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76547-01 - Lecture: Switzerland and the Struggle for Independence in Lusophone Africa (2 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Elisio Macamo (elisio.macamo@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Johannes Schubert (jon.schubert@unibas.ch) |
| Content | Fifty years ago, the Portuguese colonies in Africa – Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe – achieved independence after long and complex liberation struggles. This MA-level lecture marks that anniversary by exploring the histories, societies, cultures, and economies of these countries, with a special focus on the global networks that supported their emancipation. From anti-colonial guerrilla movements to transnational solidarity campaigns, the course examines the intersections between African aspirations for self-determination and international activism, with Switzerland as a surprising and revealing case study. The lecture will open with thematic introductions by the instructors, providing students with essential background on the colonial histories, social structures, political visions, and postindependence trajectories of Lusophone Africa. These sessions will situate the liberation struggles within broader currents of 20th-century decolonisation, Cold War geopolitics, and African intellectual history. A distinctive feature of the course will be a series of guest sessions with individuals who, from Switzerland and abroad, participated in solidarity movements during the 1960s and 1970s. They will recount how student groups, trade unions, churches, and grassroots organisations mobilised to support African liberation and reflect on the hopes that animated their activism, the challenges they faced, and their present-day assessment of what became of the countries they championed. These personal testimonies will provide a rare, first-hand perspective on the entanglement of Swiss civil society with global anti-colonial struggles. Open to students from across the humanities, social sciences, and beyond, the course invites interdisciplinary dialogue on decolonisation, memory, and international solidarity. It will appeal to those interested in African history and politics, transnational activism, postcolonial studies, and the moral and political responsibilities of small states in a globalised world. Through lectures, discussions, and encounters with living witnesses, participants will gain a deeper understanding not only of Lusophone Africa’s road to independence but also of how struggles for justice reverberate far beyond their geographic origins. |
| Admission requirements | Regular attendance, active engagements with the guest speakers especially, one response paper to the readings. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 17.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 24.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 01.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 08.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 15.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 22.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 29.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 05.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 12.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 19.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 26.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 03.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 10.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Wednesday 17.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Kollegienhaus, Seminarraum 212 |
| Modules |
Electives Bachelor History: Recommendations (Bachelor's degree subject: History) Modul: Transfer: Europa interdisziplinär (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Modul: Ungleichheit, Konflikt, Kultur (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Module: Conflicts and Peacebuilding (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: Europeanization and Globalization (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Wahlbereich Master Geschichte: Empfehlungen (Master's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Soziologie |