombe, 2009:27). It emerged in 1919 at the University of Wales in the United States.

International relations is divided into subfields such as international relations theory, international security, international law and organizations and international political economy. There

Hence, focusing exclusively on great powers implies that third world are unimportant, indeed invisible

According to Neuman, the past decades has seen a number of studies questioning the applicability of existing International theory. How could experiences of Africa and scholars generated by Africans contribute to greater understanding of international relations? The focus here is therefore to borrow from Arlene Tickner (2003a:300), on the developing world as an agent of international relations knowledge rather than an object of international relations study, African experiences provide insights for the development of international relation theory and policy far beyond the continent (2001:150).

If one considers the interest in indigenous knowledge from Africa and the rest of the developing world in relation to fields such as natural medicine, it becomes clear that it is not an idea that knowledge from the non-western world can influence the west (Mazrui 1997:410). Before exploring the scope of possible African contribution to the understanding of international relations, it is important to clarify what is meant by African, in this context who can speak on behalf of Africa. This has been a question which many scholars have struggled with and consensus on the issue remains elusive

Colonies do not have power over themselves, and the mother country takes resources and money from the colonies. Large numbers of people were forced to slavery. Expert of western values, colonial parents brought their way of living and Africans did not have a say as they were seen as people who could not speak for themselves

During the era of colonialism part of the colonial project was portraying Africans as unable to speak for themselves. During the struggle for independence and subsequent gaining of sovereignty Africans voices were heard. Some like Boele van Hensbroek, note that this changed again in the 1970’s and 1980’s onwards, when the new political situation came in Africa and it increased the influence of external actors through, for example the foreign aid “changed the ideas of who could speak on the behalf of Africa. In addition as the speaker changed so did the words (1999:168).

EFFECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL