Last week I asked What Would Nyerere Do in the East African because it has been a tough year, politically speaking, and I was working for a little Mwalimu inspiration. This week I put the WWND idea into play with regards to governance style. Mwalimu didn't live in easy times, he navigated more than one crisis over the course of his career...but the man was undeniably cool under pressure. That's a quality we could do with in our public servants because I don't know about you, but I am officially tired to death of the unending "crisis" mode our government operates in. Pull it together, people.
But that's not what I want to talk about. Here's an anecdote for you: so the other day we're setting up the rules for a course on with Social Media for Social Change. Participants from Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi. On the flipchart, one suggested rule is "No Jokes" and when it was time to select the final rules and this issue was raised, the Tanzanians protested immediately and vigorously. "Humor is necessary!" And so the suggestion was killed.
The incident made me think of another recent convo with some Kenyan and Zambian friends who regularly grill me to find out about Tanzanian norms and cultural oddities. I've been accused of romanticizing Tanzania and it might be true*. Part of the reason is because we're mostly free, kinda into the peace thing, and humor is part of our social contract. You won't read that in an AfroBarometer study...
How does this relate to Mwalimu? The thing about countries with a strong presidential culture is that heads of state have a massive impact on the culture and social norms that can last long after they are gone. Legacy. Listening to the radio, watching people get ready for Nyerere Day, knowing Mlimani is going to be full of people eager to debate WWND, I realized that of all the secular public holidays, this one is the most genuinely festive in Tanganyika. We're celebrating a man who, with whatever else was going on, regularly took the time to talk to citizens and crack jokes while he was at it. When there's no sugar or maize flour in the shops, it of matters that the guy in charge not mess up in the people department.
Amongst other things, Nyerere came across warm and friendly and ready to tease a chuckle out of his audience. I have heard Tanzanians described as... wait for it... warm, friendly, playful. You dig? And that's what I'm going to celebrate Mwalimu for this year. He made it fun, and he made it cool, to be a Tanzanian. Happy Nyerere Day.
*Yeah, I know it is unfashionable to genuinely happy these days. I should be obsessing about some respectable dissatisfaction or other for your delectation because, hey, who likes happy people anyways? Sorry to disappoint :) Happy African Alert!
But that's not what I want to talk about. Here's an anecdote for you: so the other day we're setting up the rules for a course on with Social Media for Social Change. Participants from Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi. On the flipchart, one suggested rule is "No Jokes" and when it was time to select the final rules and this issue was raised, the Tanzanians protested immediately and vigorously. "Humor is necessary!" And so the suggestion was killed.
The incident made me think of another recent convo with some Kenyan and Zambian friends who regularly grill me to find out about Tanzanian norms and cultural oddities. I've been accused of romanticizing Tanzania and it might be true*. Part of the reason is because we're mostly free, kinda into the peace thing, and humor is part of our social contract. You won't read that in an AfroBarometer study...
How does this relate to Mwalimu? The thing about countries with a strong presidential culture is that heads of state have a massive impact on the culture and social norms that can last long after they are gone. Legacy. Listening to the radio, watching people get ready for Nyerere Day, knowing Mlimani is going to be full of people eager to debate WWND, I realized that of all the secular public holidays, this one is the most genuinely festive in Tanganyika. We're celebrating a man who, with whatever else was going on, regularly took the time to talk to citizens and crack jokes while he was at it. When there's no sugar or maize flour in the shops, it of matters that the guy in charge not mess up in the people department.
Amongst other things, Nyerere came across warm and friendly and ready to tease a chuckle out of his audience. I have heard Tanzanians described as... wait for it... warm, friendly, playful. You dig? And that's what I'm going to celebrate Mwalimu for this year. He made it fun, and he made it cool, to be a Tanzanian. Happy Nyerere Day.
*Yeah, I know it is unfashionable to genuinely happy these days. I should be obsessing about some respectable dissatisfaction or other for your delectation because, hey, who likes happy people anyways? Sorry to disappoint :) Happy African Alert!
