Speaker: Donato Ndongo-Biyogo, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

From the perspective of the developed world, it is not easy to understand the African experience, especially the process of decolonization occurring approximately sixty years ago. Such misunderstandings have given rise to various theories about the African experience, many of which are unique. These ideas in turn have led to misinterpretations that often reinforce racist conceptions about the alleged congenital inferiority of the inhabitants in that part of the world. However, an objective analysis of the conditions under which the independence movements took place –and their consequences– would be sufficient to obtain a clear depiction of present conditions. Therefore, in order to break the monopoly of one "single speech" that could lead Humanity to traumatic situations, such as those suffered in Africa during the first half of the twentieth century, it is necessary to provide another vision, that of people suffering from dictatorships. The constant struggle of both African intellectuals and the general population against the tyrannies which subjugate them is mostly unknown to the opinion makers of Western countries. Thus, fostering an awareness of this critical resistance would help to bring to the forefront the political and social realities of Africa.