Panel 27: Re-Visiting "The Winds of Change": The Role of Europe and The United Nations in the Decolonization of Africa Half a Century Ago

The ’winds of change’ - a phrase coined by the British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan in speeches in Accra and Cape Town in early 1960 - marked the beginning decade of decolonization of African states half a century ago. These decolonization processes - despite their individual specificity and unique characteristics in each case - shared some common structural features.

The panel seeks to explore the legacy of these processes for African states and societies today and the possible changes in their development since obtaining formal Independence. A particular interest is in the focus on the role of the former European colonial powers and the United Nations in the transition towards sovereignty.

Invited are general papers on the historical context of the decolonization processes in the 1960s and thereafter as well as individual case studies. Special preference is given to Dag Hammarskjöld and the United Nations in the Congo, since 2011 marks the 50th year of dag Hammarskjöld’s death in his efforts to seek a solution to the conflict in the Congo. The panel will be held in combination with a Colloquium separately organized by The Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation in commemoration of Dag Hammarskjöld and his role in the decolonization of African countries.