Ubuntu
Ubuntu is an idea from the Southern African region which means literally " human-ness", and is often translated as "humanity towards others," but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity and livings."
Desmond Tutu:
"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.
We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."
Nelson Mandela:
Nelson Mandela understood the ties that bind the human spirit. There is a word in South Africa – Ubuntu – that describes the greatest gift: the recognition that we are all bound together in ways that can be invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.
A story from Africa:
"An anthropologist suggested the following game to a group of children in a tribe in Africa: He placed a basket full of fresh fruits under a tree. He then said that whoever reached the basket first in a race would be the winner of all the fruits.
As he gave the signal to begin the race, the whole group held hands, ran bonded together and then sat and enjoyed the prize together.
When he asked why they had done such thing, when he had offered the possibility to one to be the ultimate winner.
A child replied: "How could one of us be happy if all the others are sad?"