Global Scholar's Blog 2022-2023
After much debate over the theme for our global scholars cohort this year, we decided on ubuntu. Previously, I had never heard of this term before entering the GIP program. However, so many of our conversations have centered around this one phrase and prompted much reflection on my global perspectives and personal life. According to Desmond Tutu, a South African Anglican Bishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner, "A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed, or treated as if they were less than who they are.” After framing ubuntu in Tutu's perspective I realized that it is so much more than a word, but encapsulates a beautiful way of life.
I believe that bringing people together is the goal of ubuntu, which is relevant today through international relations and global issues. Too often, people think of themselves individually instead of connecting through others. Political leaders can be blinded by individualism and neglect the connection of humanity. When Masauko came to visit our class and share his insight on how ubuntu affects his way of life, he emphasized the importance of humanism and putting more resources to the creative arts. As an artist himself, Masauko understands the importance of art and its ability to connect people together. On a side note, I think Poly could make a club centered around art that promotes the idea of ubuntu and collaborate with local elementary schools or Poly lowerschoolers. Finally, I would like to conclude with some questions to the reader: What does ubuntu mean to you? How does it apply to your personal life? Could ubuntu be an effective educational tool in the future? Sources
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Natalie VArchives
May 2024
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