Reclaiming the Nation ─ The Return of the National Question in Africa, Asia and Latin America

This book compares the trajectories of states and societies in Africa, Asia and Latin America under neoliberalism, a time marked by serial economic crises, escalating social conflicts, the re-militarisation of North-South relations and the radicalization of social and nationalist forces. Sam Moyo and Paris Yeros bring together researchers and activists from the three continents to assess the state of national sovereignty and the challenges faced by popular movements today. They show that global integration has widened social and regional inequalities within countries, exacerbated ethnic, caste, and racial conflicts, and generally reduced the bureaucratic capacities of states to intervene in a defensive way. Moreover, inequalities between the countries of the South have also widened. These structural tensions have all contributed to several distinct political trajectories among states: from fracture and foreign occupation, to radicalization and uncertain re-stabilization. This book re-draws the debate on the political economy of the contemporary South and provides students of international studies with an important collection of readings.

Sam Moyo is Executive Director of the African Institute of Agrarian Studies, Harare, Zimbabwe, and President of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa. He has published extensively on land, agrarian and environmental issues, and has served as director on various boards of research networks and institutes in Africa. His books include the co-edited volume Reclaiming the Land (2005).

Paris Yeros is Adjunct Professor of International Relations at the Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Research Associate of the African Institute of Agrarian Studies. His books include the co-edited volume Reclaiming the Land (2005).