Suchergebnisse

There is very wide agreement, with which I fully concur, regarding the abhorrent and unacceptable character of apartheid and regarding the inevitable demise of minority rule in South Africa. There is, however, honest disagreement regarding the best way for Americans and others to assist in effecting change. Differing motives for recommending disengagement may also sometimes confuse the issue. Disengagement can reflect such diverse policies as neutralism, non-cooperation, dissociation, intervention, or withdrawal. It can reflect a desire to induce change by positive steps or an acceptance that little can be done, but that the disengager will at least not be implicated or involved in a detested situation. To some it is the isolation of the disengager that is the goal; others appear to be propounding as-full-as-possible isolation of South Africa.

The sixth annual meeting of the African Studies Association, the leading American academic society of specialists on Africa, was the first to be held on the west coast. Although attendance could not be expected to match that at meetings in the east, a registration of over 250 testifies to the increasing strength of African studies in America. Quite a few of the founders of the Association were present, but the participation of many newcomers suggested that a second generation of American Africanists was bringing new vigour and insights to the field. Several visiting African scholars made notable contributions to the meeting.