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Nadira Cotticollan (Dreaming through Twilight) from Kannur, India shared this with us on Facebook. I’m just in love with the idea of it. Wouldn’t it be a joy if people the world over adopted this phrase and philosophy?  How civilized (and more practical) this value is than our Western individuality and winner-takes-all values. Something to think about, especially in the light of current events and history.

The Xhosa (pronounced with a click for the “X” and then “hosa”) are a Bantu people (related to Swazi and Zulu) from South Africa. I know this because I was “introduced” to them by a visiting priest many years ago.  From him I know that the Xhosa – like many peoples around the world – are suffering the social fallout that results from colonialism, segregation/apartheid and corporate greed. Their society is rife with poverty and nutritional deficiencies, crime and broken families. Shame on us.

I am because we are. xo

Let us remember that.

This illustration may be copyrighted.  I’ve been unable to find its origin.

12 Comments

  1. For most of my life I have felt despair over the competitiveness of my species and the lack of feeling of closeness with all other creatures on this planet that created us. Thanks for following my site.

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      1. From most ancient history down to the present humanity has destroyed the abundance of nature and the incredible wealth of fellow creatures with little concern. No doubt a huge part of humanity has felt and thought otherwise but always the poeple of power who have been enveloped by the fantasy of domination have prevailed. It seems humans have finally attained the destructive power to foul up all the wonderful potentials this very unique planet has freely offered and there is no place to find escape from the oppressive horror of this inherent human insanity. I hope I am wrong.

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        1. I sympathize and often feel this way myself – especially given current affairs in my country and the world – but I hope that people like us continue to band together in efforts to change the discussion and the actions. One reason why I like 100,000 Poets for Change and other Global bottom-up efforts. If there is hope, it is in this. By the way, this particular post is the most popular on my site (it’s always trending) and that gives me hope too. People visit it from all over the world. This gives me hope too.

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  2. Steve and I talk constantly about how a change of heart from the ground up (not a change of legislation from the top down) could possibly begin in this country of capitalism, greed, and violence. Thank you for sharing this little story of a truer way to be human. I will share it on Facebook, too.

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  5. I hail from Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, and in my language (Shona) the word for Ubuntu is Unhu or hunhu (read who-noo as in noodles )
    It basically means humanness/humanity.
    Humanity makes us human.
    I am because we are.
    ~B

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