Pursuit of National Self-Determination Decolonization

What is Self-Determination? Self-determination is the process by which a country/nation determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiance and government. Sovereignty is the state or quality of having supreme power and/or authority. What criteria must be met for a group to be recognized as a nation-state? Who has the power to grant a new nation-state the right to self-determination?

Forms of Self-Determination Self-determination can be achieved through violent means such as war or revolution, or non-violent means. The main means of self- determination are decolonization, successor states, referenda, and third-party process.

Decolonization Decolonization is the process by which a colonial power grants independence to its colonies. Decolonization (00:00- 03:10).This is the means in which Canada achieved its independence from Britain.

Why would Colonial Powers give up their Colonies? Colonial powers generally give up their colonies and dismantle their empires because they have found that maintaining colonies has become too expensive and/or difficult.

Independence of India and Pakistan Like many other nations around the world, India and Pakistan were former colonies of the Britain Empire since 1857. After WW2 Britain found that maintaining the empire was too costly, and as such made India and Pakistan independent states in 1947.

Mahatma Gandhi: Independence through Protest Mahatma Ghandi was a British-educated lawyer who became the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement. Gandhi and his followers resisted British rule through non-violent disobedience, and he preached for Hindu-Muslim peace and unity after independence. Gandhi’s Philosophy of Non-Violence

India and Pakistan: Why there are Two Countries The two largest ethnic groups in British India were Hindus and Muslims, whom have been feuding over the territory for years. When the land became independent, contrary to Gandhi’s desire for religious unity and peace, Pakistan became primarily Muslim and India became primarily Hindu, sparking one of the largest migrations in human history. This migration resulted in the deaths of some 500,000 people. Partition of India (03:10-05:45)

Current State of India and Pakistan Both India and Pakistan are both striving to fully modernize their nations and to have peaceful relations with each other, the two nations still have periods of hostility through border disputes, and the fact that both nations are nuclear powers troubles many.

Mozambique: When Independence is Thrust Upon You Mozambique is a Southern African nation that from as early as the 1500s was a colony of Portugal and other private companies, who generally exploited the territories natural resources and indigenous population. Mozambique gained its independence in 1975 after several armed anti-colonial groups in Mozambique engaged in conflict for self-determination.

Why Portugal Decolonized Mozambique The armed anti-colonial groups did not receive a lot of support and made little progress, but a coup in Portugal resulted in most of Portugal’s colonies being decolonized.

The Carnation Revolution 1974 The Carnation Revolution was a peaceful coup that took place in Portugal on April 25 1974. It was led by captains of the Portuguese army in response to the authoritarian government of Portugal and the economic troubles the country was facing. At one point, Portugal was spending about 40% of its budget trying to maintain its African colonies.

Hardships that the Mozambican People Face(d) 90% of the skilled labourers left Mozambique, leaving few skilled labourers in Mozambique to maintain infrastructure. Plantations that provided the agricultural products for export were left unworked. As no transitional government was put in place, a lengthy civil war took place.

Mozambique Civil War The war ended in 1992, with an estimated 1 million people killed and over 1.7 million people becoming refugees in other countries. Mozambique gained a new constitution that called for a multi-party political system, a market based economy, and free elections. By 1995 some 4 million displaced peoples returned to Mozambique. How peace came to Mozambique

Current State of Mozambique Although Mozambique has made great strides to modernize and build its economy (gas fields discovered on Mozambique’s coast in 2011), over half of its 24 million population live under the poverty line, and there are still cultural and political issues that threaten the peace in Mozambique.

Reflection Questions What are the main reasons why a colonial power would choose to grant independence to its colonies? What are some challenges that a newly independent colony could face? What institutions and/or systems do you think need to be in place to facilitate a peaceful transition from colony to nation-state? Do you think self-determination is worth the possible loss of life that could follow independence?