English, asked by dipak8378, 9 months ago

Essay on I am because we are 350-400words

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Answered by mahakbarbiyal2005
2

A couple of months back, when I was spending some time with our team in Argentina, it was wonderful to see a renewed sense of purpose, teamwork and cohesion in the team. The various team members talked about a company culture built on respect, trust, sharing, caring and empathy. When I discussed with Anand, our business head for the region and Hernan, our HR head there, about the transformation that they were enabling, they mentioned that they had been inspired by an African philosophy called Ubuntu.Intrigued, I spent the last few weeks learning more about this remarkable philosophy. My colleagues and friends in Africa tell me that it is difficult to describe Ubuntu in words. The word, that has its origins in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa, means “humanity to others’ and can be loosely translated as ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’.

Across other African countries as well – “Obuntu” in Uganda and Tanzania, “Unhu” in Zimbabwe, the name differs slightly – but the concept remains much the same. And that is, no human being exists alone; we are all interconnected, and each of us derives meaning from the people that surround us. This simple idea captures a powerful philosophy—a way of life based on love, connection, humanity, unity and optimism.

As we pause at the start of a new year, to reflect, hope and plan, it’s worth taking the time to explore the Ubuntu way and what we can draw from it.

It’s possible, that at first, you might think Ubuntu is less relevant for the world we know today. The ideas of individualism and personal ambition are so deeply entrenched that a more collective approach may be unrealistic. Whether it is at our corporate workplaces or even with our families and communities, there seems to be a constant struggle between the ‘me’ and ‘us’. How do you choose? What do you prioritise? Is there a way to reconcile all of it?

But the beauty of Ubuntu is that it doesn’t ask you to choose. Instead, what it says is this—while it’s wonderful to have the freedom to pursue your personal goals and dreams, it’s also important to remember that no man or woman is an island.

This doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself; rather, it encourages opening up and connecting with others in a caring and authentic way, thereby increasing everyone’s overall success and happiness.

Ubuntu was probably best captured by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who believed deeply in the value of Ubuntu and popularised it through his book, No Future Without Forgiveness:

“Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language. It speaks of the very essence of being human…. It is to say, “My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours.” We belong in a bundle of life. We say, ‘A person is a person through other persons.’ It is not, ‘I think therefore I am.’ It says rather: ‘I am human because I belong. I participate, I share.’ A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole…”

There are various ways to incorporate the core principles of Ubuntu in the way you approach your relationships.

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