Peter Lindhoud, Ecumenical concern about racial differences and rapid social change in Northern Rhodesia 1924-1964

In 1924, Northern Rhodesia became a British colony. At the end of the 1920s, copper mining developed in the Copperbelt, where a racially divided society developed. The Ecumenical Movement had already devoted attention to the social effects of mining in this area in the 1930s, in particular the response of churches and missions to this development. The foundation of the Central African Federation in 1953 gave a boost to African nationalism and its strong reaction against racism challenged the churches and missions to take a stand as well. In 1956, the World Council of Churches started a study programme about areas of rapid social change. One of the study areas was the Copperbelt where racial tensions were raising concern. This study is about the (dis-) continuity of the Ecumenical Movement's involvement between 1924, when Northern Rhodesia formally became a colony, and 1964, when Northern Rhodesia became the independent nation of Zambia. It examines the prominent role played by race relations in the social effects of mining and industrialisation through studies and consultations focused specifically on political, economic, and social developments.