ColonialismTeaching maTerials for secondary levels i and ii

relaTed modules: discriminaTion, PoverTy and WealTh, (fair) Trade, land graB

6 Teaching uniTsTeaching maTerials for secondary levels i and ii

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TEACHING NOTES

This module is made up of four parts:

Background: The theme of colonialism is introduced, complete with its impact on our lives

today and with background information particularly regarding the colonial history of Germany.

The text can be read together with pupils.

Worksheets: The tasks and questions primarily address colonialism as a historical phenomenon,

as well as the traces it’s left in our modern, everyday lives. Various methods can be used.

Supplementary notes aid the individual preparation of the lesson.

Role model: Hendrik Witbooi campaigned at the time of colonial rule in present-day Namibia

against oppression by colonial leaders, and is regarded as a symbol for the fight for freedom

during the colonial period.

Project example: The work of victims’ associations of the genocide in Namibia is presented.

GLOBAL LEARNING IN SCHOOL

1 Instead of dividing countries into categories “developed” and “undeveloped”, in global learning the terms “Global North” and “Global South” are

used. Global South describes a disadvantaged political and economic position in the current world order. Global North on the contrary means an

advantageous, privileged position. It does not take into account the country’s position relative to the equator. See publication “Mit kolonialen Grüßen”

from Glokal.

The teaching and learning programme of the school campaign, “UNITed for AfrIcA”, positions

itself as an education branch of global learning, understood as an educational answer to globali-

sation. The goal of global learning ist to integrate global topics into the curriculum and make

global contexts more comprehensible in education. Global learning is evidently value-based and

raises questions relating to global justice and equal opportunities. In doing so a differentiated

view on global contexts is to be taken. Through the principle “recognise-evaluate-Act”, the

pupils acquire important competencies whereby all dimensions of experience of the parti-

cipants should be addressed—head, heart and hand.

The learning approach is interdisciplinary and methodically versatile. Key themes include human

rights, global justice, racism, peace education, environmental education, fairtrade and inter-

cultural learning. The concept was developed at the beginning of the 1990s in europe. It started

from educational development policies and recognising that development is not the sole respon-

sibility of the so-called “Global South”1. only if those in the “Global North” change their attitude

and lifestyle can sustainable global development succeed. In order to achieve this, the educa-

tional approach of global learning focuses thematically on interdependencies between local

and global issues and suggests answers to a question like “What is my role in all this?” and

demonstrates how each and every person can actively campaign for a just world.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

To this day the colonial history of Germany and europe

determines our coexistence. The way we speak, our street

names, and how we look at the world is characterised by

a way of thinking that originated in the colonial period.

colonial thinking patterns and social structures, perhaps

in subliminal dimensions, still linger in our thought pro-

cesses and corporate structures today, leading to margi-

nalization, violence and discrimination. So if you wish

to understand the unequal conditions of our everyday

life, it is important to look at the colonial past and German

colonial history.

The meaning of colonialism

The term “colonialism” is derived from the Latin word

colonia, meaning “settlement” or “establishment”.

Already in the origin of this word a general attitude to

colonialism is visible. It appears that the occupied colonies

were previously uninhabited and “uncivilized”. The colo-

nial powers envisioned that they would turn the colonies

into a habitable place with culture and history. But of

course, this was not the case. The native population had

lived on their land for a long time and similarly had exer-

cised traditions and cultural practices for centuries,

exactly as the europeans had done. colonialism isn’t just

about occupying foreign territories but also about buil-

ding a worldview of being “more civilized” and “better”

than the existing inhabitant groups.

Interests of the colonial powers

reasons for colonisation differed vastly. An expansion

of a colonising country’s own political power was a central

aim for the occupation of colonies. furthermore, the

economic exploitation of the regions was in the interest

of the colonial powers. The search for new markets and

raw materials as well as the distraction from internal

political tensions were also reasons for a colonial sub-

jugation of foreign territories.

Germany as a colonial power

Germany also wished to profit from the wealth of other

regions and participated in the european project of colo-

nialism. even before the official acquisition of colonies

in 1884, Germans were active in colonial areas. As a

consequence of the industrialisation and the rise of Ger-

many to an economic superpower, German merchants

in particular were actively exploiting the local populati-

on in other parts of the world. These merchants played

a key role in the emergence of German colonies through

their trading locations, which were the starting point for

colonial occupation. The German colonial empire, con-

sisting of one million square kilometres and twelve million

people, was the third largest territory and fifth largest

population-wise. A large number of regions were com-

pletely or partly under German colonial rule. In addition

to the present-day African states of Namibia, cameroon,

Togo, Tanzania, rwanda, Burundi, Ghana and part of

Nigeria, the Pacific states of the republic of the Marshall

Islands, Papua New Guinea, the republic of Nauru, Western

Samoa and the federated States of Micronesia were also

occupied and exploited by the German empire. These

territories were trivially labelled as “Protection areas”. In

many locations, the German colonial rulers encountered

resistance, to which they responded with armed conflict

or even genocide, such as the genocide in Namibia.

Effects of colonialism

The impact of the colonial period can still be felt today.

for example, in many formerly colonised regions, the

language of the former colonial powers is still considered

the official language of the country (except Somalia and

Tanzania). This language continues to be used in school

for teaching, while local vernaculars are often considered

inferior in value. Additionally, the geographical location

of the capital in many countries reflects the interests of

the colonial powers. The development of infrastructure,

such as a railway network, at the time was mainly for the

exploitation of raw materials. for example, even today

there is no connection to neighbouring countries in came-

roon and Togo. The cultivation of agricultural crops and

the harvest of natural resources still does not take the

needs of the local population into account. In the colo-

nial period, the needs of the colonial powers, currently

the countries of the Global North, drove exports. In a

number of cases, the former colonies were bound to

There are still traces of colonialism to be found in Ger-

many. In many German cities street names still comme-

morate conquered territories, key colonial players or

carry racist names. The project freedomroads! offers an

overview of street names in Germany as well as the post-

colonial culture of remembrance in Germany:

www.freedom-roads.de

www.bpb.de/apuz/146973/geschichte-des-europaeischen-und-deutschen-kolonialismus?p=all

IdA-expertise „Kolonialismus und Kolonialrassismus in der Bildungsarbeit“ by Jule Bönkost and Josephine Apraku (2016)

Wieland eschenhagen (2003): Kolonalismus

their colonial power on many levels despite official inde-

pendence, resulting in new forms of dependency (neo-

colonialism). “Land grab” for example describes the

actions of large companies (which are often owned by

shareholders from the Global North), that acquire land on

a large scale in countries of the Global South and displace

the local population and their local agriculture. The over-

exploitation of soil and the depletion of nature have thus

continued since the colonial era to the present day in

Africa.

Racism during the colonial period

There is no scientific or biological basis for the division

of people into so-called “races” because the dNA of people

is up to 99.9% identical. Nevertheless, in the (German)

colonies, the establishment of “race” as a social category

as well as the division of people into racial groups served

as a legitimation for violent actions. By means of the

invented category of “race” people were, with the aid of

external characteristics, divided radically into groups. The

white physicians, scientists and ultimately the population

at large during the colonial period attributed qualities

to the racial groups that made them “strange” or “the

others”. racism, as we know it today, has its roots in

colonial times where it served as justification for occupa-

tion of colonies.

This map shows the German empire and its colonies in 1914. do you know the modern names of these countries?© commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/file:Map_of_the_German_empire_-_1914.PNG

once you have exchanged first impressions of the poem amongst yourselves, try to better under-

stand the poem on a content level. Begin by researching the concepts and phrases underlined

in the poem above. exchange your ideas about it with others.

What are the underlying notions?

What connection can you see between the terms/messages and the colonial time?

To conclude your research, you can watch the following video:

change your channel by Mallence Bart-Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfnruW7yERA

1-2 Teaching units

difficulty: 2 (medium)

MethodsIndividual work, small group work, research, class discussions

read through the poem “The Self-identity of the colonised” by Burundian priest and writer

Michel Kayoya together and discuss in small groups:

What does the poem describe?

How do you feel about the poem?

Which reasons does Kayoya give for the actions of colonial powers?

The Self-identity of the colonised

The Self-identity of the colonised (Michel Kayoya)

In Berlin, in the year 1885 they divided our continent.

Without asking anyone, they appropriated our misery.

They came to haul us out of our centuries of misery

They came to educate us

They came to civilise us

This Act of Berlin aggrieved me for a long time.

every time I came across that date,

I felt the same loathing.

The fact that a person despises you

I have to admit

You think about it for a day

Then the thought passes

The fact that a nation despises you

You

Your father

Your mother

Your people

That is the limit!

The limit of indignation that a human heart can take.

But the worst thing was that they taught us the date.

I had to learn it by heart.

for one whole lesson they drilled us on the

names of the partners to the Act of Berlin

Their extraordinary abilities

Their diplomatic skill

The motivations behind each one.

In front of our motionless faces, they laid out the con-

sequences:

The pacification of Africa

The benefits of civilisation in Africa

The courage of the explorers

The selfless humanism

But nobody

Absolutely nobody pointed out the indignity,

the humiliation that went with us everywhere.

A person

Someone who is the same as you

Meddles in your affairs

Without asking you

That is gross disrespect,

which wounds every vulnerable heart.

WORKSHEET 1

German-Sierra-Leonean

Mallence Bart-Williams

offers a highly critical

perspective on the African-

european relationship in

her Tedx-Talk.

How does her talk

relate to the message of

Kayoya’s poem?

Food product Country of origin Processed in… Packaged in…

2 Teaching units (with research time)

The Self-identity of the colonisedMethodsGroup work, research, presentation, class discussion

Traces of colonial times can still be found in everyday life. Split into two groups and search

for examples of this. one group should engage with products that come from countries in the

“Global South” (Worksheet 2) and the other group with colonial sites of remembrance and

street names (Worksheet 3).

Colonial produce/products from the Global South

Investigate the range of products in a supermarket. Select different types of food products

(e.g. fruit, dried fruit, chocolate/confectionery, tea, coffee) and check their country of origin as

well as the location of packaging/processing.

Which products are from countries in the Global South and which are from the eU?

How does this compare to the colonial period?

Traces of colonialism in everyday lifeWORKSHEET 2

difficulty: 2 (medium)

In addition to this, research the following questions:

What does the term “colonial goods” mean?

for how long has coffee been consumed in europe?

How did people in Germany benefit by access to goods obtained from the colonies?

What does the abbreviation of supermarket chain edeKA stand for?

What does fairtrade mean?

Food product Country of origin Processed in… Packaged in…

2 Teaching units (with research time)

difficulty: 2 (medium)

Colonial sites of remembranceWORKSHEET 3

Methodsresearch, presentation, class discussion

Colonial sites of remembrance and street names

discuss the following questions together and research colonial street names.

Are there colonial sites of remembrance in your city, municipality, or district?

Is there a monument, a street name, or a company associated with the colonial period?

research 3-5 street names connected to the colonial period.

Which people or places are honoured with these street names?

What do you think about this remembrance?

research social movements on the African continent protesting against landmarks of colonial

remembrance. Summarise their main claims.

If you have completed your research, present

your findings to each other.

Perhaps you could design a poster or a quiz for

the other group? come up with a creative method

in your group that you could use to share your

findings with the others.

Victims’ associations are suing for justicePROJECT EXAMPLE

ROLE MODEL„Peace means death for me and my people since I know that there is no place in your

midst for me” (Hendrik Witbooi)

during the colonial period there were, of course, a lot of people who resisted against colonial

oppression and took great risks in the process. one of these people was Hendrik Witbooi, who

was born in Pella (South Africa) in 1830 and later was “captain” of the Witboois, one of the nomadic

ethnic groups in Namibia. In 1887, three years after the German occupation of what is now

Namibia, Witbooi began his resistance against German colonial power. He was not prepared

to conclude the so-called protection treaty with this empire. Witbooi succeeded in ending the

long conflict with the Herero people and in joining forces with them

against the German colonial rulers. Later in his life he had to back

down for a short time and supported the military of the colonial rulers.

In 1904 however, he was at the forefront of a major uprising against

the colonial power, which cost him his life.

Hendrik Witbooi is still a symbol for the struggle for freedom during the colonial period in Namibia. His picture is on all Namibian bank notes.

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Hendrik Witbooi was able to speak and write fluently in several

languages. His letters and journals are rare written documents from

the colonial period. His journal was published and is available as a book.

The Herero and Nama Genocide in German South West Africa, today’s Namibia, was only officially

politically recognised in 2015. Since then negotiations have taken place between special repre-

sentatives of the German and Namibian governments to deal appropriately with their shared

history. However, the descendants of the genocides’ victim groups remain largely excluded. As

a result, on the 5th of January 2017, the victims’ associations presented

a lawsuit in New York against the German government. As descendants

they want to participate in the German-Namibian government nego-

tiations, as well as negotiating the question of reparations. The plain-

tiffs emphasize that both Germany and Namibia have signed the UN

declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted

by the UN General Assembly on the 13th of September, 2007, Article

18 of which provides that “Indigenous peoples have the right to be

involved, with their self-elected representatives, in decisions affecting

their own rights”. The trial was still ongoing in 2019.Protest of the Victims’ Associations of Herero and Nama Genocide in October 2016 in Berlin.

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AFRICA IN SCHOOL – FLEXIBLE GLOBAL LEARNING TEACHING MODULES

These compact teaching modules include diverse background information, worksheets for practical lessons and a

role model. Possible courses of action for pupils are shown in a project example from Africa. The tasks are designed

across classes and subjects. With little preparation time, teachers can shape the introductory learning modules to

individual topics. The following modules are available at UNITed for AfrIcA (all modules are in German):

INFORMATION AND ORDERSGemeinsam für Afrika e. V./United for Africa e.V.Koordinationsstelle | oranienstraße 185 | 10999 Berline-mail: schulen@gemeinsam-fuer-afrika.dephone: +49 (0) 30/29 77 24 27www.gemeinsam-fuer-afrika.de

Supported by eNGAGeMeNT GLoBAL with financial support from:

TOPIC GRADE 1-5

GRADE 6-13

Peace X

War X

fashion X X

Water X

Introduction to Africa X

Gender X

Mobility X

refugees X X

discrimination X X

Human rights X X

Waste X X

Meat X X

Poverty and wealth X X

TOPIC GRADE 1-5

GRADE 6-13

(fair)trade X X

Hunger and nutrition X X

child soldiers X X

raw materials X X

Land grab X X

Agriculture X X

climate change X X

education X X

Gender equality and

sexual violence

X

Maternal mortalityX

colonialism X

Peace and war X

IMPRINTPublisher: Gemeinsam für Afrika e. V./United for Africa e. V. | St. Töniser Straße 21 | 47918 Tönisvorst UNITed for AfrIcA is solely responsible for this publication; the views presented here do not reflect the views of engagement Global gGmbH and the German Ministry for economic cooperation & development.

This teaching module contains links to third party websites (“external links”). As the content of these websites is not under our control, we cannot assume any liability for such external content. In all cases, the provider of information of the linked websites is liable for the content and accuracy of the information provided.

CONCEPT AND TEXT Lisa Hartke, Ian Mengel, Britta Sommer, Anna Theresa Ueberham, Katarina Wildfang, Sonja Wyrsch

EDITORSAnja emrich (AdrA deutschland) | Vincent Gründler (das Hunger Projekt) | Keith Hamaimbo (Welthaus Bielefeld) | Luise Hoffmann (Kinderrechte Afrika) | Meike reinhard (UNITed for AfrIcA) | Brigitte rolfes (UNITed for AfrIcA) | Anna Theresa Ueberham (UNITed for AfrIcA) | Norbert Vloet (action medeor) | Katarina Wildfang (UNITed for AfrIcA)

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONrebecca Hildenhagen, www.rifkah.com

UNITED FOR AFRICA offers an Africa Learning Kit

with teaching material to touch and experience. Our

newest learning kit is centred on African fashion

and Fairtrade textile production.

Our booklets for primary and secondary school offer a detailed introduction to socially relevant issues of global learning.

We provide speakers in multiple languages free of charge with expertise on Africa who report on their project experience in African countries to schools. A learning session can be provided in English.

Searching for traces quiz: What personal links do you have with Africa? The game

visualises how strongly our own living environment is connected with that of many

African countries in a fun way. The quiz is available in German and English.

Our school campaign regularly organises teacher trainings on global issues.

DESIGN. DONATE. MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. Order our free action kit and use your old t-shirts to make UNITED FOR AFRICA Bags with your class. No sewing necessary. Join us – your actions matter!

OUR FREE TEACHING MATERIALS ON VARIOUSAFRICA TOPICS

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