In this text, Julius Nyerere (see below) articulates a political theory based on collective-based ways of organizing society with his role as the first president of a newly liberated Tanzania in mind. Although the word ujamaa literally means ‘fraternity,’ Nyerere puts forward Ujamaa as an explicitly socialist ideology and as a method to shape the political and economic policies of Tanzania.

In Consciencism, Nkrumah puts forth his political philosophy of “consciencism,” which he defines as a concept that draws from three historical trends in African conscience: the Euro-Chrisitan, the Islamic, and the original African. This philosophy, he states, is relevant for both the analysis of society and chiefly for developing the capacity to transform it. In this text, Nkrumah also argues his case for socialism as the most valid expression of the African conscience at the present time. (Source)

On June 24, 2022, Moroccan security forces assisted Spanish police in the brutal repression of African migrants seeking to access a migrant center in the Spanish enclave of Melilah where they could apply for asylum. There were at least 37 deaths confirmed and many more severely injured. Footage and images of the aftermath circulated on social media and sparked huge protests in several Spanish cities. (Source)

In April, 1965, Che Guevara delivered this speech to the Organization of the Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (OSPAAAL, also called the Tricontinental). Later, the Executive Secretariat of OSPAAAL published his speech in the inaugural edition of Tricontinental magazine on April 16, 1967. In this speech, Che Guevara calls for the creation of “two, three … many Vietnams,” uplifting and encouraging the intensification of anti-imperialist, national liberation struggles across the Global South.

The Dongsheng News collective is a group of international researchers who seek to bring articles and updates – highlighting Chinese perspectives – on geopolitics, economy, national politics, agriculture and environment, science and technology, and people’s life and culture. You can receive weekly news digests in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French to hear stories that are often not represented in mainstream media of the Global North.

A project of the Dongsheng News collective, The Crane is a podcast hosted by Mikaela and fellow Dongsheng member, Amadeus Musumali, providing African perspectives on news, debates, and history between China and Africa. The Crane is published twice a month and can be heard on all major podcast platforms.

Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970) was born in Alexandria, Egypt, under the rule of the British-backed Egyptian monarchy. In 1952, Nasser, along with other members of the Egyptian army, together known as the Free Officers, ousted King Farouk and Nasser was appointed Prime Minister of newly-liberated Egypt. In 1956, he would be overwhelmingly elected as the President of Egypt, which he served until his death. By the end of 1957, Nasser had nationalized all previous British and French assets in Egypt and is remembered as a prominent proponent of Arab nationalism.

Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) was one of the most influential leaders on the African continent for being a political leader, socialist theorist, and Pan-Africanist. Nkrumah became Prime Minister in Ghana’s first general elections in 1952 and struggled towards full independence for the country, which was achieved in 1957. He was then elected the first African-born President of Ghana. Nkrumah systematized the concept of “neo-colonialism,” which brought ire upon him by the West, and his own philosophy known as “consciencism,” a historical and uniquely African philosophy for society. (Source)

Julius Nyerere (1922-1999) was a philosopher and political leader born in Tanganyika when it was under the mandate of Britain. Nyerere played a hugely influential role in winning Tanganyika’s independence in 1961, after it was transferred to a United Nations trusteeship, and then its subsequent transition to the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) in 1964. He served as president of both Tanganyika and Tanzania until 1985. Nyerere systematized the theory of Ujamaa, which means “fraternity” but is described as being a theory of African socialism or a collective way of living.

Amilcar Cabral (1924-1973) was born in Portuguese-ruled Guinea and fought his entire life for the liberation of his country. Cabral was one of the founders and Secretary-General of the African Part for the Independence of Guinea and the Cape Verde Islands (PAIGC). In 1963, the struggle had advanced to outright war with the Portuguese military and, in 1972, Cabral established the Guinean People’s National Assembly to consolidate the political power and the land regions that had been won over by the PAIGC. In 1973, Cabral was assassinated outside his home, one year before Guinea-Bissau won full independence. (Source)

Thabo Mbeki (1942- ) served as the second president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008 and previously served as deputy president under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999. Through the influence of his father, Govan Mbeki, who was also a member of the South African Communist Party, Thabo Mbeki became an established figure within the African National Congress from a young age and was heavily involved in the struggle to end apartheid. A significant part of Mbeki’s presidency was establishing investment opportunities and political institutions for African countries, like the African Union (AU). (Source)

Cyril Ramaphosa (1952- ) is the current president of South Africa and previously served as deputy president from 2014 to 2018 when former-president Jacob Zuma resigned. Ramaphosa came up as a trade unionist and was a leader in the formation of the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) (see below). Ramaphosa is also the Executive Chairman of Millennium Consolidated Investment (MCI) and non-executive Chairman of Johnnic Holdings, MTN Group Limited and SASRIA, making him one of the wealthiest politicians in the country. (Source)

Nokuthula Mabaso was a leader in the eKhenana Commune and the Women’s League, both part of Abahlali baseMnjondolo (see below) and was murdered on May 5th, 20222. She was a key leader in the establishment and management of the chicken farm that was part of the very successful food sovereignty project at the Commune. Her murder has been part of a campaign of violence being waged against the members of Abahlali baseMnjondolo. So far, they have lost twenty-three activists to assassination, police murders and killings by the land invasion unit and municipal security since 2009. (Source)

Samora Machel (1933-1986) was a fighter and political leader with the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). In 1969 he became the Commander-in-Chief of FRELIMO army and then elected to a three-man presidency council of the organization after the assassination of its founder, Eduardo Mondlane. When Mocambique won its freedom in 1975, Machel served as its first president until he died in a plane crash in 1989. At the time and persisting today, there was widespread suspicion that the South African apartheid regime had something to do with the crash. (Source)

Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961) was born under Belgian rule of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. When the DRC won independence in 1960, Lumumba formed the first government and served as the first prime minister. Before that, he was heavily involved in a number trade unions and national liberation organizations and was invited by Kwame Nkrumah to the first All-African People’s Conference in Accra, Ghana. Although Belgian authorities claim they had nothing to do with his imprisonment, torture, and assassination, the Belgian government returned Lumumba’s gold tooth to his family and the DRC in 2022. (Source)

Tricontinental is an international institute that seeks to bridge academic production with popular political and social movements to promote debate and discussion, as well as help working people organize and strategize for their specific conditions. Tricontinental produces a weekly newsletter, monthly dossier and red alert, and various studies and other periodic publications in English, Spanish and Portuguese, which are all free for download on their website.

Pan Africanism Today is the Africa regional articulation of the International Peoples’ Assembly. It is a network on the continent of progressive social movements, trade unions, political parties, media collectives.

The International Peoples’ Assembly (IPA), or Asamblea Internacional de los Pueblos (AIP), is an international network of political organizations, social movements, political parties, trade unions, culture collectives, and media projects that are aligned with internationalist people’s struggles.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) was formed in 1987 by the unification of four labor unions: the Metal and Allied Workers Union (MAWU), the Motor Industry Combined Workers Union (MICWU), the National Automobile and Allied Workers Union (NAAWU), and the United Metal, Mining and Allied Workers of South Africa (UMMAWOSA). It is the largest trade union in South Africa, comprising over 400,000 members. Although originally aligned with the ANC (see below) and the SACP (see below) in what was called the Tripartite Alliance, NUMSA broke from the Alliance in 2013.

During the summer of 2021, the Congress of the Socialist Forum of Ghana (SFG) was held and its transformation into the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) was unanimously approved. The SFG was first born in 1993 as a Marxist study group and has over three thousand members across the country. The transition to the SMG signifies the level of development the SFG had reached in Ghana and an advance in working class organization.

The Socialist Party of Zambia was founded by journalist Fred M’membe and officially established in 2017. The Socialist Party emerged as a third, socialist alternative to the ruling Patriotic Front and the opposition United Party for National Development.

MVIWATA is a network of smallholder farmers and groups in Tanzania to collectively develop their capacity, advocate for, and defend their interests. MVIWATA grounds their work in the belief that land development should center the welfare of smallholder farmers.

No Cold War is a coalition of groups and organizations that pushes back against the increasing aggression, both in rhetoric and in action, on the part of the United States against China. No Cold War advocates for mutual respect and cooperation between the two countries as the only possible pathway for peace.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) emerged during the massive wave of decolonization and national liberation struggles that succeeded across Asia, Africa, and Latin America after World War II. The 1955 Bandung Asian-African Conference is considered the antecedent to the Non-Aligned Movement where developing countries met to consolidate a uniquely Global South perspective to assessing world issues and pursuing joint policies in international relations. (Source)

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established in 1963 when 32 delegates from African countries convened in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa. The first meeting of the OAU was the culmination of a number of meetings and congresses organized and led by leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah (see above) and Julius Nyerere (see above) who embraced cooperation and partnership on the basis of Pan-Africanism. After a number of significant changes, the OAU transitioned into the African Union (AU) in 2002. (Source)

The Organization of Solidarity with Peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America (OSPAAAL) was established in Havana, Cuba, after the Tricontinental Conference of 1966. OSPAAAL contributed to the international solidarity movement of the time with its magazine, also called Tricontinental, which intervened in the Battle of Ideas, the art and culture it produced, and with its initiatives to transform the global political economy. (Source)

The Democratic Way (DW) was a mass organization in Morocco that was dedicated to anti-imperialism and the working class struggle in its country. In July of 2022, the Democratic Way held their fifth national congress and announced the formation of the Workers’ Democratic Way Party with a socialist and anti-imperialist ideology. (Source)

The Workers’ Party of Tunisia was founded in 1986 as the Tunisian Workers’ Communist Party but it was outlawed until the Tunisian Revolution in 2011, after which it became a formally legalized political party. Recently, the Workers’ Party has initiated a national campaign to protest the current President Kais Saied’s political and constitutional system. (Source)

The South African Communist Party (SACP) was first established in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) but changed its name after being forced underground in 1953 by the apartheid government. The SACP was a leading organization, along with the African National Congress, in the armed struggle to free South Africa from apartheid. Both the SACP and the ANC remained banned until 1990. (Source)

The African National Congress (ANC) has been South Africa’s ruling political party since its first democratic elections in 1994. Originally formed in 1912 as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) to fight for the rights of black South Africans, the ANC was forced underground after the establishment of the apartheid government and began a prolonged armed resistance struggle alongside the SACP. After the victory over apartheid, Nelson Mandela, who came up in the ANC, was elected as the first president of South Africa. (Source)

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) was formed in 1985 through a number of meetings between unions and federations who were aligned by their rejection and resistance to apartheid. Today, COSATU is the largest federation of trade unions in the country. Its prominence as a trade federation led to its joining with the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party in what is called the Tripartite Alliance.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) was a coalition of over 400 anti-apartheid trade unions, student unions, and organizations that was active from 1983 to 1991 in South Africa. The UDF operated by organizing boycotts, school protests, and worker stay-aways, as well as international actions of solidarity. In 1987 the South African apartheid government banned the organization and had, by then, imprisoned many of its leading activists. The coalition disbanded when the apartheid government was defeated. (Source)

Abahlali baseMjondolo, or the Shack Dwellers Movement, is a grassroots movement in South Africa that organizes land occupations, builds communes, and campaigns against evictions and for land sovereignty and dignity. The group has faced severe repression in South Africa, citing that over 20 activists have been murdered in the past 10 years. Despite this, AbM recently won a court case that ruled forced evictions from their eKhenana Commune as illegal.

The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) was formed in 2011 but was subsequently banned by King Mswati III shortly after its founding as all political parties are illegal in the country. The CPS currently campaigns for the abolition of the monarchy and demands the establishment of a democratic system of government and a new constitution. (Source)

The African Union (AU) consists of 55 national representatives from the countries in the continent and comes out of the legacy of formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). In contrast, the African Union is structured to deal primarily with economic concerns and partnerships, much like the European Union, however, it also deals with a number of diplomatic issues on the continent and has a peacekeeping force of about 15,000 soldiers.

Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that educates and engages African American and black immigrant communities and has a presence in New York, Georgia, California, Florida, Texas and Minnesota. BAJI was formed in 2006 in response to repressive immigration bills then under consideration by the U.S. Congress, as well as the work of the Priority Africa Network (PAN).

ujamaa is a concept that evokes a political philosophy put forth by Julius Nyerere (see above). Although it literally translates to “fraternity,” Nyerere was using this term to connect a collective way of living to a larger model of how a newly-liberated Tanzania could build a socialist governance.

ubuntu is a term that became popularized in South Africa and was most recently adopted as the campaign slogan by current Vice President of Colombia, Francia Marquez. This term is commonly translated to mean “I am because you are,” evoking a sense of collectivism and of shared connections between people.

The Asian-African Conference that took place in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955 brought together national representatives from 29 countries including Indonesian President Sukarno, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and Chinese Premier and Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai. In the historical context of the time, the conference represented one of the first major attempts at uniting newly liberated countries of the Third World towards a shared articulation of global anti-imperialism and political sovereignty.

The Saharawi or Sahrawi people are an ethnic group that live primarily on the Western coast of Africa. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognized state on the western coast of Africa and was an erstwhile Spanish colony of Western Sahara. Although the Spanish were driven out of the region, the western part is currently under the territorial control of Morocco and the people there continue to struggle for their liberation today. (Source)

Pan-Africanism can be considered both an ideology and a movement that grew out of the common struggles of those of African descent both in Africa and in the African diaspora against enslavement, colonial rule and the accompanying anti-African racism and various forms of Eurocentrism. It has taken various forms throughout periods of history, influenced by communism, Black liberation struggles, and independence movements throughout the African continent and diaspora. For example, Kwame Nkrumah’s Pan-African dream envisioned a united, liberated, socialist Africa free from neocolonial exploitation and capable of representing itself as an equal on the world stage. (Source, Source)

The term battle of ideas was first coined by Fidel Castro in a speech he gave in 1999 and he used this term to describe the ideological struggle to defend socialism at a time when the socialist bloc seemed to disintegrate with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The battle of ideas is a multidimensional struggle that continues to this day and is accepted as an essential part of any process of revolution. (Source)

The 2022 People’s Summit brought together people’s movements from around the continent and world to Los Angeles, California, for discussions, debate, and envisioning a new world. Held parallel to the Ninth Summit of the Americas hosted by the Biden Administration in the same city, the Summit reflected a rejection by the people of the Americas to US intervention and attempts at reasserting dominance over the region. (Source)

The 2022 Peace Summit, held in Madrid, Spain, brought together people’s movements from around the world to reject the expansion of NATO and the push for militarization in countries around the world. This summit was held parallel to the NATO Summit that was also held in Madrid. (Source)