Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere (April 13, 1922 – October 14, 1999) is one of the principal architects of modern Pan-Africanist thought.
As the first leader of Tanzania, he showed us how to put the African principles of ubuntu and ujamaa – cooperative economics – into practice. He proved to the world that African Socialism works, and his leadership is the reason why Tanzania is ranked 7th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region today.
Every Pan-African should make the philosophies and opinions of Julius Nyerere a part of their studies. This article attempts to outline his teachings, his legacy, and his leadership by example for those who would follow in his footsteps.
- Who Is Julius Nyerere
- Ujamaa – Julius Nyerere on Development
- Umoja And Julius Nyerere on Pan-African Unity
- Kujitegemea
- Nyerere’s Fight For Liberation From White Supremacy and Neocolonialism
- Julius Nyerere Achievements, Legacy, And Warnings From The Grave
- Julius Nyerere Books
- The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Mwalimu Julius Nyerere
Who Is Julius Nyerere
Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere was the first President of Tanzania. Much has been written about his early life here and here. This article, however, will focus on lessons that the student of Pan Africanism should learn from his time as the ‘Father of the Nation’ and his legacy.
If there was just one document that captured Julius Nyerere’s philosophy, it was the Arusha Declaration. It is from this document that we learn of the four concepts that Nyerere preached and practiced. They were:
- Ujamaa
- Umoja
- Kujitegemea, and
- The eternal struggle against white supremacy and neo-colonialism
The Arusha Declaration was delivered in 1967, and quickly became Africa’s most most prominent political statement regarding what it means to be African and socialist.
The following are lessons learned from the Arusha Declaration, as well as practical applications of the philosophies outlined therein.
Part of Mwalimu Nyerere’s moving speech delivered on 25th May 1963 in Addis, Ethiopia “We did not come here to discover whether we all want a free Africa. Event the greatest enemies of African unity know that the one thing on which there can be no doubt that the whole of Africa speaks with one sincere voice, it is our desire to see an Africa completely freed from foreign domination and racialism. We came here to find out what we should all do now in order to bring about the final liberation of Africa. We did not come here to… Read more »