Based on his almost half-century of immense political and intellectual contributions to African liberation struggles, John Saul shows [in his recent writings] that he is one of the few today who has the courage as well as the credentials to pose the sober question of "what did 'liberation' mean anyway"?
What is more Saul also shows that he is one of the few with the confidence as well as the capacity to answer the question by drawing inspirational and strategic socialist and revolutionary conclusions.The well-known author (and for many years co-editor with Panitch of Socialist Register) Colin Leys adds: "John Saul's reflections on the struggles for liberation to which he had devoted a lifetime of scholarship and activism...the wise lessons he draws, and his resolute refusal to be pessimistic in spite of all setbacks...should be not just read but taken to heart by everyone who cares about the future of Africa and the world.
"[4] As highly regarded Canadian journalist Rick Salutin further noted, in a column written on the occasion of Saul's retirement from York University in Toronto in 2004, "Saul's writings are all about instilling hope and learning from failure...He is a sort of underground alternate Canadian tradition to the internationalism of Lester Pearson, more like the tradition of Norman Bethune and Chris Giannou.
"[5] Similarly, Jorge Rebelo, poet, long-time Frelimo (Mozambique) militant, and cabinet minister in the first government of a liberated Mozambique, writes that "Saul's greatest contribution has been sharing ideas, criticizing and giving advice - reminding us that we should base our ideology on the concrete realities of our country and people, not on ready-made manuals...that we should always ensure the participation of the people in decision-making, and make socialism not just a slogan but a real objective.
"[6] Noted Indian Marxist scholar and activist, Aijaz Ahmad, concluded that "Saul combines in his person much of what is best about the international political culture of the left.