>From: Black Radical Congress <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Statement on the Passing of Nyerere >Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 21:41:33 -0400 > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >The Following is a Press Release/Statement from the Black Radical Congress >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Condolence Message of the International Committee of the >Black Radical Congress to the Family, the Government and >People of Tanzania on the Passing of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere > >October 19, 1999 > >The Black Radical Congress (BRC) joins with others all over the world in >mourning the loss of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere. It is with great >sadness and a profound sense of loss that we have received the news of the >passing of Mwalimu. Julius Nyerere was the President of Tanzania from >independence in 1961 until he voluntarily stepped down in 1985. His >decision to step down demonstrated that political leadership was not the >personal possession of any individual. In the many capacities that he >served in his 77 years he was always an inspiration for those struggling >for justice, peace and socialist transformation. His vision of socialism >and of an original African contribution to humanity touched those in this >society who are in the belly of capitalism and suffer the indignities of >racism, police terror, exploitation and sexism. He provided moral >leadership in a continent where many leaders thought of filling their >pockets and bank accounts instead of serving their people. > >Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was a great human being who demonstrated his >respect for the ordinary Africa and for the lives of all human beings. He >stood out in the continent in his opposition to genocidal violence and he >was one of the few who raised his voice loudly against the genocide in >Rwanda. Up to his last days, in his capacity as one of the diplomats of >the Nyerere Foundation for Peace and Development, he was at the forefront >of trying to bring peace to Burundi to isolate the extremists on both >sides who want to use militaristic means to solve social problems. With >Mwalimu's passing the struggles for peace and stability in Burundi will >have suffered a great loss and the BRC calls on the Organization of >African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations to strengthen the peacekeeping >mechanisms put in place by Nyerere to halt the creeping genocide in >Burundi. The Tanzanian government should resist the military solutions >that are being suggested by the United States through what it calls the >Africa Crisis Response Initiative. > >The Black Radical Congress salutes the heritage of Nyerere in standing >against all dictators, militarists and exploiters whether black, brown or >white. As the chairperson of the Frontline States that supported the >liberation struggles in Southern Africa, Nyerere was steadfast in his >opposition to white minority rule. The independence of Mozambique, Angola, >Zimbabwe, Namibia, and the coming to power of an African government in >South Africa owe a great debt to the leadership of Nyerere and the >sacrifices of the Tanzanian peoples. It was in this same spirit that he >supported Wamba Dia Wamba and the struggle for a new mode of politics in >the Congo. His support for democracy and peace in the Congo is consistent >with his life long opposition to African tyrants and those who seek to use >ethnic, regional and religious divisions to weaken Africa. His support for >the peoples of Uganda against the dictatorship of Idi Amin in Uganda was >one of the most important lessons for Africans abroad. The military >invasion of Uganda in 1978 defied the sterile position of the OAU of "non >intervention in the internal affairs of other states." Nyerere >demonstrated that killing of Africans in any part of Africa or any part of >the world should be of concern to all human beings, especially African >leaders. There were many who supported Idi Amin because he expelled the >Asian traders from Uganda, but Nyerere demonstrated that oppression must >be opposed even if the leader uses nationalist rhetoric to disguise the >oppression. The opposition of Nyerere to Idi Amin (of Uganda), Mobutu Sese >Seko of Zaire Jonas Savimbi of Angola and Laurent Kabila of the Democratic >republic of the Congo demonstrated a principled position that was not >present in the era of consensus politics in Africa. It was most >significant that Wamba dia Wamba was working with Mwalimu Nyerere in >seeking to end the cycle of genocidal violence in Burundi. > >The Black Radical Congress is calling on the government of Tanzania to >continue the work for peace and respect for human life in Africa. The >objectives of promoting regional peace and security must be carried >forward with renewed vigor. The heritage of Nyerere for regional >integration and cooperation must be built upon. Any errors in judgment >that were made in the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar must be >rectified so that this does not fester and become a basis for eroding the >stability of Tanzania. With all of the praises of Nyerere, it should be >remembered that he was also human and that he made errors in the course of >his long political career. The BRC wants to honor his memory by >highlighting his positive contributions to emancipatory politics in >Africa. > >Africans born in the USA who were fighting for civil rights always found a >home in Tanzania when they were persecuted in the USA. The decision of >Tanzania to be the Home of the Pan African Skills project that welcomed >African Americans to the African continent was an act of solidarity that >will not be forgotten. Many members of the BRC participated actively in >the Sixth Pan African Congress that was hosted by Tanzania in Dar es >Salaam in 1974. Despite the relative poverty of the people, the government >of Tanzania was making resources available for progressive and >revolutionary forces from all over the world to find a common meeting >point in Tanzania. Nyerere was a partisan to Pan Africanism but he was >also an internationalist who supported the struggles of the Vietnamese, >the Cubans and all those who opposed imperialism. Concretely he organized >the South South Commission to strengthen the political and economic >linkages between formerly colonized societies. > >As oppressed peoples in the USA, the BRC also salutes the cultural >policies of Nyerere. The decision to make Kiswahili the language of >business, commerce and government of Tanzania ensured that the peoples of >the country were drawn into the decision making process. The stability of >Tanzania is in large part due to the cohesion and unity fostered by the >language policies of Nyerere. The BRC calls on the Tanzanian government to >carry forward this language policy to ensure that genuine bilingual >traditions develop so that students in schools and universities are not >alienated in their own country. The unfinished tasks of making the >national language a language of higher education will ensure the rapid >social and economic transformation of Tanzania. > >Mwalimu Nyerere was a revolutionary leader of the twentieth century who >opposed the capitalists with fervor. His opposition to the World Bank and >the International Monetary Fund was one of the epic struggles against >global capitalism this century. The idea of ujamaa villages and a form of >social collectivism that dug deep into the African past is one that will >inspire millions for the next millennium. Physicists and other scientists >who are now recognizing the limitations of crude materialism are now >turning to the ideas of leaders such as Nyerere to warn humanity to >retreat from the crude and mechanistic ideas of the domination over nature >that has brought about the ecological disaster. Mwalimu struggled to >maintain the harmony between humans and their environment. Throughout his >political career he battled against the expropriation of the poor peasants >from the land. He wanted all of the people to own the land and up to his >last days he was opposed to the privatization of land and the land >policies of the International Monetary Fund. Many critics have suggested >that ujamaa was a failure but these are the same forces who lauded >apartheid as an economic success. One cannot be successful economically >when the majority of the population are without food, clothing shelter, >and health care. The policies of ujamaa (African socialism) enabled >Tanzania to enjoy one of the highest literacy rates in the world. > >Tanzanian men and women who benefited from the literacy programs and the >health policies of Nyerere's leadership should continue the struggle for >health care for all. In the midst of the Aids pandemic the struggles for >new social policies are even more urgent. The form of medicine that is >practiced in the USA should not be the guide or inspiration for the health >system in Tanzania. Africans in the USA and peoples of color are among the >more than fifty million persons who do not have adequate health care in >the world's richest country. The Black Radical Congress appeals to the >Tanzanian government and people to continue to uphold Nyerere's ideals of >placing the resources of the nation in the service of the ordinary toilers >and common people. Nyerere had taken the lead in actively supporting all >struggles and he never fell prey to the homophobic utterances of certain >leaders who espoused so called "traditional" African values to support >discriminatory practices. > >Mwalimu Nyerere was a humble person who was incorruptible in a world of >corruption. He continues to be an inspiration to the Black Radical >Congress and his internationalism will be a guide to the work to free this >country of racism, militarism, exploitation and destruction of the >environment. The Black Radical Congress will be using the teachings and >life of Nyerere to inspire the youth who are at the forefront of the fight >against marginalization, police terror and imprisonment in this country. >Nyerere's principled opposition to US militarism will guide our youth who >will understand that might is not right and that the billions that are >used in building weapons should be mobilized to solve the pressing >problems of humanity. > >At this hour of pain and the loss of a great person, the Black Radical >Congress wishes to express our sympathy with Mwalimu's family, especially >his wife, Mama Maria, their children, all Tanzanians, Africans at home and >abroad and all of those struggling to transform this social system to one >that serves the interests of human beings. > >International Committee, >Black Radical Congress > >October 19, 1999 > >-30- > >The Black Radical Congress >National Office >P.O. Box 490365 >Atlanta, GA 30349 >Phone: (404) 768-2529 >Fax: (404) 614-8563 > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >BRC-PRESS: Black Radical Congress - Official Press Releases/Statements >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Subscribe: Email "subscribe brc-press" to <[log in to unmask]> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Archive: http://www.egroups.com/group/brc-press (The first time, you need >to "Join" and set your preferences to "Read on the Web") >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Questions/Problems: Send email to <[log in to unmask]> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >www.blackradicalcongress.org | BRC | [log in to unmask] >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------