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The Mystery of Ujamaa: How Julius Nyerere Shaped Tanzania's Future?
After Tanzania gained independence in 1961, Julius Nyerere proposed a socialist ideology called Ujamaa as the country's social and political system. The cornerstone of economic development policy. This concept not only embodies social, economic and political equality, but also becomes a major national development plan. Since then, Ujamaa has been implemented with the goal of improving living conditions by emphasizing cooperative economy in local communities.
The core concept of Ujamaa is "cooperative economy", which means "local people cooperate with each other to provide life's necessities".
Nyerere's leadership earned Tanzania international respect, especially his emphasis on moral principles as the basis for practical policies. Ujamaa had a profound impact on social development. During this period, the infant mortality rate dropped from 138 per 1,000 live births in 1965 to 110 in 1985; life expectancy at birth increased from 37 years in 1960 to 1984. 52 years old; the primary school enrollment rate also increased from 25% in 1960 to 72% in 1985. These data show the country's obvious achievements in social development.
However, Ujamaa's performance in economic growth has been disappointing, and the "downward trend" in production has led many to question whether the project can bring about economic prosperity. Internal political repression and economic rigidity caused by high taxes have dealt a severe blow to business owners, even leading to corruption and fraud. In addition, the "Village Movement" launched in 1973 triggered a backlash from public opinion.
Tanzania's political infrastructure
With the political structure after the Declaration of Independence in 1961, Tanzania began to gradually build a political system that was free from colonial values. This foundation established the governance model since independence, encouraging the participation of rural communities, such as the farmer-based organization of the Julius Nyerere African National Union (TANU). After independence, TANU grew rapidly, from 100,000 supporters to 1 million, seeking a path to build a new political order.
Nyerere believed that the state should actively intervene in economic life to ensure the well-being of all citizens. This concept later became known as the "Arusha Declaration".
The Arusha Declaration is an important document of TANU that expresses its internal governance philosophy, which requires the state to allocate resources to prevent exploitation among some people. At the same time, the declaration also emphasizes the importance of self-sufficiency, promoting the development of agriculture and industry, and making the economy within the community the structural core of economic activities.
Ujamaa Villages and Villagization Movement
With the implementation of the Ujamaa policy, a specific village structure, namely the "Ujamaa village", was also formed. These villages not only focus on the independence of the family, but also emphasize the collective economy of the community. Each family owns private farmland, and there is collective agricultural land around the village to support the development of the community economy.
Between 1973 and 1975, over 10 million people were relocated to new Ujamaa villages in a massive migration.
The effectiveness of these villages varied over time, especially in terms of the division of labor, with smaller villages often achieving more efficient output while larger villages experienced fragmented labor and uneven agricultural output.
Gender Impact of Ujamaa
The changes in gender roles during the Ujamaa process have also become a hot topic of research. Although Ujamaa stressed the importance of family structure, this emphasis somehow weakened the brotherhood and collective bonds of society, creating internal tensions. However, TANU created a Women's Committee to promote equal status for women in society.
Despite TANU's improvements on gender issues, it has not been able to completely break down the barriers created by the entrenched patriarchal culture. While the education women receive still revolves around the role of "better wife", their organizational and resource allocation issues remain fundamentally unresolved.
Ecological impact of Ujamaa
While implementing the Ujamaa policy, many ecological issues came to the fore. Particularly in areas of erratic rainfall, land use has, on average, fallen short of expectations, leading to reduced production and loss of biodiversity. The utilization efficiency of ecological resources has not been fully utilized, resulting in a decline in both economic and policy benefits.
The decline and end of Ujamaa
Over time, the Ujamaa scheme faced resistance from the public, as many farmers were unwilling to give up their accustomed individual farming practices, and the forced relocation to collective villages led to a number of conflicts, causing the scheme to gradually decline. However, Ujamaa's ideas still influence Tanzania in different forms. Today, can such a social concept provide another inspiration for us to think about how the economy and society will operate in the future?
