Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Julius Nyerere (Tanzanian Statesman)

Julius Kambarage Nyerere (1922–99,) called Mwalimu (Swahili: “Teacher,”) was a Tanzanian political leader. Deemed as the father of the nation, he served as Tanganyika’s—and later Tanzania’s—leader 1962–85.

Born in Butiama, Tanganyika, Nyerere was the son of Chief Nyerere Burito of the Zanaki tribe. He initially trained and worked as a teacher, but after studying at Edinburgh University 1949–52, he became the country’s first graduate. Upon returning home, Nyerere became absorbed in nationalist politics and founded the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954.

Nyerere led Tanganyika to independence in 1961, serving as its prime minister 1961–62 and its president 1962–64. In 1964, he successfully negotiated a union with Zanzibar, creating the new United Republic of Tanzania, and served as its president 1964–85.

Nyerere was one of Africa’s foremost international statesmen and was highly influential in the non-aligned and anti-apartheid movements. He was very critical of other African leaders’ abuses of power. In 1979, Nyerere sent the Tanzanian army to depose Uganda’s Idi Amin. Nyerere was also the principal force behind the Organization of African Unity (OAU; replaced by the African Union in 2002.)

Under Nyerere’s autocratic but mostly benign socialist government, Tanzania made progress in social welfare and education. Nyerere became a leading proponent of ‘African Socialism,’ an ideology that was critical of both capitalism and Marxism. He detailed his ideas in such several influential books as African Socialism (1961,) Freedom and Unity (1967,) Ujamaa: Essays on Socialism (1968,) and Freedom and Socialism (1968.)

William Edgett Smith’s We Must Run While They Walk: A Portrait of Africa’s Julius Nyerere (1971) is a critical biographical study.

More: Wikipedia READ: Works by Julius Nyerere

A nation which refuses to learn from foreign culture is nothing but a nation of idiots and lunatics… But to learn from other cultures does not mean we should abandon our own.
Julius Nyerere

No nation has the right to make decisions for another nation; no people for another people.
Julius Nyerere

The education provided must therefore encourage the development in each citizen of three things; an inquiring mind; and ability to learn from what others do, and reject or adapt it to his own needs; and a basic confidence in his own position as a free and equal member of the society, who values others and is valued by them for what he does and not for what he obtains.
Julius Nyerere

When we were at school we were taught to sing the songs of the Europeans. How many of us were taught the songs of the Wanyamwezi or of the Wahehe? Many of us have learnt to dance the rumba, or the cha cha, to rock and roll and to twist and even to dance the waltz and foxtrot. But how many of us can dance, or have even heard of the gombe sugu, the mangala, nyang umumi, kiduo, or lele mama?
Julius Nyerere
Topics: Dance, Dancing

Small nations are like indecently dressed women. They tempt the evil-minded.
Julius Nyerere
Topics: Nation

Freedom to many means immediate betterment, as if by magic. Unless I can meet at least some of these aspirations, my support will wane and my head will roll just as surely as the tickbird follows the rhino.
Julius Nyerere
Topics: Aspirations

Violence is unnecessary and costly. Peace is the only way.
Julius Nyerere
Topics: Peace, Violence

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