Ubuntu: Humanity towards Others

I like the community culture called “Ubuntu”, as shared in this blog. According to the book MeWe, “Ubuntu is an African ideology which roughly translates as ‘humanity towards others’ and emanates from the belief that a universal bond connects all humanity.”

I believe the modern societies can adopt this ancient yet timeless culture in which everyone matters, and everyone is equal. There will be minimal conflicts or competition, as everyone is encouraged to value themselves and others equally. Money will become obsolete, and instead people will live and interact with one another based on sharing and gift giving in a new economy.

This culture has been practised in the bushman societies, which have been preserved for thousands of years, so it means human beings originally were meant to live in egalitarian societies, and were not ruled by greed but rather kindness and generosity.

http://www.essortment.com/survival-thekung-san-people-kalahari-desert-30258.html

“The emphasis on modesty enforces the egalitarian nature of Kung society, so that no achievements in hunting or other aspects cause differentiation between people based on class. The lack of social stratification is key for their adaptive strategy because it provides for a cooperative atmosphere where gift-giving and reciprocal altruism can be necessary for survival. The community organization is based on gift-giving, though there is no emphasis on material culture in terms of accumulation of wealth. Material culture is seen as objects to be shared or given to others in order to form alliances, such as between families before, during, and after a wedding.”

http://ksuanth.wetpaint.com/page/!Kung+Society

“Since the !Kung are such a small group of people, there really isn’t any form of social organization. They do not have social order nor do they really have people who are ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ in social status than the next. The !Kung are an egalitarian society with no leaders. The !Kung do not have laws or rules, everything is just known within the tribe and passed down through the generations. In the !Kung society, everyone knows what is accepted and what is not. They are people who live in a world without crime or punishment and for the most part, live in harmony.”

I would say the bushman society is very close to my ideal kind of society that I have always wanted to live in (which is my childhood dream), since they live in close connection with Nature, and are mainly in harmony with one another. I suppose the challenge for modern societies is to learn to live harmoniously and peacefully with one another and with the environment, like the bushman society, without having to depend on money, social class, hierarchical structures or any other controlling structures. Civilisation starts from the heart and is reflected in the way people treat one another and the environment, like what my favourite Native American Indian quote says.

I do not think the measure of a civilization
is how tall its buildings of concrete are,
But rather how well its people have learned to relate
to their environment and fellow man.
~ Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe ~

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