The Curse of Berlin
<p>Through sorcery and extraction, the EURO–VISION series begins with Prof Adekeye Adebajo, Director of the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg. The conversation focuses on the history of extraction between the European and the African continent, which has laid the groundwork for the Critical Raw Materials Initiative to take shape. A key event in this genealogy is the Berlin Conference (1884-85), led by the Chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismarck, during which plenipotentiaries of fourteen states — none of which were from Africa — assembled to discuss the partition of the African continent. After a century and a half ago this meeting continues to shape Africa’s borders today, as well as its governance, its economy, its international relations, and the extraction of its materials. The latter of which is often either towards Europe, or to benefit European-owned companies. Based on Adebajo’s monograph, <em>The Curse of Berlin: Africa after the Cold War</em>, we delve into the extent of von Bismarck’s legacy and the significance of this event in contemporary international affairs.</p> <p><em>The EURO—VISION Podcast is also featured in the fourth issue of The Contemporary Journal, <a style="background: #f2e315; font-weight: 500;" href="https://www.librarystack.org/emergency-and-emergence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Emergency and Emergence</a>.</em></p>
Host: FRAUD, Audrey Samson, Francisco Gallardo
Guests: Adekeye Adebajo
Musicians: Frédéric Laurier
Sound Editor: Kitty Turner
Designers: Francisca Roseiro
Part of: EURO—VISION Podcast