Home
Task
Resources

History
Topics
Samples

 


BERLIN CONFERENCE:
Creating a Better Africa

First Meeting of the Berlin Conference

  Task   

Resources

 History  

Topics

Samples

GETTING STARTED 

    In 1884, German chancellor Otto von Bismarck called together 14 of the major western powers of the world to negotiate questions and end confusion over the control of Africa;
but not one delegate from the continent of Africa was invited!

    At the time of the conference, 80% of Africa remained under traditional and local control. What ultimately resulted was a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africa into fifty irregular countries. By the time independence returned to Africa in 1950, the realm had acquired a legacy of political fragmentation that could neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily.  Now, it is YOUR chance to turn back the clock and establish a system of boundaries and countries (a minimum of 20 for this simulation) that will improve the future of the African continent, while maintaining your region's perspective during that time period.  Because an effective resolution to the reorganization of Africa is of paramount importance, you have received the following letter, which asks you to help to develop a new border system.


OTTO VON BISMARCK, CHANCELLOR of GERMANY
Chairman of the Conference
BERLIN  GERMANY
 


Committee Delegate:

  The Conference Commission requests your immediate presence in Germany as a delegate to the Berlin Conference. You and your delegation, experts in the areas of economics, geography, ethics, military history, and international negotiations, have been appointed by your government to represent them in this process. Each nation present will be allowed to participate in a three-day review and deliberation to determine the fate of the African Continent.

   Your timely presence in Berlin by 15 November 1884 will allow your country to be heard. As Chairman of the Berlin Conference, I assure you that your task will be difficult, but of supreme importance to the future of Africa, Europe, and the entire world. 
 
 

Otto von Bismarck
OTTO VON BISMARCK
CHANCELLOR of GERMANY


TASK

    You are a member of a delegation representing a particular region at the Berlin Conference, so in effect, we are reinventing history.  Your delegation must create an original boundary system for the entire continent of Africa.  To complete this task, you will create a document containing your region's position on the adjustment of the African boundaries, and a resolution to the issue.  You will also create an original map depicting your new Africa.

1)  Research: your first responsibility is to research your assigned region; the areas of particular interest are Northern, Western, Central, Eastern, or Southern Africa. There are several links provided on this site to get you started.  This will allow you to represent your assigned region intelligently, and to act “in character” even when specific information about a topic may not be available (e.g. what types of governments exist in your region?  What types of problems have occurred in your region's past that could have been prevented?, etc.).

2)  Division of labor: secondly, you must familiarize yourself with the continent of Africa through resources, maps, and data, and not solely information on your assigned region.  You must then establish criteria by which you will prioritize the delimitation of the boundaries of Africa.  There are many priorities you may consider, however, it is recommended (but not required) to use the acronym "SPIRE" in order to divide the researching duties within your group:

- Social (and demographic): population density, popualtion totals, age cohorts
- Political: government styles, established tribal kingdoms, access to navigable rivers
- Ideological (and cultural): languages, religions, ethnicities
- Regional (and natural): physical landscape, climate, access to major oceans or rivers
- Economic:
mineral access, arable land, preventing landlocked states

3) Regions you can represent (UN Geoscheme for Africa):

Northern Africa (modern states: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara)
Western Africa
(modern states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo)
Central Africa
(modern states: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe)
Eastern Africa
(modern states: Burundi, Comoros, Djiboiuti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Reunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
Southern Africa
(modern states: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland)

 

POSITION PAPERS AND RESOLUTIONS

    When you have gathered enough data and maps, and have established the underlying criteria and philosophies guiding your region's decisions, you are then ready to construct your position paper and proposed resolution.  Your position paper will contain your region's underlying criteria and philosophies in dealing with the establishment of the borders of Africa.  It is divided into three sections, A) the background of the topic, B) positions taken by your delegation, and C) justification for your positions.

    Your resolution will immediately follow the position paper. It begins with the Subject (e.g. North Africa on the Issue of Establishing a New African Border System), then uses Preambulatory Clauses to describe the resolution’s intent and motivation before moving on to describe the specific action which will be taken by the Berlin Conference in the Operative Clauses, which offer specific solutions to the problem (some samples are provided in this site).  The correct format must be used to demonstrate organized thinking and professionalism.  Remember to represent to goals and desires of your respective nation to the best of your ability.

    A map containing all new countries must be created, either by hand or using a computer program, to be attached to the position paper and resolution.  Use the blank map of Africa provided in this website.  In addition to the position paper, resolution and map, each project must contain a section describing the amount of work each individual has contributed. Finally, each member will fill out a group evaluation by the end of the simulation.

TO SUMMARIZE

The basic steps you and your fellow delegates must complete:
  · Designate the duties of all delegates in your group (e.g., focus on social (demographic), political, ideological (cultural), regional (natural), and/or economic.
  · Research the essentials of the Berlin Conference, your respective region, and the general goals and inclinations of ALL other delegations.
  · Analyze maps and data to familiarize yourself with the African continent.
  · Establish a hierarchy of priorities by which you will create an original boundary system for Africa (e.g., kingdoms, access to water, mineral wealth, language, religion, etc.).
  · Create a position paper articulating your region's goals and priorities with respect to the issue of establishing the boundaries of Africa.
  · Compose a resolution creating a minimum of 20 countries, maximizing equality between all nations and minimizing the potential problems between all new countries.
  · Construct a detailed map of all new countries created by your delegation's position paper and resolution.
  · Make an alphabetized bibliography that lists the sources of all information used by every member of the group.
  · Include a section describing the amount of work each individual had contributed to the overall project.
  · Submit your delegation's original position paper, resolution, and map to your instructor.

Back to top

 

RESOURCES

In addition to your textbook, encyclopedias, and other books available to you, the following internet sources will help you to complete this task.

Maps of Africa (several African maps)

Blank Map of Africa

Blank Map of Africa (.pdf format)

CIA World Factbook

Country Studies: Library of Congress

World Geography (PantherWeb Database)

United Nations

Back to top
 

Back to top