Every year, May 25th is Africa Day, established in 1963 with the founding of the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union). This date is much more than a symbolic commemoration: it is an invitation to reflect on the colonial past, on the complex social transformations underway, and on the role of Africa in the contemporary world. An anthropological gaze offers us precious tools to understand the many souls of a continent too often described in a simplistic way.
The Weight of the Past: Colonialism and Identity
The impact of European colonialism on Africa is not limited to the political or economic sphere: it has profoundly redefined cultural identities. The borders drawn by colonial powers have often divided similar peoples and forced groups with different histories and social systems to coexist. Modern state institutions, introduced from outside, have overlapped with traditional forms of governance, generating fractures that still today fuel instability and distrust towards the state. Article Here
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