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RCE North East proposes ‘Canny Ubuntu.’ In our region we use the word ‘canny’ in a genuine spirit of friendliness and goodwill. It has a variety of meanings: cute, careful, plenty, many, pleasant, handsome, comely, and fair of face. The word ‘Ubuntu’ means common humanity: an allegiance to all people. This is explained in the maxim "umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu," which means "a person becomes a person through other people." Both words are used in a spirit of inclusivity, involving caring about and respecting other people. We, as individuals, contribute our part to the collective whole. We explore what we all have in common and what we can do for each other. [1], [2]
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has written about the meaning of the Xhosa word ‘ubuntu’:
"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. It speaks about wholeness, it speaks about compassion. A person with ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable, warm and generous, willing to share ... The quality of ubuntu gives people resilience, enabling them to survive and emerge still human despite all efforts to dehumanise them." [3]
Nelson Mandela explains Ubuntu
Click here for IRES Ubuntu pages
