The optimistic utopia: sacrifice and expectations of political transformation in the Angolan Revolutionary Movement

Abstract

In this paper, I propose an anthropological discussion of the correlation of utopia and optimism, in relation with ideas of personal and collective sacrifice. To do so, I will invoke my ethnographic research on political activism in Angola, particularly the so‐called Revolutionary Movement – a group of young activists challenging Angola’s authoritarian regime. During recent Luanda fieldwork, I observed how most of the ‘Revús’ engaged in self‐sacrificial behaviour, exposing themselves to police brutality, imprisonment and social discrimination, in their struggle towards a brighter collective future. This optimistic and somewhat Gandhian stance marks a dramatic departure from the sense of fatalism and ‘culture of fear’ that seems otherwise to prevail in Angola. I will question if and in what terms such stances are ‘utopian’ and configure ‘principles of hope’, as Ernst Bloch would put it. In the process, I will perform a critical interrogation of the correlation of utopia, hope and optimism.

Youth-Led Social Movements and Peacebuilding in Africa

“…The intensive use of social media transforms the organisation and communication of protest. In Angola a revolutionary movement inspired by the Arab Springs known as 'Revús' was formed in 2011 (Blanes 2021). The Revús grew mostly due to their outspoken defiance and contestation of the regime, demanding the end of the everlasting rule of former President José Eduardo dos Santos and his party, the MPLA.…”