From the Slave Trade to 'free' Trade

This compilation of articles commemorates the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade and the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence. Drawing on lessons from the slave trade, studies of the international finance institutions, and the struggles of many African people to make a living, these essays provide insights into how free trade policies have a profoundly negative impact on democracy and justice in Africa. Whether it is the effects of trade policies on informal street traders?who in Africa are often women?the decimation of a country's health system as a result of the World Bank's obsession with low inflation, or the sacrificing of community rights in the interests of multinational corporations, it is clear that "free" trade policies impose a profit-first and people-last regime in Africa. Contributors include Charles Abugre, Tope Akinwande, Soren Ambrose, Nnimmo Bassey, Patrick Bond, Jennifer Chiriga, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, M. P. Giyose, Manu Herbstein, Mouhamadou Tidiane Kasse, Salma Maoulidi, Stephen Marks, Mariam Mayet, Henning Melber, Winnie Mitullah, Patrick Ochieng, Oduor Ongwen, Robtel Neajai Pailey, Liepollo Lebohang Pheko, and Jagjit Plahe.

Patrick Burnett is the news and information coordinator for Fahamu and the coeditor of Pambazuka News. He has a background in journalism and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Firoze Manji is the founder and executive director of Fahamu and the editor of Pambazuka News. He is the former program director for the International Secretariat of Amnesty International and the former CEO for the Aga Khan Foundation UK.