This book, edited by Donato Di Sanzo, Beatrice Falcucci, and Gianmarco Mancosu, stems from a seminar series organised by the editors for the Società Italiana per lo Studio della Storia Contemporanea (SISSCO) and supported by the Association for the Study of Modern Italy (ASMI). The seminars, held under a similar title, took place at the University of Palermo (19–20 November 2021) and the University of Cagliari (16–18 June 2022).
The focus of this work is on Italy’s complex connections with African and Asian countries that had recently gained independence or experienced colonial control in the past. Within this framework, the editors – who have been dealing with these topics from different perspectives for several years – propose rethinking the concept of ‘postcolonial’ as both a broader analytical tool and a subject of investigation, extending beyond colonial legacies to encompass Italy’s modern history, international relations, and socio-cultural context.
The book is structured into three thematic sections: the first focuses on the elaboration of decolonisation processes and the subsequent planning of international cooperation strategies. The second addresses the structuring of the complex system of Italian technical cooperation. Lastly, the third examines these issues through the lens of migrations in their multi-dimensional aspects, reflecting on the mobility of people, expertise, and resources in the aftermath of the colonial system.
In the first thematic area, the contributors analyse decolonisation and cooperation strategies through case studies that highlight both continuities and transformations. Falcucci and Mancosu focus on Italy’s relationship with Somalia, demonstrating how colonial and trusteeship periods shaped bilateral technical cooperation projects in later years. Antonio Carbone, on the other hand, adds a new layer by framing the Italian Meridione within the broader category of the global South, anchoring his analysis to the case of the Centro per lo sviluppo economico between the 1950s and 1960s. Meanwhile, Arianna Pasqualini and Gabriele Siracusano explore the strategies of the Italian Communist Party in Africa, revealing, among other aspects, how the death of Enrico Berlinguer marked a symbolic turning point, contributing to the gradual extinction of relations with African countries, and leading to a more generalised humanitarian-toned solidarity approach.
Shifting the focus to technical cooperation, the second group of contributions opens with the article by Federica Colomo, who brings the relationship between Somalia and Italy back to the centre. The author focuses her analysis on university cooperation as a tool of cultural diplomacy, demonstrating how Italy’s influence extended far beyond the trusteeship period, shaping the Somali ruling class and the very process of nation building. Emanuele Giusti broadens the geographic scope by examining Italian technical cooperation in Iran on the verge of the White Revolution, illustrating the enduring impact of colonial knowledge in development cooperation practices. Delving instead into the period preceding the formalisation of cooperation practices, Valeria Deplano addresses the early initiatives of the Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) in training personnel from some countries formerly under colonial control. One of the most notable findings is that, within a framework already recognised as Eurocentric and developmentalist, there was room for discursive elements relating to the debates on decolonisation and neo-colonialism. These, however, ultimately contributed to constructing the paradigm of Italian exceptionalism in its neo-colonial aspirations toward newly independent countries. Finally, Lorella Tosone investigates Italy’s changing stance at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development between the 1960s and 1970s, documenting its evolution from an initial ‘lack of interest’ to a more engaged role, shaped by both international and domestic pressures.
The book’s final section addresses mobility and migration, offering three different case studies. Andrea Possieri examines the arrival of Vietnamese refugees and boat people in 1979, emphasising the event’s role in reshaping international solidarity through the emerging concept of sans-frontierisme. Valentina Fusari sheds light on the activities of Italian Catholic missionaries in Eritrea between the 1960s and 1980s in encouraging the development of an international migratory network for minors during the liberation struggle. Fabrizio Ciocca concludes with an analysis of the Moroccan, Tunisian, and Egyptian diasporic communities in the formation process of the Islamic community in Italy, highlighting the impact of the evolving migratory composition in post-1970s Italy and the historical conjuncture shaped by the oil crisis, which influenced international cooperation agreements.
The overall picture that emerges from this book is one of a work that finds its main quality in its composite nature, successfully conveying the complexity and multifactorial aspects of the processes it examines. The internal references among the individual contributions – both implicit and explicit – help to underline the interplay between political, cultural, and social dynamics, while the inclusion of authors from different generations enriches the dialogue of an ascending historiographical trend, highly deserving of further analysis. Lastly, one of the main merits of this book is its contribution to broadening the understanding of ‘postcolonial’ beyond the narrow scope of colonial legacies, anchoring it in medium- and long-term dynamics and emphasising its relevance to the broader histories of international relations and Republican Italy.
