Chibundu Onuzo the 21 year old Nigerian author of her first novel 'The Spider King's Daughter' has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Africa and the new white man's burden’, referring to China taking advantage of the Colonialism shadow still casts over the west's relationships with African countries. Onuzo states “Kipling's burden was shouldered by men who felt a calling to civilise the "half devil, half child" peoples who apparently proliferated the 19th-century world. …Things have somewhat changed in the 21st century. Many who take up the load of development do so, if not with guilt – for guilt is too unnuanced a term –, then with an acute awareness of all that has preceded their arrival among the less economically developed of the earth. …So they tread carefully, mindful of sensibilities that are both figment and real. They overlook corruption because it is how things are done in Africa. They laud substandard leaders because it is how people are ruled in Africa. To criticise or hold under too deep a scrutiny is to be accused of being an agent of a new type of colonialism. It is true that the phrases neocolonialism and neoimperialism are not obsolete. …There are cries that China's is a new imperialism. If so, at least it is new and not trapped in a stagnant history of ex-colonisers and their ex-colonies. Hearteningly, China does not hide its wish to make profit out of its dealings with Africa behind altruism or religion or paternalism. …But if China's dealings in Africa do not point to an attempt to make Beijing a metropolis, then it is better not to recast the Chinese arrival in Lagos as the second act of the British landing in Eko; it is better that history serves as merely a loose reference for dealing with foreign powers.”  Inspired by Chibundu Onuzo, The Guardian ow.ly/hdFxv Image source Twitter ow.ly/hdFrY Africa the new white man’s burden (February 4 2013)

Chibundu Onuzo the 21 year old Nigerian author of her first novel ‘The Spider King’s Daughter’ has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Africa and the new white man’s burden’, referring to China taking advantage of the Colonialism shadow still casts over the west’s relationships with African countries. Onuzo states “Kipling’s burden was shouldered by men who felt a calling to civilise the “half devil, half child” peoples who apparently proliferated the 19th-century world. …Things have somewhat changed in the 21st century. Many who take up the load of development do so, if not with guilt – for guilt is too unnuanced a term –, then with an acute awareness of all that has preceded their arrival among the less economically developed of the earth. …So they tread carefully, mindful of sensibilities that are both figment and real. They overlook corruption because it is how things are done in Africa. They laud substandard leaders because it is how people are ruled in Africa. To criticise or hold under too deep a scrutiny is to be accused of being an agent of a new type of colonialism. It is true that the phrases neocolonialism and neoimperialism are not obsolete. …There are cries that China’s is a new imperialism. If so, at least it is new and not trapped in a stagnant history of ex-colonisers and their ex-colonies. Hearteningly, China does not hide its wish to make profit out of its dealings with Africa behind altruism or religion or paternalism. …But if China’s dealings in Africa do not point to an attempt to make Beijing a metropolis, then it is better not to recast the Chinese arrival in Lagos as the second act of the British landing in Eko; it is better that history serves as merely a loose reference for dealing with foreign powers.”

 

Inspired by Chibundu Onuzo, The Guardian ow.ly/hdFxv Image source Twitter ow.ly/hdFrY