The death in 1999 of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the first president of Tanzania, left a cavern in the consciousness and conscience of the people of Tanzania and Africa. Nyerere was not simply a player on the national terrain. He was a Pan-Africanist and an internationalist – in thoughts, writings and, crucially, in his practice. A giant of the liberation movement, Nyerere spoke out loud against injustices across the world. A decade later, his words, actions, achievements and shortcomings have acquired a sharper focus and relevance to our world.

This book includes contributions from leading commentators, those who worked and fought imperialism alongside Nyerere, members of a younger generation – and Nyerere in his own words. Their writings reflect on Nyerere and liberation, the Commonwealth, leadership, economic development, land, human rights and education. Above all, they are a testament to the growing recognition of the need to rekindle the fires of African socialism to which Nyerere was deeply committed.

'Such a publication in memory of an acclaimed historical figure could have easily been a purely nostalgic retrospective exercise, but this is not the case here. The relevance of many of Nyerere's thoughts and visions about a people-centred development and about cutting loose from the perpetuation of a dependency syndrome in most African countries is today still as true as it ever was. This is intended to be one key message of the book.'

Rolf Hofmeier Former director of the Institute of African Affairs in Hamburg (part of the German Institute of Global and Area Studies/ GIGA)

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A FAHAMU BOOKS AND PAMBAZUKA PRESS PUBLICATION