Ubuntu

Each culture has its own landmark philosophies and practices. With its many (44-51) countries, European philosophies and social norms and tools vary in the popular literature from country to country, culture to culture. However, even with its 54 nation-states and hundreds of historically distinct tribal or linguistic nations, some Eurocentric scholars, philosophers, and intercultural "experts" refer to Ubuntu as "African" humanism, encapsulating the norms, ethics, and humanistic values of the most diverse continent on Earth. 

This is clearly reductionist (Ujomu, 2024). Nevertheless, enough indigenous African cultures, especially at the tribal granularity levels, call Ubuntu their locus of social values, some of them stressing consensus processes, some stressing rationality and the African version of what Europeans call the Enlightenment. Far more than any European culture (except possibly Romany), Ubuntu also encompasses a collectivist view of life, of decisions made--even about the direction of a villager's life--by a far more consensus and collectivist method.

One of the most helpful questions might be, "Where has Western culture stumbled, failing many?" While Western cultures have clearly succeeded at a great deal, is there something they can learn from others, from indigenous ideas and practices? Bringing an intercultural lens to conflict, to decision-making, to philosophy, to ethics, and to problem-solving can be what William Ury refers to as Possible (2024). In short, what are the ideas from elsewhere that may solve heretofore perduring, seemingly intractable conflictual problems? 

As my father--our hockey coach when I was a boy--used to say, "When you are losing, change something." 

References

Ujomu, P. O. (2024). ‘Ubuntu’ African Philosophy or ‘Ubuntu’ as a Philosophy for Africa? Philosophical Alternatives Journal / Filosofski Alternativi, 33(5), 53–90. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.58945/UYHB1683

Ury, William (2024). Possible: How we survive (and thrive) in an age of conflict. Harper Business.