Ubuntu ’ s powerful meaning comes with a dark history . The ancient African concept was adapted into a philosophy in post-apartheid South Africa , a place that is still recovering from a long period of political , economic , and cultural turmoil that left highly divided and unequal social systems . The philosophy developed as a way to overcome these tensions plaguing the society . By focusing on the humanness of each individual , whether victims or perpetrators , South Africans aim to come closer to creating a democratic country . As South African social rights activist and Archbishop Desmond Tutu explained , “ My humanity is bound up in yours , for we can only be human together .” He understands that the potential of human beings working collectively to achieve goals is infinitely greater than the potential of any individual .
As individuals , we are equipped with particular talents and strengths . Though it is natural for us to want to use these for our own self-progression and success , if we use these qualities to better our community , we reap both personal and societal benefits . We do not have to sacrifice personal success for the community ’ s success , but we must strike a balance between the two .
As Nelson Mandela described in 2006 :
“ A traveler through a country would stop at a village and he didn ’ t have to ask for food or for water . Once he stops , the people give him food , entertain him . That is one aspect of Ubuntu , but it will have various aspects . Ubuntu does not mean that people should not enrich themselves . The question therefore is : Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve ?” ( 1 ).
To ask everyone to practice Ubuntu seems like an unrealistic feat . But we can start by asking ourselves this , “ What if what you want to be will only come about when you ensure that others get to be that as well ? And what if all of humanity was on your team , working toward your good ?” ( 2 ). At a time where an election has left a divided United States , this serves as an important reminder that we belong to a greater whole . This is Ubuntu : the idea that humanity is based on the plural and not the singular .
1 . Oppenheim , Claire E . “ Nelson Mandela and the Power of Ubuntu .” MDPI . Molecular Diversity Preservation International , 26 Apr . 2012 . Web . 10 Mar . 2017 .
2 . Rich , Dr . Judith . “ Embracing the Spirit of Ubuntu .” The Huffington Post . TheHuffingtonPost . com , 22 Aug . 2012 . Web . 10 Mar . 2017 .
3 . image : https :// wn . com / nelson _ mandela _ a _ reflection _ ubuntu _ festival