Page 26 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 23
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Community
in range and possibility. As a how different people interpret like a sea on which many ships
human being you gradually Ubuntu differently, and how it sail. It is not a dogma; but a set
build up a life-world, which, is compared to other Western of attitudes to peace, justice
for you, is your destiny. It is an philosophies. The book and equality. It is the light that
arena where you play out the attempts to show that Ubuntu illuminates the entire world.
struggle of life versus death for is, indeed, a recipe for world We need to embrace Ubuntu
you. The rest of your life-world order. in such a way that when we
becomes the foreground and see a woman, whether black
pioneer settlement of your life. The need to think afresh or white, we say, “You are
No person exists in and out about moral problems is ever my sister”, and when we see
of himself/herself. You exist present and particularly great a man, whether rich or poor,
physically only as you are in a period of rapid economic whether white or black, we
immersed in an ocean of and social change and rapid say “You are my brother”.
life-giving air. One exists as advance in knowledge of Once we achieve this level,
a man only because you have human nature. the night would be over and
participated from the moment the day would have begun to
of birth in a world of human In the pages that follow, it is embark on our journey towards
beings and culture. You are a indicated that Ubuntu is an reaching our destiny.
self-in-a-world, not just a self. instrument of peace. Therefore,
“To be” is not only you and the to heal the wounds of our We live in a time of cultural
world, but it means to co-create unpalatable and painful history, disarray and cultural decay:
a life world. We permeate each and the world, Ubuntu, it is an age filled with ruins and
other; we are present in each argued here, is one of the best fragments of morality. Hence,
other. We influence and form medicines to use because it our intellectual landscapes
each other’s personality. We is the key to the creation of a are littered with allegorical
exude feelings and actions, better society. tales of deterioration rather
which help determine the than dramative narratives
feeling tone of our home, our Through Ubuntu we are of reconciliation. Our
class at school, the other person weaving a cord of destiny - a spiritual and social “Being”
with whom we are talking. We destiny that is beyond the is benumbed and chilled to
are constantly offering good reach of the spirit-forms, and a state of impotency. Our
or not-so-good possibilities to should they (spirit-forms) try ethics have become fragments
some situation. to ascend to that destiny, they of moral decay - where the
will break their tiny toes. Once generation we live in, has
This book attempts to reveal we reach that destiny, every become insensitive to the
a lot about the origin and body, friends and foes alike, presence and flow of the life-
history of Ubuntu philosophy will preach it to the world. This saving element of Ubuntu
and what other races feel and philosophy (Ubuntu) is not like within the communal veins of
think about it. It further shows a ship that can sink, but it is our society. We have thus given
26 | we tell the true afrikan story
