Julius Nyerere Quotes

African nationalism is meaningless, dangerous, anachronistic, if it is not, at the same time, pan-Africanism.

Take every penny you have set aside for aid for Tanzania and spend it in the UK, explaining to people the facts and causes of poverty.

You cannot develop people. You must allow people to develop themselves.

Cooperation and conflict are two sides of the same coin; both arise out of man's relationship with his fellows. The larger the group, the greater the possibility of development through cooperation, and the greater the possibility of conflict.

The greatest contraceptive one can have in the developing world is the knowledge that your children will live

I have read and re-read the Arusha Declaration and found nothing wrong with it except perhaps replacing a few commas here and there ... it was clear for some of us that it would only be a mad man who would stand up and defend the Arusha Declaration.

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.

Small nations are like indecently dressed women. They tempt the evil-minded.

Should we really let our people starve so we can pay our debts.

A house should not be built so close to another that a chicken from one can lay an egg in the neighbor's yard, nor so far away that a child cannot shout to the yard of his neighbor.

If a door is shut, attempts should be made to open it; if it is ajar, it should be pushed until it is wide open. In neither case should the door be blown up at the expense of those inside.

Education is not a way to escape poverty, it is a way of fighting it.

Unity will not make us rich, but it can make it difficult for Africa and the African peoples to be disregarded and humiliated. And it will, therefore, increase the effectiveness of the decisions we make and try to implement for our development. My generation led Africa to political freedom. The current generation of leaders and peoples of Africa must pick up the flickering torch of African freedom, refuel it with their enthusiasm and determination, and carry it forward.

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

In Tanganyika we believe that only evil, Godless men would
make the color of a mans skin the criteria for granting him civil
rights.

Decisions made in Washington are more important to us than those made here in Dar es-Salaam. So, maybe my people should be allowed to vote in American presidential elections.