ABSTRACT

This book reviews Cabral’s intellectual contribution to current debates on race, identity, nation building, democracy, leadership and ethics. The key leader of the national liberation movements of former Portuguese African colonies is considered to be one of their foremost intellectuals the continent has produced. This rare combination of freedom fighter, operational campaigner and astute political scientist justifies the academic interest in his contribution.

Africa's Contemporary Challenges reviews the impact of Amilcar Cabral’s thinking, and its relationship with contemporary debates about race, identity, nation building, democracy, leadership or ethics. The complexity of Cabral’s vision and hopes for Africa continues to incite curiosity and interest. Cabral's tragic assassination in 1973 has removed the possibility of analysing his impact on post-independent Lusophone Africa, but his thoughts continue to be the most important reference.

This book was published as a special issue of African Identities.

chapter |5 pages

Amilcar Cabral: a contemporary inspiration

ByCarlos Lopes

chapter |22 pages

Amilcar Cabral and the fortunes of African literature

ByMaurice Taonezvi Vambe, Abebe Zegeye

chapter |18 pages

Challenges to state building in Africa

ByGeorges Nzongola-Ntalaja

chapter |10 pages

Reading Cabral on democracy

ByLars Rudebeck