Description
Book SynopsisFills an important gap in the study of Africa's international relations and its engagement with rising economies in the Global South. When Lula da Silva became President of Brazil in 2003 he declared Africa a priority of his country's ambitious global foreign policy. During his presidency, Brazil became one of the key emergent powers in Africa through strengthening political ties, development cooperation and trade with the continent. While, the Dilma and Temer presidencies had other political priorities, strong links with the continent continued to exist. The authors trace the longhistory of Brazil-Africa relations from the early 16th century and the slave trade, through their decline during European colonialism, their resurgence following many African countries' independence, fluctuations during Brazil's military rule in the 1960s and '70s, to the expansion of its interests under Lula and the first years under Dilma. Taking a broad range of perspectives, they examine: the way in which the rights of those of African descent have become increasingly recognized without having brought racial equality; the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral links with the continent and the growth of South-South cooperation; and Brazil-Africa relations in the South Atlantic context. The final chapter looks at the wider implications of the present political and economic crises for Brazil's future foreign policy in Africa, and the likely impact of new president Jair Bolsonaro elected in late 2018. Gerhard Seibert is Lecturer at the Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (UNILAB), Brazil; Paulo Fagundes Visentini is Historian and Full Professor of International Relations at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).
Trade ReviewThis valuable book, with a blizzard of facts and figures, demonstrates that official Brazilian interest in Africa has been spasmodic, and has not truly represented the fact that at least 51 per cent of the population are of African descent. * THE ROUND TABLE *
This book presents important contributions, * African Studies Review *
Chronicling six decades of relations between a state actor on one side and a continent on the other is no easy feat, especially in the form of an edited volume of diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Editors Seibert and Visentini step up to the plate in the aptly named Brazil-Africa Relations: Historical Dimensions and Contemporary Engagements, From the 1960s to the Present. Amid the different levels of criticism and depths of analysis in its seven chapters, the book holds an impressive breadth of knowledge. -- Ana Beatriz Ribeiro * Austrian Journal of Development Studies *
Table of ContentsIntroduction - Gerhard Seibert Brazil-Africa Relations from the sixteenth to the twentieth century - Gerhard Seibert Brazil-Africa Relations under Globalisation: From Adaption to Consolidation - Paulo Fagundes Visentini The Multilateral and Regional Dimension of Current Brazil-Africa Relations - Paulo Fagundes Visentini Brazil's Development and Financial Cooperation with African Countries - Gerhard Seibert The South Atlantic in the Framework of Brazil-Africa Relations - Analúcia Danilevicz Pereira Africa in Brazil: Slavery, Integration, Exclusion - Antónia Aparecida Quintão Brazil-Africa relations after Lula: Continuity Without Priority - Gerhard Seibert and Paulo Fagundes Visentini Conclusions - Paulo Fagundes Visentini Brazil-Africa Relations: A Chronology Bibliography
