Nelson Mandela Ubuntu Quotes

In Africa there is a concept known as ubuntu—the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others. —Nelson Mandela

Ubuntu is a South African word that means roughly “I am, because of you.” The concept of ubuntu captures both a personal meaning of connection, manifested by warmth and generosity, and a political meaning, represented by inclusion and equity. President Obama spoke to both meanings at the 2013 memorial for Nelson Mandela. “There is a word in South Africa—ubuntu—a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.

My short time in Pretoria made me realize that it can best be described as that place where the brushstrokes of life blend the old with the new in a way that helps to create a story of a place that will forever be deeply tucked into the breathing spaces of my heart, as a place of fondness. A reminder that even when the lessons doesn’t go according to plan, there are always chances to be like the statue of President Nelson Mandela, open arms – embracing the future and using the past, especially the most difficult chapters, to help to infuse new life through the wisdom gained by being like the middle part of the Union Buildings, a space of collaboration. In the words of South African British poet William Polmer, “Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.” And when the connection is made, that place is simply called Pretoria. And if one should look a little deeper at the connection, you’ll understand that Pretoria is simply a word with a Latin origin, Praetor, that means Leader, a perfect place to house the Union Buildings, the place where our difference becomes one, and that knowledge becomes the spectrum of where the old and the new intersect, and we call that… Pretoria…Leader within.

Nonreligious Nelson Mandela expressed his humanism as ubuntu. A Nguni Bantu word translated as “humanity toward others,” ubuntu incorporates aspects of sharing, community, respect, caring, trust, and unselfishness.

«Hace tiempo, cuando yo era joven, si un viajero que estaba atravesando el país se detenía en un pueblo, no tenía que pedir comida ni agua. En cuanto paraba, la gente se la ofrecía y le daba conversación. Esta es una de las facetas del ubuntu, pero no es la única. El ubuntu no significa que hemos de dejar de lado nuestro propio bienestar. La cuestión es: ¿qué puedes hacer tú para apoyar a tu comunidad y ayudarla así a mejorar? Estas son las cosas que de verdad importan. Si eres capaz de hacerlo, habrás conseguido algo muy importante.» Nelson Mandela

Muchas veces, en los momentos más duros de nuestra vida, lo único que nos queda es la esperanza, y eso puede suponer la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte. Nelson Mandela pasó veintisiete años como preso político en la infame cárcel de Robben Island en unas condiciones deplorables. Mientras estaba en prisión, su madre murió; más tarde, también falleció su hijo en un accidente de coche. No se le permitió asistir a ninguno de los dos funerales. Vivió día tras día en una estrecha celda de dos metros de ancho por dos y medio de largo de la que solo salía para hacer trabajos forzados en una cantera. Fue maltratado por los guardias de la prisión y sufrió daños en la vista como consecuencia del reflejo del sol en la piedra. Aun así, nunca perdió la esperanza.