Ubuntu: putting community first

This Blog is part of an occasional series by CVSL’s Visiting Fellow, Dr Helen Britton.

This blog briefly explores the term ‘Ubuntu’ (oo-BUUN-too). If you are into Linux operating systems, you will have heard this term. This blog is not concerned with software but with the notion of putting community first. Pivotal to the Ubuntu philosophy is the importance and value of the human being (munthu) and the community.

A colleague recently mentioned ‘ubuntu’ during a meeting and it prompted me to reflect on its use. I first heard the term when I was visiting several community projects in rural villages in Southern Botswana and the Western Cape in South Africa. There, it is known as ‘ubuntu, umtu or umuntu’. In Kenya it is referred to as ‘utu’; in Zimbabwe ‘umunthu’ to name but a few. I have witnessed it in action over the past twenty-five years of travelling, and living, in South Africa and travelling to other African countries. It is found in almost all parts of the African continent.

Ubuntu is an ancient African Zulu/Xhosa (kaw-sah with a click) word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It is derived from a Nguni (isiZulu) aphorism – a pithy observation which contains a general truth: Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu. This can be translated as: “a person is a person because of, or through, others.” The concept of Ubuntu dates back centuries and appears in various forms and traditions throughout the world. Nelson Mandela, a former president of the Republic of South Africa (1994-1999), and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, described Ubuntu as a philosophy that constituted a universal truth, a way of life, which underpins an open society” (Mandela, 2006): the building blocks of society.

Ubuntu is founded on three pillars signifying regards for others, the self, and the environment: inter-personal, intra-personal and environmental values. Ubuntu places emphasis on how an individual contributes to the good of the collective values and the principle of caring for each other’s well-being in the spirit of mutual support. Ubuntu recognises differences. It takes into consideration the principles of equality, equity and fairness towards groups or individuals who have been marginalised, disadvantaged, or excluded economically, politically, and socially, based on constructs such as race, social class, language, gender, religion, age, ability, and sexual preference. Ubuntu is inclusive.

I have been in communities where financial and physical resources are in extremely short-supply, and sharing what little you have with others is the first thought, not the last. Where the idea of leaving a place, when it becomes difficult to be there, doesn’t resonate as a possibility. What does, is examining what you can do collectively with others, to make it better for all. The art of making something from the collective actions of people coming together with shared determination, commitment, ideas and resources is an experience that has left an indelible impression on me. It has helped shape how I view what I do and informed my fundamental understanding of what sustainability and resilience of place and people really means.

I have witnessed the most phenomenal resilience of people and place; no more challenging than when I travelled along dry riverbeds in a 4 x 4 Land Rover, in blistering heat and met descendants of the ancient tribe, known as the San People of the Kallahari. Their relationship with the land was incredibly strong as was their resolve to do what they could collectively to maintain a community despite having been forcibly evicted from their original land and homes, which is now part of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. They are no longer allowed to stay there ending millennia of moving through the planes of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

This year marked the first year since the end of 2019 that I have been back to South Africa. Making do with online videocalls, whilst helpful, is no replacement for the in-person interaction that comes from living within communities of purpose, commitment, warmth, and energy. Ubuntu is not a 'bookmark’ concept but a practice that drives reality. It is a philosophy that encompasses survival, solidarity, compassion, respect and dignity. It is a manifestation of the interconnectedness of human beings. For me, it is the very embodiment of South African culture and lifestyle. Ubuntu = I am who I am because of who you are. If I could, I would bottle it.

9th May 2024