The author was in Africa at a particular moment in its history, the period of its liberation struggle, with its successes and failures, its triumphs and disappointments. It was in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), where the author arrived on June 15, 1954, election day, that the spirit of the times was reflected most definitively. In 1960, 17 African countries achieved independence. However, in the euphoria of the upsurge of nationalism and the struggle for freedom in this period, not much attention was given to the concepts of human rights or democracy. In the 30 years following Ghana’s independence, there were more than 70 coups in Africa and internal conflicts occurred within the liberation movements themselves. Do we create a false dilemma if we point to contradictions between the liberation struggle and the concern for human rights? Each position has its dangers. The danger for the liberation movement is that with its victory it may establish a new tyranny, make excuses for human rights abuses, or naively assume the movement can do no wrong. The danger for the human rights concern is that it can lead to a piety of noninvolvement, apolitical irrelevance, a holier-than-thou attitude, a sense of being above the struggle, and escapism. Yet, the two pursuits should nevertheless have an inextricable relationship. An examination of the situation in the 1990s shows that perhaps the pendulum is beginning to swing toward a deeper concern for democracy and human rights even in the presence of overwhelming problems. Note, ref.
