Africa

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation has been active in Africa since its international work began in 2000

Together with its African and German partners, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation seeks to add its voice to discourses and topics on European–African relations in order to contribute to a diverse, relevant, and informed debate. 

Even decades after the end of colonialism, the Global North continues to assert economic, political, and military dominance over the Global South. Subjecting these relations to critical examination, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation believes that any project seeking to undo past and present structures of power and inequality among people must be guided by a sense of historical awareness. 

Many Africans are driven to leave their homes due to a widespread lack of political and economic prospects. In many cases their situation is exacerbated by social hardships such as famine and environmental catastrophe and the violent conflicts that emerge as a result. Adding to this is an awareness that neoliberal economic concepts, structural adjustment programmes dictated by foreign donors, and the hegemony of the Global North tend to block rather than benefit the region’s independent development. Together with left-wing forces across Africa, the foundation’s work seeks to strengthen progressive discourses and develop and implement alternatives. 

As part of a broad network spanning political initiatives, research institutions, youth organizations, trade unions, movements, and parties, we envision a form of socio-ecological transformation from below rooted in change in the here and now, and pushing for a reconfiguration of both the international division of labour as well as international trade relations.

Activities

  • Developing socio-economic and political alternatives and strengthening actors in identifying their own aims and targets
  • Fostering democratic participation from below and advocating for civil rights
  • Defending access to natural resources and common goods
  • Understanding societies and addressing conflicts

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation maintains offices in North, West, East, and South Africa. Their work is complemented by two programme offices focusing on academic cooperation (Tunis) and food sovereignty (Johannesburg).