The Arusha Declaration, or The Arusha Declaration and TANU'S Policy on Socialism and Self-Reliance, is a 1967 document which proclaimed the intention to build a socialist state in the United Republic of Tanzania. The Declaration lists and explains the principles and policies advocated by Tanzania's then-ruling party, Tanganyika African National Union (TANU).[1]
Summary
The Declaration is separated into five sections. Part one, "The TANU Creed" lists the beliefs and aims of TANU. Part two, "The Policy of Socialism" goes into detail about what is meant by the policy of socialism discussed by TANU, defining various socialist concepts. Part three, "The Policy of Self-Reliance" discusses development and self-reliance in Tanzania's context and the role of agriculture and labor. Part four, "TANU Membership" explains TANU's post-independence changes in membership standards en emphasizes that TANU is a party of peasants and workers. Part five, "The Arusha Resolution" lists the resolutions adopted which aim to ensure leadership, institutions, and members are aligned with and implementing TANU's policies.[1]
Background
TANU formed in the 1950s as part of the independence struggle in colonial Tanganyika, and became a ruling party after Tanganyika's independence from Britain via electoral and legal means in 1961. In 1964, after the Zanzibar Revolution, independent Tanganyika and Zanzibar united to form Tanzania.[2]
By the time of the Arusha Declaration, TANU had been in power for a little over five years, and, as written by then-president Julius Nyerere, had already been committed to building a socialist society "since early 1962".[3] However, as of 1967, TANU had "not yet produced systematic training for our leaders"[1] and was lacking a widely disseminated statement of philosophy and policy to clarify TANU's principles to party workers, teachers, and civil servants.[3]
The lack of a clarified policy had not prevented the government and Party from pursuing socialist policies during that time, but, in the words of Nyerere, the lack of clarity "was allowing some Government and Party actions which were not consistent with the building of socialism".[3] Therefore, Nyerere states, the Arusha Declaration "supplied the need for a definition of socialism in Tanzanian terms".[3] The Declaration was originally discussed and published in Swahili, with a revised English translation published in Nyerere's 1968 book, Ujamaa - Essays on Socialism[1] a work which includes further explanatory speeches and statements made in the months following the Arusha Declaration's publication.[3]
Library works
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Julius K. Nyerere (1968). Ujamaa - Essays on Socialism: '"The Arusha Declaration." (Revised English translation.)' (pp. 13-37). Oxford University Press.
- ↑ "Brief History". Embassy of the United Republic of Tanzania, Berlin, Germany. Archived from the original on 2024-04-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Julius K. Nyerere (1968). Ujamaa - Essays on Socialism: 'Preface' (pp. vii-viii). Oxford University Press.