Rituals of Power: Theory, Languages, and Vernaculars of International Relations

It is contended that the Rassemblement democratique africain (RDA) functioned as a challenge to the Western position that modern Western languages were central to a new world order. Although the RDA advocated an ethos of global interactions shared by its Western counterparts, it is asserted that the African political organization's vision surpassed the Western political imaginary & moral order. Western perceptions of a post-Cold War international order are contrasted. Despite the tendency for Western scholars to perceive the RDA as a political organization that advanced no theory of global politics, it is maintained that public political speeches contain symbolism with both discursive & nondiscursive referents. Consequently, the RDA's political speeches seem necessary for creating a social world & effectively communicating African historical consciousness. J. W. Parker