Ubuntu: Towards a Socially Responsible Study Abroad Program

From EdSurge Independent:

On my two-week summer intensive trip to South Africa, my professor reiterated the course mission statement: ubuntu. A philosophy used in southern Africa, ubuntu emphasizes a universal bond among humanity:“I am what I am because of who we all are.” Recognizing the humanness and kindness among individuals, ubuntu speaks to a level of interconnectedness. It asks us to enrich ourselves by enabling the community around us, the crucial blocks for building global engagement.

While we visited the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and in our travels around Johannesburg, I made a conscious effort to incorporate ubuntu into my framework of thinking. Throwing myself into a completely different culture, even for a short amount of time, I found the concept of ubuntu to be both demonstrative and healing.

Read the rest here.