Transforming communities through Ubuntu philosophy: prerequisites, opportunities, and implications for social work practice in Africa
View/ Open
Date
2023-06Author
Venesio, Bwambale Bhangyi
Silverno, Tweshengyereze
Hope, Atim
Moses, Senkosi Balyejjusa
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The African philosophy of Ubuntu has emerged as a counterweight strategy
to the pervasive consequences of long-term individualism entrenched in African social work because of its western origins. This chapter contends that
African social workers can utilise Ubuntu philosophy in transforming poor
communities and building resilient societies. This requires understanding
the principles of Ubuntu and its embeddedness in African cultures as
necessary prerequisites for this transformation. Its emphasis on collectivism
as social capital, interconnectedness, and equality of human beings can be
used to transform poor communities, thereby creating enormous
opportunities for social work practitioners in Africa to enrich the lives of their
clients. By implication, African social work practice is asked to promote
bottom-up community-led interventions built on local voices/experiences.
Keywords: Ubuntu philosophy, social work theory, community transformation,
resilient communities, indigenous social work, decolonial social work, Africa