UDI 50th Anniversary Postgraduate Workshop

UDI 50^th Anniversary Postgraduate Workshop

November 4, 2015 10-4pm at the University of Bristol with keynote speaker Sue Onslow

Fifty years ago, on 11 November 1965, the Rhodesia Front Party issued a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) from Britain. Only in 1981, after a prolonged, radical national struggle, attempted economic isolation, international hostility and brutal civil war did internationally-recognised independence come, under black majority rule. The importance of Zimbabwe’s colonial past is still contentious on the local, regional and international stage, as are the political ramifications and social trauma.  What  was the legacy of events in and around Southern Rhodesia in the early 1960s, in terms of the county’s position today on the local, regional and international stages?

This workshop considers not only how decolonisation of the surrounding area influenced the events that took place in November 1965, but also how international pressures and events coalesced to result in UDI. Papers on the Central African Federation, Southern African decolonisation in the 1960s, apartheid and race relations in Southern Africa in the 1950s and 1960s, international relations and decolonisation in the 1950s and 1960s and British policies relating to African decolonisation will be welcomed.

Please send a 250-word synopsis of your paper along with a short bio to Khaleelah.jones@bristol.ac.uk