Decolonization: A New World

Fanon encapsulates the essence of colonization when he describes it as a process that created a compartmentalized world. A world that is steeped in a Manichean conflict, a world that dictates that there are only two diametrically opposed sides, with one always seeking to dominate the other. Fanon says that ‘the colonial context…is characterized by the dichotomy it inflicts on the world.’ Colonialism has been defined in many ways, such as economic exploitation or political subordination, but ultimately it is about dividing the world into two, and claiming that one force is superior, more intelligent, more cultured, of the correct ‘race’ i.e. white. In contrast, the other i.e. the colonized world is that which is inhabited by savages, by the inferior, by those with no culture, by the ‘enemy of values.’ If one accepts this as the definition of colonialism, then decolonization, in turn can only be something that stands in stark opposition to this. In Fanon’s own words, ‘decolonization unifies this world.’

A key element of the decolonization process is to thus not simply combat European colonialism and the means of persecution that were deployed against the Third World but to promote, develop and indeed create a new culture, both on the national and global level that stands in profound contrast to the divisive world carved by the colonialists. This perspective may seem overly positive in the face of the deeply unsettling horrors and tragedies of colonialism, and Fanon is not one to simply forgive and forget. The wretched of the earth, especially the first chapter is entirely devoted to the justified anger and the consequential violence that must be enacted by the colonized subject in order for them to regain their sense of self, and to preserve or indeed give rise to the dignity that had been seized from them.

It is in the ashes of this anger, however, that Fanon implores the colonized subject to not simply reverse the tide, and reenact the injustice, violence, inequality and racism that characterized colonialism but to find new ways of existing in the world that move beyond binaries and dichotomies of us vs. them, of East vs. West, and of Europe vs. the Third World. This is exemplified in the words of Sengalese patriots as quoted by Fanon, “we asked for the Africanization of the top jobs and all Senghor does is Africanize the Europeans.” The key is to not emulate the European system with slight injections of African flavor, but to completely restructure the way the world works.  In his text, Fanon expresses disappointment at the United States of America for freeing itself from the shackles of colonialism and yet never really decolonizing for it continued to exact upon the world the same violence and capitalistic injustice that was created by Europe. Indeed, one has to question whether even the violence that is integral for the colonized subject to carry out is not simply an emulation of Europe. Colonization has conditioned its victims to have particular responses that again fall within certain binaries, so it is worth questioning whether violence too is a remnant of the world that Fanon wishes for us to leave behind.

In the conclusion to the text, Fanon comes full circle with his hope for the future of decolonization. To him, it is a process by which we envision a new way of existing, and through which we fashion an entirely new kind of human being. It must be acknowledged that Fanon provides no blueprint for how exactly this restructuring is to take place, but a mere glance at the contemporary world shows that it is but a regurgitation of all that Fanon warned us about. He may not have left us with all the answers but perhaps it is essential to comprehend the gravity of his message, and to truly understand what he means by creating a new being for a new world, and only then can we actually take concrete action towards that goal.