Consenso di Irmandade: Reading Bissau-Guinean Political Thought on Community and Consensus

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores the political thought of Guinea-Bissau, focusing on the endogenous notions of community and consensus. The analysis turns on discerning the principles underpinning political power and power relations in the organicist setting. The paper considers the indigenous polity and its underlying tenets, by unveiling the centrality of the past, land (tchon), and kinship (djorson) in conceptualizations of the political community. These determine a polity ruled by participatory politics and “brotherhood consensus” (consenso di irmandade, in local creole). As this notion of “brotherhood” is tightly linked to the foundations of the political community, the Bissau-Guinean polity pins consensual politics to ontology. This ontological basis fosters commitment to engage in and reach consensus. This analysis adds to studies on African political thought and theories of consensual democracy. Moreover, the insights offered, however spatial-specific, exemplify the potential of renewed analysis of notions of the political community in Africa and beyond, enriching the repertoire of political theory research.