Malawi and Scotland Together in the Talking Place Since 1859

12. Conclusion: The Conversation Continues

Ϯϭϴ  12. Conclusion: The Conversation Continues Malawi’s first President, Kamuzu Banda, used to say to visiting Scottish Moderators: “Had there been no Church of Scotland there would have been no Malawi.”1 From the arrival of David Livingstone, through the establishment of the Scottish Missions, through the resistance to Portuguese and Arab ambitions, through the struggle against the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, through the attainment of independence, through to Malawi’s struggles of more recent times – at every turning point in history the Scottish dimension has been important for Malawi. Less frequently recognised is the fact that Scotland too has been influenced across one hundred and fifty years by its connection with Malawi. In particular, the Malawi dimension has fostered a sense of distinct Scottish identity, not least at times when this was in some jeopardy. The failure of the Darien scheme cast a long shadow across Scottish history. With Malawi came the opportunity to wield influence in another part of the world, this time not simply with a view to commercial advantage but with high ideals of human freedom and dignity. It was fitting that when the Scottish Parliament reconvened in 1999, after an interval of almost three hundred years, the first foreign Head of State to address it was Bakili Muluzi, President of Malawi. The African nation has played an important role in fostering national consciousness in Scotland and in nurturing an outward-looking national identity. In both nations an appeal to their shared history in the life and work of David Livingstone can be guaranteed to evoke a strong response. The scenes at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre in 2009 when Malawians celebrated the 150th anniversary of Livingstone’s arrival in their country, described in Chapter 2, demonstrate how powerful this memory remains in the early 21st century. In Scotland too it should not be underestimated. Reflecting on the definitive event of the 1959 Church of Scotland General Assembly, John McCracken remarks: “No one single factor can explain why in 1959 the Church of Scotland intervened so actively on the side of Malawian nationalists. One reason appears to be historical: the Ϯϭϵ  belief that Scotland had a special responsibility for the Nyasaland Protectorate as a result of the connection with Livingstone.”2 This belief was evoked again in 2004-05 when a new round of Scottish solidarity with Malawi was launched. All through this history a major challenge for all involved has been the level of poverty prevailing in Malawi. It was apparent during the colonial period that Nyasaland was, in economic terms, one of the weakest of Britain’s many colonies. The landlocked situation and lack of mineral wealth which impeded economic development in colonial times has continued to bedevil post-independence efforts to achieve prosperity. Overcoming the poverty which blights the lives of too many of Malawi’s citizens remains the priority issue whenever Malawians and Scots meet, talk and plan. Nonetheless, the relationship of the two nations is marked by a mutual respect which transcends a shocking disparity in living standards and inspires efforts to resolve it. This mutual respect has found expression in three main features of the relationship between the two nations: the struggle for justice, the sharing of faith and the experience of friendship. The relationship was born in a struggle for justice – namely David Livingstone’s passionate opposition to the slave trade. This inspired the Scots who followed in his wake, including those who established the Livingstonia and Blantyre Missions in the 1870s, those who fought Mlozi in the “Arab Wars” of the 1880s, and those who proved to be a thorn in the side of the British Administration during the 1890s. It marked Malawi apart from the territories south of the Zambesi where racist whitedominated regimes came to hold sway. It continued to inspire the Scottish connection with Malawi and came to fruition in the struggle to overcome the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland during the 1950s. Scots played a significant role in the attainment of independence and in the struggles occasioned by the dictatorship which followed. They gave significant support to the movement which brought multi-party democracy to Malawi. They continue to be actively engaged in the struggles for justice which have marked the democratic dispensation in Malawi. ϮϮϬ  At the same time the Malawi connection has played a significant part in the development of Scotland as a responsible nation. The strength of commitment to Malawi which...