The ubuntu philosophy of life
The ubuntu philosophy of life: Africa's gift to the world . “Ubuntu teaches us to see our wider responsibility, including towards future generations.'
'I am because we are': this is how the South African term “ubuntu” is translated. It stands for a way of thinking and living that focuses on the connection between people and people with the Earth.
Ubuntu is about attitude. We need to help each other to be better people. This can be done by offering recognition to each other. By giving each other the space not to be perfect and to make mistakes. And to support each other. You can say “you are racist, period”. The Ubuntu way of putting it on the agenda is: “gosh, we all have unconsciously biases, we're all part of a system that's racist. If we want to change that, we need each other and it starts with awareness of those preconceptions.'
And we all have a role in that. That means that I, those who feel discriminated against, indicate that. And that the discriminant then does something about it. It's about connecting with each other and making people aware of their actions that may conflict with their beliefs. That's how we all win.
We live in a fast-paced and individualistic world where we are increasingly alienating each other. But how can we reconnect with each other? In the book The Lessons of Ubuntu, Mungi Ngomane, granddaughter of Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu, shares Ubuntu's wisdom. In this South African philosophy of life, connection is key. These 5 wise ubuntu lessons help you build bridges so you can (again) live in connection with others.
