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The Plea  to the Poor 1977, Julius K. Nyerere

Mr. President; Your"Excellencies;-Ladies' and Gentlemen.
I am going to speak to you about Poverty, or more specifically,.the relations between the Haves and the Have-nots of the World. Your country is the richest in the world. With some 6 per cent of the world's population I am told that you use over 30 per cent of the non-renewable resources available in a year.

My own country, Tanzania, has the doubtful distinction of being included among the United Nations list of the 25 poorest countries of the world. Perhaps it is not surprising, therefore, that I am one of those people who complain bitterly about the present world economic system and loudly demand that it should be changed. I would like to try to explain what, as we see it, the problem IS, and why the poor nations are demanding fundamental changes.

We are all involved.

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Ujamaa - The Basis of African Socialism, Julius K. Nyerere - 1962

Socialism - like Democracy - is an attitude of mind. In a socialist society it is the socialist attitude of mind, and not the rigid adherence to a standard political pattern, which is needed to ensure that the people care for each others welfare.

The purpose of this paper is to examine that attitude. It is not intended to define the institutions which may be required to embody it in a modern society.

In the individual, as in the society, it is an attitude of mind which distinguishes the socialist from the non-socialist. It has nothing to do with the possession or non-possession of wealth.

Destitute people can be potential capitalists - exploiters of their fellow human beings. A millionaire can equally well be a socialist; he may value his wealth only because it can be used in the service of his fellow men. But the man who uses wealth for the purpose of dominating any of his fellows is a capitalist. So is the man who would if he could!

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From a speech delivered at the opening of a World Assembly of Youth seminar in Dar es Salaam in 1961 -  Julius K. Nyerere.

I am a firm advocate of African Unity. I am convinced that, just as unity was necessary for the achievement of independence in Tanganyika, or in any other nation, unity is equally necessary for the whole of Africa to achieve and maintain her independence.

I believe that, left to ourselves, we can achieve unity on the African Continent. But I don't believe that we are going to be left to ourselves! I believe that the phase from which we are now emerging successfully is the phase of the First Scramble for Africa, and Africa's reaction to it.

We are now entering a new phase - the phase of the Second Scramble for Africa. And just as, in the First Scramble for Africa, one tribe was divided against another tribe to make the division of Africa easier, in the Second Scramble for Africa one nation is going to be divided against another nation to make it easier to control Africa by making her weak and divided against herself.

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The Economic Challenge, Dialogue or Confrontation, Address-given by President Julius K. Nyerere to the Royal Commonwealth Society 21st November, 1975 - London

Royal Commonwealth Society Speech 21st November, 1975, The Economic Challenger Dialogue or Confrontation

Mr. President of the Royal Commonwealth Society; Your Excellencies; Ladies and Gentlemen.

I have chosen to speak today about Poverty for three fairly obvious reasons. First; Poverty or more specifically the relations between the rich and the poor - is a very topical, and in some quarters, contentious subject. Second: this is a Commonwealth Society. At Singapore in 1971, in its Declaration of Principles, the Commonwealth declared "We believe that the wide disparities in wealth now existing between different sections of mankind are too great to be tolerated" Both at Ottawa in 1973, and at Kingston earlier this year, Commonwealth leaders have been discussing what should be done about these intolerable disparities between rich, and poor. So the Commonwealth is concerned. And third; my country does not belong to the Third World. In the latest parlance it belongs to the Fourth World. Poverty is. a. very urgent matter to us; along, with the Freedom .Struggle it is at the core of all our national activity; it would therefore be absurd for me not to talk on this subject with you.

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Tanzania Ten Years after Independence 1971, Julius K. Nyerere

In Bagamoyo in December 1961, I made what many people regarded a rash statement, I said that in the coming ten years we, the people of Tanganyika, would do more to develop our country than the colonialist had done in the previous forty years. Have we justified my prophesy? More important, how does life feel to the people of Tanzania

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South Africa and the Commonwealth 1971, Julius K. Nyerere

At a press conference in the United States in December, 1970, and as reported by the B.B.C., Prime Minister Heath said: "The Commonwealth has always existed and worked on the basis that members respect each other's interests".

Tanzania certainly has no quarrel with that description of one aspect of the Commonwealth. It implies a mutual responsibility between Commonwealth members, as well as the complete national sovereignty of every individual member to pursue his own country's interests. In other words, it is a recognition that, while every Commonwealth member has complete freedom to make its own decisions, each nation has also, by its membership, accepted an obligation to try to the best of its ability to pursue its own interests and needs in such a manner that its actions will not adversely affect the basic interests of other members.

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Speech by the President of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, Monday July 20,1964

Mr. Chairman and Dear Brothers,
I want to join you all in adding to yours my expression of gratitude to President Nasser, his Government and the People of the United Arab Republic, for their hospitality and brotherly reception. In these expressions of gratitude and appreciation it is not easy to avoid giving the impression that one is merely expressing formal politeness.

I would therefore like to temper the formal part of this expression by reminding our hosts of what needs no reminder at all, that without the efforts.of our rainmakers in East Africa, the Egyptian people would not find it easy to be as hospitable as they are. But rainmakers apart, it is a great inspiration to us all (o see what a united country can do under inspired leadership.

Before coming here I did hope that we would not be making formal speeches. I thought that our host would make an opening speech; one of us would reply; and then we would plunge into the business of the agenda before us. But I find that we all have to make speeches, I am told that this is in the tradition of the United Nations. But I think there are two fairly good reasons why we should not follow the example of the United Nations.

Firstly, the General Assembly meets for a very long time indeed. We are assembled only for a few days. Secondly, the United Nations was never intended by…

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