WHAT DOES THE BRITISH EMPIRE MEAN TO YOU?
Nostalgia? A hazy memory of a middle school history lesson? The suffering of people the world over? A necessary evil? A change in the course of global history? Brutal plunder and poverty? Something to aspire to?
The British Empire officially existed for half a millennium, involved millions of people, caused some of the biggest population shifts and technology transfers in history and influenced nearly every corner of the globe, but it's something that's rarely talked about in mainstream conversation, whether you're in Britain, Barbados, Ghana, India or any one of the former colonies.
Britain put great effort into destroying evidence of the atrocities it committed throughout the empire. Today, what's taught in schools in England is sparse and the national sentiment seems to be one of pride and nostalgia; in a 2016 YouGov poll, 44% of respondents said that they were proud of Britain's colonial past, with 21% regretting that it happened and 23% holding neither view. In former colonies, the legacy of empire lives on in political and education systems, in geographical borders, in language, culture and identity, and there still exists a narrative, propagandised by Britain during its rule, that British culture is superior that the empire was necessary for their development.
But how has the British Empire shaped the world really? And can a realm that killed millions, carved up continents and set up unequal systems of resource extraction that still exist today still be believed to be an act of altruism? We think these are questions that need answering desperately and honestly and that's why we're here.
Want more? Read on.
with this project, we hope to:
Examine the mindset that lead to the colonisation by Britain of other independent nations.
Broaden public understanding of how immigration into the UK is linked to the reaches and actions of British imperialism. To rethink the origins of migrants and dismantle inferiority complexes.
Re-school people in our collective understanding of the 'British Empire', its history and how it has contributed to the make up of the country and world today; connecting the dots across the global system.
Acknowledge the trauma the British Empire has caused across the globe; challenging the mainstream narrative in the UK that the British Empire was necessary, civilising and altruistic and that any atrocities or harms committed were regretful collateral damage; that 'development' wouldn't have been possible without it.
Reframe the narratives around current British foreign policy that it's Britain's role to 'export democracy' and British values to other sovereign nations.
Decolonise the mainstream narrative in former colonies that British culture is superior to their own and that the Empire was necessary for their development.
Encourage people to question British international development policy today and the mainstream narrative that British aid to 'developing' countries is given altruistically. This ignores the fact that it’s often given in the national interest of the UK and that much more is taken back from those countries in resources, profit repatriation, debt repayments etc. than is given. To hold the government to account for the poverty and inequality it perpetuates for the benefit of Britain.
Offer a platform for people from former colonies and the diaspora community whose lives and heritage have been affected by the Empire to share their experiences with the British public.
Provide opportunity for people from the diaspora community to explore and understand how the empire has shaped their identity
Facilitate understanding and empathy in (primarily white) British public for the experiences of those living in and from former colonies and the impact that this has had and continues to have on migrants and people of colour in the UK.
And ultimately, to foster an understanding that we're all connected humans, with shared hopes and dreams and desires and that we can all work together to create a more beautiful world that works for all.
Press
“Britain Has Never Faced Up to the Shame of Empire”, Oscar Ricketts, Vice, 2017. Read it here.