Ubuntu and Educational Leadership

Ubuntu has implications that extend beyond the boundaries of the organization, promoting a strong sense of mutual dependence with the community. For educational leaders, Ubuntu implies strong connections with parents of students as well as the entire local population. The author of this chapter is an American who has worked in Senegal for 25 years and learned about Ubuntu in the context of educational leadership. Using enacted environment theory as a theoretical lens, this chapter uses four short case studies that illustrate how the author learned what educational leaders do to enact an environment for their schools in which Ubuntu values are evident. The lesson drawn from these accounts is that the value of external stakeholders must be seen with a long-term lens, and the dividends these relationships pay elude Western ideas of management. These case studies also identify concrete advantages that the external environment can provide for a school when its leaders have enacted the values of Ubuntu.

Reflections of the Impact of Umunthu/Ubuntu on My Upbringing

The idea of Ubuntu meaning humanness is contrasted with that of unyama meaning beastliness. Analytically, Ubuntu touches on integrity, wisdom, hard work or economic productivity, social solidarity as a people who are in relationship as constitutive of their identity as opposed to rugged individualism. This leads to a philosophy that is very different from that which has developed in the West. Therefore, the upbringing that was shaped by the author's mother and the communal ethos insisted on that which characterized Ubuntu.

Ubuntu in Malawi

The philosophy of Ubuntu or umunthu has its roots in humanist African philosophy, where the idea of community is one of the building blocks of society. In sub-Saharan Africa, the most striking features of the cultures of different people is their non-individualistic character, where community is the cornerstone in African thought and life. In Malawi, a developing country in Southern Arica, the Umunthu philosophy is embedded in the socialization process. Malawians are well-known in the world to be very kind and polite people. Malawian children are expected to embrace these values from their parents or guardians. Interestingly though, not every Malawian child ends up being a high holder of Ubuntu in their adulthood and that is the painful reality. The question then arises, is Ubuntu or umunthu a true reflection of humanity in Malawi or just a farce? The chapter answers this question by carefully exploring the umunthu philosophy, analyzing it in critical contexts in the Malawian society.

Ubuntu/Botho and Democracy in the Traditional Tswana Society

This chapter discusses how Ubuntu is manifested through democracy within the Tswana traditional society. It contends that democracy in the Tswana traditional society was not a new concept. From time immemorial, Batswana have practiced a unique form of democracy that was based on the Tswana cultures. This hybrid form of democracy though different from liberal democracy as understood today has served the Batswana over the years. The kgotla as a community forum continues to be the focal point for exemplifying the relationship between democracy and Ubuntu. It further suggests that the way democracy is taught in schools should be aligned to how it is practiced in the society.

Growing Up in a Society Practicing Ubuntu

In this chapter, the author looks back at his life as a child growing up among a Bantu-speaking society in which life is guided by Ubuntu values. Ubuntu refers to a philosophy that teaches the interconnectedness of humans and the need, therefore, for people to affirm the humanness in each other, to relate humanely with others, and to work harmoniously and cooperatively as brothers and sisters. The philosophy also teaches us to be responsible stewards of the natural and wildlife environment because human survival depends on its sustainability.

The Imperatives and Challenges of Passing on the Tenets of Ubuntu to the Younger Generation

This chapter provides some of the challenges and difficulties that parents face in trying to pass salient features of the African concept of Ubuntu to their children. It starts by presenting a plausible definition of Ubuntu, followed by some learning theories that explain ways by which some people learn new concepts. Additionally, some folklore stories are included in the chapter to illustrate favorite methods used by grandparents for teaching some valuable life lessons to their grandchildren. An attempt is made towards the end of the chapter to summarize some of the things that can be done to facilitate the means by which displaced and fragmented families can still pass on Ubuntu to their offspring.

Ubuntu and the Shaping of an African Postcolonial Christian Identity

This chapter explores some connections between umunthu (a Malawian translation of Ubuntu) and the Christian faith in the hope that a dialogue between these two key themes of contemporary African life contributes to emerging postcolonial theological discourse in the world, especially at a time when African Christians are increasingly becoming the most visible and vocal in world Christianity. To do this, the chapter begins by reflecting on how the author's community in southern Malawi understands umunthu and the implications that growing up surrounded by this Ubuntu-shaped community has had on his own religious identity and thought and his understanding of the world. Following this, it explores umunthu in the context of postcolonial Christian Africa and the African diaspora. In the end, it calls for African Christians to find innovative ways to let ubuntu shape their Christianity.

Ubuntu as a Springboard for Service-Learning

Journalism is a team profession. Among its foremost functions to society include “to inform” and “to educate.” On both the team and functions scores, journalism is tailor-made for being taught using Ubuntuism. Its tenets are akin to those of Ubuntuism, described as a philosophy that privileges educating the public, facilitating dialogue and participation in civic life, and eradicating social hierarchy while valuing listening to promote, achieve, and maintain harmony. This chapter therefore elaborates on how Ubuntu served as the pedagogical impetus for a study abroad service-learning course entitled Media and Journalistic Practice in Zambia. The chapter provides insights from the instructor and anecdotes from American students who participated in the program.

The Role Ubuntu Could Have Played in Restorative Justice in Zimbabwe

This chapter is interested in how there has been a lack of transitional justice in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the political disturbances and genocide of the early 1980s. The overarching argument is that the failure to recognise the value of Ubuntu has engendered a missed opportunity at transitional justice and healing of wounds, which were caused by the massacres. Ubuntu's three fundamental praxes, according to Samkange, are the three fundamental maxims: the respect and recognition of the humanity of others, the preservation of life (human and otherwise), and the importance of the will of the people in as far as governance is concerned. The failure, by ZANU-PF governments, to recognise the salience of these three maxims has led to the persistent marginalisation of ethnic minorities and also the violent impunity of governance characterised by human rights abuses. This chapter proposes an Afrocentric restorative justice model that is founded on the concept of Ubuntu and focuses on the salience of the spirit of humanity in managing human conflicts.

Ubuntu Through the Lens of Tikkun Olam

This chapter will explore concepts of Ubuntu, which is the South African concept of togetherness. However, it will explore this concept through the lens of a Jewish concept or philosophy called “tikkun olam.” Tikkun olam is a Hebrew term that roughly translates to “healing or repairing the world.” In the light of COVID-19, there are many different realms of communication that have been explored. Many have been forced to be world citizens. With that being said, having various forms of communication does not necessarily mean that we are understanding each other better. The author will explore various forms of communication, connections, etc. and explore a premise that to be together in a healthy realm, we must be healed before we can heal our world. Ironically, this is also the case for those who are suffering from aspects of COVID-19.