• European humanitarianism in newly decolonised states represented a continuation of imperialism. Discuss.

EUROPEAN HUMANITARIANISM AS A CONTINUATION OF IMPERIALISM Name of Student Course Name of Professor University Date European Humanitarianism as a Continuation of Imperialism Introduction The decolonization of former European colonies remains a highly controversial subject, especially in light of the fact that many decolonized states remained under the rules of the former colonies, mostly in indirect ways. It is not far-fetched to claim that the colonial powers did not want to cede control of their former colonies. Such a position can be justified by exploring the role and significance of the colonies to the colonial powers. In other words, most colonies were major pillars of the political and economic success, especially those used as sources of materials and markets for finished goods. However, due to the bad press associated with colonialism, many colonial powers sought new ways of sustaining their power and imperialism over their colonies. Therefore, more positive terminologies were coined for the relationships between the colonies and their colonial masters to disguise the fact that the relationships were indeed a continuation of imperialism. European imperialism in newly decolonized states represented a continuation of imperialism because aids were not free gifts but a deliberate tool used by these countries to advance vested and often imperial interests. Never Wanted to Leave There is sufficient evidence to support the notion that the colonial powers never wanted to leave their colonies, which would explain why many sought alternative methods to continue their imperialism. Pearson (2017) quotes Sir Alan Burns’1957 In Defense of Colonies, where the author argues anti-colonialism is based on emotion and not reason, and misconceptions instead of facts. Burns is among the people who advocated for an end to the anti-colonial drive by the UN by arguing that colonies had better liberties and better conditions than the independent countries. To demonstrate that this was a shared sentiment among many European colonial powers, Pearson (2017) mentions a French colonial administrator and Belgium’s ambassador to the United Nations, both of whom express dissatisfaction with the United Nations' perceived discriminatory policies towards colonial territories. Portugal resisted decolonization from the mid-1850s until the regime fell in 1974, explaining why Portugal was involved in war for thirteen years in Angola, Guinea, and Mozambique (Barroso, 2020; Beecroft, 2024). Indeed, these countries perceived the United Nations as a threat to their colonial empire. Therefore, it is evident that decolonization was not in the best interest of the colonial powers, and the reluctance to detach themselves from the colonies was apparent. Distinguishing Colonialism from Imperialism The premise of this essay is that European humanitarianism in decolonized countries was a means for the continuation of imperialism. As such, it creates the notion that colonization and imperialism are the same thing. Some scholars have made a case for differentiating between these two constructs. According to Arneil (2023), these two constructs are different and may overlap historically and conceptually, but they have different etymological foundations, creating distinct trajectories. Colonialism means agrarian settlements where excess people were resettled from one state to empty locations to engage in agrarian labor that helped sustain their existence, often while retaining the independence of the colonies. On the contrary, imperialism means dominating foreign peoples and land. Conceptually, these differences make sense and could help avoid erroneous suppositions from a scholarly perspective. However, the nature of colonialism witnessed in regions such as Africa demonstrated that colonialism could be conceptualized as a distinct form of imperialism. As explained by Kumar (2021), the early-modern Western colonialism exhibited a departure from an older history of imperialism. Such a departure manifests through the fact that the colonies were not designed to be independent, and the regions where white settlers occupied were not empty. Therefore, it is not conceptually wrong to equate European colonialism with imperialism. Humanitarianism as the New Form of Imperialism Having clarified that European colonialism was indeed a form of imperialism, it is possible to argue that decolonization ushered in a new era and form of imperialism disguised as more favorable practices. For example, many humanitarian actors claim to have moved on from charity work since the 1960s, often because charity had fallen into disrepute. Additionally, these humanitarian actors focus on the notion of justice as they reject colonial ties and religious differently. This new focus emphasizes structural reforms based on the idea that disadvantaged people have a right to these reforms (Van Dam, 2022). In this case, European humanitarianism evidently acknowledges that charity is not the primary objective of their humanitarian efforts. Similarly, it is evident that the main goal is to push for structural changes in societies where they believe injustices are meted out to the disadvantaged people. A closer examination of these statements reveals distinct similarities to colonialism, especially given that many colonial enterprises started or were disguised as missionary work. The missionary efforts were intended to weaken the traditional authority, values, and potential and replace them with Western values and cultures (Nkomazana and Setume, 2016). Additionally, these efforts were part of a larger vision of selling the indigenous people to the colonizers. According to Bansah (2020), it was also the case that many Christian missionaries dispatched to Africa were active participants in the slave trade, among other malpractices, instead o...