Julius Nyerere: Humanist, Political Thinker

A collection of papers from a January 2000 conference at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, dedicated to the memory of Julius Nyerere. The contributors, Russian scholars and diplomats with African interests, rank Nyerere alongside national leaders such as Gandhi, Nkrumah, and Nasser. Their essays show Nyerere not only as a political figure of stature but as an uncommon philosopher and theorist who made an important contribution to the intellectual development of his country and of the Kiswahili language. They illustrate his reliance on unity and cooperation between African countries and his belief that the elimination of poverty could only come through cooperation among African states and the wider Third World. The volume argues that Nyerere’s extraordinary role in African history remains under-recognised, and presses for the restitution of his writings and ideas.