UbuntuFM is an on-line community, with several outlets on the web, aiming to spread the Ubuntu message of ‘humanity towards others’ across the globe out of the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. Therefore, the term “UbuntuFM” simply means “broadcasting the Ubuntu message by all means possible.
Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term meaning “humanity”. It is often also translated as the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. It is an ethical concept of Southern African origin. We can get a true sense of its meaning through the words of two great African men.
First, President Nelson Mandela, on the meaning of Ubuntu, said: “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?”
Second, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu also stated: “One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu, the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality, Ubuntu, you are known for your generosity.
Ubuntu literally means “I am because you are”. The human race is one. Ubuntu is a tradition, a universal truth, a way of life underpinning the concept of an open society. Freedom. Respect. Helpfulness. Sharing. Community. Caring. Trust. Unselfishness. This is the spirit of Ubuntu.
People should not be dying of starvation in the developing world while other people are dying of obesity in the developed world. This is fundamentally wrong because there is enough resources on earth to go around. Embracing Ubuntu will allow us all to be more helping and more sharing which will result in a world in which we all live a good life. Boyd Varty (a safari guide in South Africa) said it best:” In a more collective society, we realize from the inside that our well-being is deeply tied to the well-being of others. Danger is shared. Pain is shared. Joy is shared. Achievement is shared. Houses are shared. Food is shared. Ubuntu asks us to open our hearts and to share.”
For the original article and a video of Archbishop Desmond Tutu on “Ubuntu”, please click here
Written by Kpakpo Serge Adotevi
