Ubuntu -- beyond the (ism)

By Nondumiso Hlophe

When was the last time you really thought about how you choose your words? The words that you choose to use — or not to use — are often indicative of what you know and what you value.

When I was younger, my mom told me never to use a word, unless I knew, 1. how to spell it 2. where it came from, and 3. what it really means. Little did she know, that she would become both the catalyst and the enabler, of my fascination for etymology. As a student of the social sciences I encounter a fair share of (ism) terms. I’ve developed neurotic(ism)s with understanding where these words all come from and what they all really mean.

Words have empowered systems of rule and power, be it capital(ism), commun(ism), despot(ism) or even social(ism). Words have facilitated discrimination through age(ism), rac(ism) and sex(ism). We have empowered ourselves on whether to be naughty or nice through the vulgar(ism) or genteel(ism) of the words we choose to use.

It seems that believing in humanity is written off as ideal(ism), simply unachievable, with ubuntu being seen as one such (ism). Its verbose commandment is simple enough to read: umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye (abantu) — a person becomes a person through other people. Admittedly, the more we hear the word “ubuntu”, we, the disillusioned youth, readily accept it as a vogue word. Soon its meaning will be lost forever.

(Ism) words are reflective of the ideologies of the times. As with all things “vogue”, it’s the “in” (ism) today and the next big (ism) of tomorrow. We are embroiled in a catch-22; generations of people in need of more social(ism) ideals to live by, in a society held hostage by the fully-entrenched capital(ism) code.

In the world that celebrates its successes with rollover currency symbol(ism), we’ve lost the meaning of what really constitutes humanity. Such values have become synonymous with radical thinking, thus creating a communitarian(ism) cum human(ism) cum social(ism) world. Yet they are not the source of the problem. The point of contestation lies with us. Our chock-a-block (ism) minds that need to be guarded against defeat(ism), as far as humanity is concerned. How do we change what these (isms), particularly ubuntu(ism), really means? How do we put real words into real action?

I am not propagating a “fasc(ism)” state of mind. The succinct aphorism comes packaged as a “one-step remedy”, but it’s easier said than done. Its mandate is clear: every person actively forms part of “the people”. Every person should work towards achieving the greatest amount of good for “the people”. Every person, in working with other people, will reify their own personhood.

I do not believe ubuntu is our word du jour because its effect is trans-generational. Before cars, money and things, civilisation was defined by the people. Indeed, ubuntu(ism) is a living philosophy for humanity but before we can add the word ubuntu(ism) to our vocabulary, it is the duty of every person to put it into practice. It is by no coincidence that most constitutions start with “we, the people … ” denoting the need for collective action. Ubuntu is defined by us. We are these “people”. It truly is a value system. It is worth actively conditioning ourselves towards a more human(ism) state of mind. It asks each one of us to actively fight against all forms of prejudice, in a transnational world. The glass is beyond half-full, it truly overflows because it relies on the near 6.9 billion minds.

Living the ubuntu(ism) is an active choice, from thought to word to deed. Ubuntu may not be the most unique word, in terms of being a one-word expression of unity and goodwill to one’s fellow citizens of the world, but it is the vogue word of today. Whatever language it trends in next, the ideal(ism) of humanity remains firmly on the agenda towards “achieving the unachievable” tomorrow.

PS I am no wordsmith but if you will indulge me with my (ism) gab once more, please re-read the article without reading the bracketed (ism) words and see if it makes any difference to one’s choice of words and values.

Nondumiso (Noni) Hlophe is a global citizen with a Swazi passport. She is currently a master’s candidate in the discipline of international relations at Rhodes University. She is the former chairperson of Amnesty International Rhodes University and a One Young World Ambassador 2011.