Unit: Decolonization and Independence

Boycott

Abstain from using or purchasing goods or services.

Civil disobedience

The refusal to follow certain laws, usually those viewed as unjust, as a form of protest.

Nonviolent protests

Refusing violence in favor of peaceful methods to gain political goals.

Partition

The act of dividing something.

Passive

Not active, dominant, or forceful.

Refugee

Someone who goes to another country to escape danger.

Decolonization

Process of moving from colonial to independent status.

Insurgency

Rebellion against the government.

Junta

A military group that rules a country by force.

Regime

Government in power.

Secede

To formally withdraw from a group or organization.

Separatist

One who supports secession from a larger state, often based on ethnicity or religion.

Corruption

A lack or morals.

Demand

Call for something urgently.

Incite

Encourage or provoke.

Pan-Africanism

A movement that sought to unify people or African descent and establish independence for African nations.

Apartheid

South Africa’s official policy of racial segregation.

Militant

Aggressive, resorting to violence or armed a conflict.

Rigid

Firm or unyielding.

Sabotage

The strategic destruction of an enemy’s property.

Sanctions

Economic restrictions meant to punish another country.

Segregation

The separation of a group or people, usually along ethnic or racial lines.

Implement

To put into effect.

Intermittently

Every once in a while.

Liberal

A philosophy that believes it is the government’s role to correct social inequalities.

Nationalize

To transfer control of land or industry from private owners to the government.

Opposition part

A political party not in power that works to oppose the government’s policies.

Referendum

A political decision given to the voters to decide during a general election.

Dissension

Disagreement about important matters.

Favela

A crowded area of a Brazilian city where people live in makeshift shacks.

Generalization

A broad statement about a group that is based in fact, but may not be true of everything or everyone in that group.

Human rights

Rights to which every human being is entitled.

Junta

A small group that controls a government, especially after seizing power.

Populist

A political leader or idea that represents the interests of the common people (rather than the wealthy elite).

Anti-Semitism

Hostility toward Jewish people.

Emigrated

Left a nation to move to another.

Intifada

Palestinian uprising of civil disobedience.

Mandate

An order putting a nation in charge of managing another nation.

Recognized

Established diplomatic or political relations with another nation.

Zionism

A political movement dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish state in Palestine.

Adherence

The act of doing what is required.

Ayatollah

A religious leader of Iran.

Fundamentalist

Person or group following a strict set of principles.

Sectarian

Relating to political or religious groups.

Shah

The term for a king of Iran.

Westernization

The assimilation of Western culture.

Coalition

A political alliance formed to accomplish a mutually beneficial goal.

Controversial

Giving rise to public disagreement.

Terrorism

The practice of committing violent or destructive acts to achieve political goals.

Weapons of mass destruction

Weapons that cam kill or injure a large number of people at one time or cause massive damage to structures.