From the Slave Trade to 'Free' Trade: How Trade Undermines Democracy and Justice in Africa

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 Dièye, 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.