Kwame Nkrumah’s “Unite Now or Perish” Speech As a ‘Classic’ Text in International Relations
Introduction
In his May 24, 1963, speech at the inauguration of the OAU Conference in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, doctor Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, gave a stirring speech with a clarion call “we must unite now or perish.” In his speech, he advocated for a strong Union of Independent African States to form one block of states. Nkrumah was convinced that it was only through unity that African states which were getting themselves slowly off the colonial hook would achieve development or progress. According to him, with such a unity, the continent would be able to stand up against imperialism and neo-colonialism which continued to impoverish it through the exploitation of its natural resources such as gold, diamonds, platinum, uranium, iron ores, and copper. He argued that the West had enriched itself with Africa’s resources and it was then time for it to take up control of its resources to be able to achieve industrialization and trade development. However, his dream of united states of Africa did not materialize as African heads of states in Addis settled instead for an Organization of African Unity (OAU). This speech echoes a lot of important historical realities, some of which Africans now have to contend with as they reminisce Kwame’s message. The text could, therefore, be described as a classic text under international relations for various reasons because it espouses different aspects of international relations and thus fits the textbook definition of a ‘classic text’ under IR.
However, as Biddal, Sylvester, and Wilson (2013), “a classic work goes beyond the merely useful, noteworthy, and valuable” (p. 2). To be a classic text, such work has to be one that to some significant respects is considered by many in a particular field as being exemplary or seminal. A classic work according to them should be one that people of culture are required to or ought to read and have in their home libraries. Nkrumah’s speech as a text certainly meets this required characteristic because it is to a great extent seminal in nature. It is exemplary in the way it calls on African states to embrace the idea of unity for a prosperous continent. The speech’s historical setting, that is, having been written at a time when African states were gaining their independence from the colonial powers, also gives it some exemplariness and makes it an important text that culturally, everyone needs to read to understand Africa’s past and future. Nkrumah’s speech goes beyond being useful, valuable, or worthy of being exemplary and seminal as it represents a unique writing on African and international relations issues.
Furthermore, according to these authors, a classic work or text is one that has stood the test of time to some degree and “continues to be read across the generations” (Biddal, Sylvester, and Wilson, 2013, p. 2). Besides this, however, a classic work is one that crosses borders or frontiers, and its appeals have to go beyond a particular country and if possible, be translated into other different languages. Apart from this, a classic text or work is a piece of literature that has some element of consistency and continuance besides producing fashions, tradition, and unity. Such work endures and transmits itself from one generation to the next. Using this definition of the classic by these authors, Nkrumah’s speech may be described as being a classic text to some extent since it has stood the test of time since it was first written. The speech also has the characteristics of continuance and consistency.
Furthermore, a classic work is one that has the effect of enriching the human mind and must express to certain degrees some universality, centrality, and comprehensiveness (Burchill et al. 2005, p. 98). A classic work also needs to “express the maximum possible of the whole range of feeling which represents the character of the people who speak that language” (Biddal, Sylvester, and Wilson, 2013, p. 2). Classic books, for example, are expected to be one that people would describe as being unexpected, fresh, and new. For essentialists, a classic text is one that open text which can generate new understandings, interpretations, and ideas. Classic works also signify different things to different people or generations. Such works are described as classic not due to lack of substance or open to more than one interpretation, but they are considered as classic “because they possess a substance that is ‘patient of interpretation’”(Biddal, Sylvester, and Wilson, 2013, p. 3).
Classic works are those that are open-ended and complex to ensure that different societies, generations, and cultures find new meaning in it. Most of these descriptions clearly fit Nkrumah’s speech as a classic text in international relations. It is a text that every culture would find important to read but also one that would be interpreted differently or in the same manner by different people. The speech by Kwame Nkrumah may also be argued to be a classic text in international relations because of its high value to the African cultures, communities, and societies. The speech is also classic because of its eternal, superior, and sacred nature. It is also of its continuing significance and value to the relations between African states and other western nations and among the African countries themselves.
However, a classic work has nothing to do with either the classical approach or the classical tradition as these approaches refer to methods, bodies, and particular types work rather than the status of the work. According to Biddal, Sylvester, and Wilson (2013), under international relations field, a text or literature and work may be classified as being classic if it contains certain types of features. Firstly, such classic works are those that are undisputed and acknowledged classic texts (Brincat 2014). Then there are the archetypal classic texts which are works that are deemed to be the best expressions of important approaches, paradigms, and schools of thought. Such texts are those that are recognized widely and used as exemplars. Examples of these classic works include Political Theory and International Relations which is an exemplary of cosmopolitanism and The Anarchical Society that is an exemplar of the English school of thought or approach to international relations. The other type of classic work is classic in the making which are texts that were recently published. There is also the overlooked classic which includes works such as Bananas, Beaches, and Bases and Three Guineas that do not have a much intense following and have not been acknowledged much by various sub-groups. Lastly, the alternative format classic is those that either go against the conventional understanding of what a text is or should be. Nkrumah's United or perish speech in the international field may be and should be described as being a classic text because it matches most of these types of classic text. It portrays various approaches to the issue of unity of African states and also demonstrates Nkrumah’s displeasure with the dominance of the Western powers on the continent.
Moreover, the text may be subject to different interpretations by international relations scholars. The text should also be described as a classic text in international relations because, in it, Kwame Nkrumah delves into various aspects of international relations such as the relationship between African countries and other western powers. He explores various issues such as neo-colonialism and imperialism which he claims to be responsible for Africa’s status on the international plane and hence the need for all the independent African countries to unite and form a strong continental body. It may thus be described as being an undisputed and archetypal classic work whose authority has not been challenged, is influential, and expresses a particular tradition or school.
Nkrumah’s speech should also be considered as a classic text because of the persuasive way in which it has been written and presented. In the speech, Nkrumah urges African leaders to come together to form a unified nation as this would be the only way they would reign in on some of the challenges that face the continent. He uses a persuasive political language or tone that appears to have the intention of convincing them to see the need for unity. To let them buy his idea about a unified Africa, Kwame gives clear evidence of how the western masters who colonized the continent still have a lot of influence there in the form of neo-colonialism and that this state of affairs is likely to continue unless the African countries form independent states of Africa. Moreover, Kwame uses a political language that highlights the plight of African nations whose natural resources are being plundered and shipped abroad to benefit other countries while the African nations continue to wallow in poverty and underdevelopment. His speech, therefore, brings to fore important aspects of political science and international relations. However, given that the values of an individual and social circumstance will usually affect one’s classification of a text as a classic work, Nkrumah’s work may not fully qualify as a classic text in international relations given that Kwame was in a sense speaking on his behalf and that of himself.
Further, the speech by Nkrumah should be described as a classic text in international relations because it portrays certain aspects of international relations theory. For instance, in the speech, components of the emancipatory international relations theory come into the picture. The speech demonstrates Kwame’s feeling that there is a need for Africans to emancipate themselves from the claws of the colonial powers that according to him would continue to pull the continent back and hence the need for unity to lead this emancipation. The international relations theory of cosmopolitanism in which insists on the idea that all states and their citizens belong to a single political community that needs cultivation is also evident in Nkrumah’s speech. This theoretical framework is evident in his text when he argues that the various countries making up the African continent should come together and embrace a unity of purpose.
The interdependence theory of international relations is also evident in the speech by Nkrumah since he explores the interdependence among the African countries and between these nations and their western counterpart which he argues are only concerned about the exploitation of the continent’s natural resources. The Marxian or Marxist theory on the economic relations between states also comes up in the text by Kwame and hence making it a relevant classic text in international relations.
Additionally, the realism and institutionalism theories of international relations which posit that all states have similar behaviors and goals or interests also fit into Nkrumah’s speech and hence making it a classic text in international relations. The reason for this is that in the speech, Kwame Nkrumah describes the colonial and western powers as being states that are self-interests actors whose only interest in the lack of unity in Africa is to pursue wealth found in its resources for their survival and development. He complains of constant interference in the internal sovereign affairs of African states by the imperialists as was the case in Congo with the aim of creating an atmosphere of political instability and tension that would distract Africans as their crucial resources are being shipped away to benefit the West.
The text or speech by Nkrumah should also be described as a classic one in international relations because it points out important aspects of international relations, such as neo-colonialism, liberalism, democracy, politics, economic development, economic independence, and imperialism. According to Nkrumah, Africa has the highest number of natural resources and capital, but unfortunately, as a result of the lack of economic independence and its subservience to the West for a long time has made it difficult for governments to raise and improve the lives of people in Africa. He argues that with unified states of Africa, investors would not have to consider the risks associated with negotiating trade deals with individual governments, but with a unified block, something that would promote trade and industrial growth in the continent.
He also blames the backward position of Africa at the international stage on its overdependence on the colonialists for capital it needs for development. According to him, the military pacts between most independent African states and their former colonial powers results in illusory security and political stability as the neo-colonialists use these facts to establish military bases from where they entrench themselves hence causing tension and conflicts that characterize the continent. For this articulate narration of the reasons why unity among African nations was necessary, Kwame Nkrumah’s “unite or perish” speech in Addis Ababa should be described as a classic text in international relations.
Conclusion
In closing, because the speech by Kwame Nkrumah possesses most of the qualities of a classic work or text, it should be described as classic in the international relations field. It has historical and cultural or political relevance is consistent and important for Africa’s present and future, it is comprehensive and persuasive or convincing, and has stood the test of time. It also espouses various aspects and theoretical underpinnings of international relations. The speech also represents a classic text in international relations based on the manner in which Nkrumah uses different theories and aspects of international relations. In the speech, he uses urges African nations to unite and consider their long term relations with the West which he blames for being against African unity as it would end their decades of colonization and plunder of African resources. Additionally, the work by Nkrumah is a classic text because it has historical significance to the present and future of Africa. It is a text that can be passed through generations as it defines the destiny of Africa as a continent and its place on the international stage.
References
Biddal, H., Sylvester, C., & Wilson, P. (2013). Classics of international relations: Essays in criticisms and appreciation. New York: Routledge
Brincat, S. (2014). Review- Classics of International Relations. [Online] (Updated 2014) Available at: http://www.e-ir.info/2014/11/29/review-classics-of-international-relations. [Accessed Jan. 8, 2017]
Burchill, S., Linklater, A., Devetak, R., Donnelly, J., Patterson, M., Reus-Smit, C., & True, J. (2005). Theories of international relations. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
