The Ujamaa villagization policy and modernization in Tanzania

Ujamaa is a Swahili word which means "solidarity or to live a communal life as a single-family. The term got its popularity since 1967 when it was used more in political aspects. Soon after the independence, the first Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere declared the Ujamaa policy as a means to encourage Tanzanians to live and work together. Also, the Ujamaa policy was one among the types of African socialism which were intended to restore the traditional African cultures, which were deteriorated during the colonization. İn order to improve economic and social welfare, the government introduced different sub-policies (Nationalization, villagization, and education for self-reliance ) under the Ujamaa policy. The Ujamaa policy mainly based on the development of rural areas because a large number of Tanzanians lived in the villages. Despite many efforts used to improve the economic and social welfare, the Ujamaa policy faced different opposition from capitalist countries, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, and the government's bureaucrats and villagers. These countries used their financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to undermine the Ujamaa policy in Tanzania. So, the failure of the Ujamaa policy paved the way for the re-introduction of the capitalist system. İn Tanzanian perspective the re-introduction of the capitalist system was known as Modernization. Keywords: Ujamaa policy, Villagization, The Arusha Declaration, Modernization, Liberalization