What Is Ubuntu?

We found this definition of Ubuntu at https://thehurt.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/ubuntu/

“Ubuntu” is what it means to be human. A Zulu maxim provides perhaps the simplest definition of Ubuntu: “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which means “a person is a person through other persons.” It is a philosophical belief that being human means recognizing and respecting the humanity of others. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong.” Tutu goes on to say, “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.” It is, he says, the relationships between us that make us truly human.

It is not an uncommon philosophy. English poet John Donne, in “Meditation XVII,” opined that “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main,” noting, as Tutu does, that being human means you are part of a greater whole. Immanuel Kant, in Groundwork on the Metaphysic of Morals, writes that all persons should “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.” By treating others not as objects, but as people, we not only respect them, but respect and affirm our own humanity and the ways in which we are bound to one another.

As many people know Fair Shake stands firmly on the philosophy of Ubuntu. We Sign off on our correspondence with it and we end our phone calls with each other by saying Ubuntu.

Many people have written in asking what does Ubuntu actually mean? so we decided to dedicate this page to sharing what Ubuntu means.

This African proverb reveals the true meaning of community.

It reminds us of our humanity and encourages the extension of that humanity to others.

UBUNTU: Building Social Fabric

When I present Fair Shake in both state and federal institutions around the country I hear a lot of incarcerated people hoping to connect and consult with those who have gone through the transition back into society successfully.

I also hear many incarcerated people expressing an interest in giving back to the community, frequently with the hope to guide youth away from the path that leads to prison.

Fair Shake believes these desires, and many more, (including supporting children of incarcerated parents, creating safer communities, and building relationships between seemingly disparate communities) are best addressed by working together, intentionally and carefully building a strong social fabric.

This is difficult today because, as Americans, we are encouraged to believe that we are in the land of opportunity and that to be successful we need to ‘pull ourselves up by our bootstraps’ and ‘do it yourself’.  Our culture is suffering from a staggering number of social challenges that are very difficult to recognize or address on an individual basis.  We are daunted by the magnitude of effort required to improve how we live together in society and feel we need experts or elected representatives to improve our quality of life.  While we wait for them to ‘fix’ the ‘broken system’ we sheepishly accept a steady increase levels of anti-social ailments: depression, social anxiety, mental illness, physical illnesses created by stress, fear, addictions, loneliness, and many more.

Unfortunately, we will never find the solutions by addressing the symptoms alone; what we need is to realize that we need each other and must build a better future together.

We need not look backward, however, beyond recognizing and owning how we got to where we are to avoid going there again.  What we need to do right now – wherever we are – is to reflect, study, converse, and collaborate TOGETHER to conjure and create solutions to our challenges.

Once we realize that we need to build ourselves (rather than waiting for some governmental repair person to fix our problem), we can begin the powerful and enriching hard work of improving our listening skills, our communication skills, and our compassion while developing a deeper understanding of what a healthy society within a democracy looks like. Soon, we will begin to problem solve and create more of what we want to improve everyone’s quality of life!  (Okay, ‘soon’ is a relative term, but we can’t let that hinder us. ~ : )

To encourage people to see a more empowering picture, I consulted with the author of The Business of Belief, Tom Asacker.  He reminded me that we are not motivated by logic; that we shift our beliefs based on our experiences and feelings and, most importantly, that we need a clear picture of where we can go to move to another path.  When we change our belief of what is possible, we can change our attitude and approach to solving our problems, which will change our behaviors and, eventually, our lives.

After consulting with family members, colleagues, and anyone who will listen, Fair Shake is presenting this series of images for your consideration.

We hope you will share your thoughts on what you see below.  We are currently developing, with incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and never incarcerated people, ways to build out this vision. Your opinion is important!

 Your creative skills are important, too!  We need to make this a story that we can share and use to stimulate others.  We also need to create a flowing image from the individual to the social fabric.  

If you see where you would like to contribute – even if your contribution is to critique our present work or to look ahead to where it might not work down the road – please contact us!

We’re looking forward to building the future with you!  Ubuntu!!

Fair Shake view of building social fabric:  (view from overhead)

One person, arms outstretched, ready to connect with others to build community strength and to demonstrates prosocial understanding and interest through engagement.

Two people, strongly connected to each other,

The clasp builders use: a ‘rescue’ hold, for optimal strength.

For those who do come home, once they are safe, or feel they are in a position to give, make themselves available for those who are coming home now… (over 1700 people come home every day). What starts as a safety net for the reentering community then weaves naturally into building and repairing the social fabric

ubuntu: a society that recognizes and embraces interdependence, cooperation, and compassion.

A society that seeks safe communities and ‘United We Stand’ strength, must vigilantly review how it cares for all members.