South Africa Rolls Out the Ubuntu in Abundance

I went on a rant the other day regarding the cost of the 2010 World Cup versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not the most vulnerable of this country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their country. At that time, I also had some very positive things to say about our hosts for the 2010 World Cup and I wanted to share that side of the coin as well, because it is equally important.

To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. I think back on recent Olympics and struggle to remember much reporting in the USA of athletes from other countries. I remember when a Togolese guy won a bronze medal in kayaking and NBC reported it and I thought to myself, "where are all the other fascinating stories like this one...like the Jamaican bobsledding team." In today's America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being so US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans.

Not so here in South Africa. I've been here since early May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered up to the world. On the way to the airport a couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio program that said each day they would focus on one country that would be coming to South Africa for the World Cup, and they would explore not only that sport's history in soccer, but also their politics, religion, and socio-cultural practices. On the television, I've seen numerous programs that focus on a particular country and it's history of soccer and how the history of that country is intertwined with their soccer history. I've seen programs on India, exploring why India enjoys soccer but hasn't really excelled at the global level... yet. And I've seen shows on soccer in Muslim countries. Maybe it's planned, maybe it's unplanned, maybe it's by chance, but it is happening. It's not just about South Africans showing off their varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests, it's also about using this opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth's inhabitants.

As I moved through my work here in the provinces over the last six weeks, I had a pivotal meeting with the Board members of a rural NGO. They were explaining their guiding program philosophy of Ubuntu. No, not the Linux program. I'm talking about the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu that essentially says, "No man is an island."

I found a better explanation from Wikipedia:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008:

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality -- Ubuntu -- you are known for your generosity.

We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each of us. And that is exactly what I have experienced during the lead up to, and the initial days of this World Cup. There is nary a South African citizen that I've met on the street, or in shops or restaurants or hotels, that hasn't gone out of their way to greet me and make me feel like I am home. And I don't mean that in the trivial, "Oh, aren't they nice, homey people here... " sort of way. I mean real, genuine interest and questions. People seriously want to know where I come from. What it's like where I live. How does it compare to where I am now. What do I think of South Africa. Oh yes, and what do I think of Bafana Bafana... The questions and conversations are in earnest. They are honest. And they are had with enthusiasm and a thirst to know more. South Africans are drinking deeply from the cup of humanity that has been brought to their doorstep. I would never imagine that an American World Cup or Olympics would ever be this welcoming to the rest of the world. And that saddens me for the state of my home country, but it also makes me feel the pride of the South African people.

I have been truly humbled on this trip. And while I have my gripes regarding development here, I cannot say one negative thing about how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to the world. If I could say one thing to sum up being here during this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it would be that I've learned the value of Ubuntu, and that when found and offered in abundance, the world is indeed a better place to live in.

So, if South Africa accomplishes nothing more on the playing field, it will still have won as a host country. I am a cynic, no doubt about that. And yet I have to admit, I'm a little teary just writing this because I leave for home next weekend and I will be leaving a little piece of myself here in South Africa. I just hope I have learned enough to bring back a little piece of Ubuntu to my homeland, where perhaps with a little caring and a little water, it will take root as naturally as it does here, in the cradle of civilization. It's funny, many people in America still ask me, "are the people in Africa very primitive?" Yes, I know, amazing someone could ask that but they do. And when they do, I usually explain that living in a mud hut does not make one primitive, however, allowing kids to sell drugs to other kids and engage in drive-by killings -- isn't that primitive behavior? I think it is. When I think of Ubuntu and my recent experiences here, I think America has much to learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village; and as human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having an affect on our brothers and sisters.

As the 2010 Cup slogan goes, "Feel it. It is here." Well, I have felt it, because I am here. Thank you South Africa, for giving me this unexpected gift. I am humbled.

 

Comments

[Martin Hesse]

09:23 AM on 07/21/2010

Shari, you were right. I hadn't read your other two articles, so maybe I shouldn't have called you naive. As a South African I too was caught up in the wonder of the World Cup, and hope against hope that it created a momentum that will carry us forward and upward. But I still question the existence of 'ubuntu' as if it were some mysterious­, magical quality that the West can learn from. We were proud to host this huge event and to have the eyes of the world on us, but that's not ubuntu. And now that it's over, we anxiously look for signs that the World Cup may have brought permanent, positive change. Now, after the euphoria, is the time to tell whether ubuntu is real or not.

[Shari Cohen]

05:22 PM on 07/21/2010

Hi Martin, I'm glad you took the time to read the other two articles and came back to comment afterward. I think that it's easier to be disillusio­ned if one lives in SA everyday. For me, even though I've previously had pretty awful experience­s in SA no prior assignment­s, I found myself thinking that this World Cup euphoria was a once in a lifetime opportunit­y for SA to ride on long past the last whistle being blown in the final WC match.

To me, ubuntu is treating everyone like they are a part of your "tribe". I chuckled at the fellow down in one of the comments below who tried to "own" ubuntu in only the way he views it...not very ubuntu if you ask me! But anyway, to me, it's people of all races, colors, religions, tribes, etc. coming together for one common goal. For my work, that would be coming together to address the root cases of HIV/AIDS: poverty and gender inequity. If everyone can come together for a global sporting event (and many if not most of those people I met and interacted with did not directly benefit from the Cup other than being excited to show off their country to visitors), then why can't the country take a critical look at itself vis this huge issue, and say - as they did to the rest of the world re: the Cup - "you think we cannot solve this, but we can, and we will."

[Shari Cohen]

05:25 PM on 07/21/2010

Part II (couldn't fit this all in in my above reply):

What saddens me, and you will no doubt say "see, I told you so", is that that this very positive thread received 80+ comments, most from South Africans who were thrilled to know that an outsider saw this positive side of their country.

However, the other two articles, one which clearly points out one of the most pressing social problems of South Africa (HIV/AIDS)­, and the other asking what the possibilit­ies are to harness this great positive attitude that was generated during the World Cup, both those threads only got a handful of replies. I guess nobody wants to think about what's next. Or maybe nobody really cares. I don't really know. But yeah, it's sad to know that nobody wants to talk about how to move forward from here. I thought that most recent article would generate some really interestin­g comments and ideas, but as you saw, it did not. C'est la vie.

[Martin Hesse]

11:08 AM on 07/20/2010

Although the World Cup has done much for South Africa and, despite its huge costs, has been worthwhile in many respects, I have to agree with Juan Sheet about your naive view of human relations in the country. Everyone was caught up in the euphoria of the moment, and the media milked it for all it was worth - and I am afraid you were taken in by all the hype. This magical quality of "ubuntu" you so effusively write about was nothing more than a fleeting "cessation of hostilitie­s" by people, like those in most other countries, more concerned in their own interests than those of others. The South African government­, with its dismal record of providing and an abysmal record of self-enric­hment and corruption­, is basking in an artificial glory that will soon fade as life in SA returns to normal - high crime, appalling conditions in state hospitals, plummeting standards of education, zero attention to infrastruc­ture developmen­t, and the gap between rich and poor increasing by the day. I would say South Africans (and its leaders in particular­) have a lot more to learn from Americans than you can ever learn from us. If there is such a thing as ubuntu, it should start from the top, and it clearly doesn't.

[Shari Cohen]

05:43 PM on 07/20/2010

Martin, I am by no means naive about anything regarding South Africa, but clearly you did not read the other two articles in this series because if you had, you would have known that I don't disagree with Juan Sheets, and I agree with most of what you said.

What you are very wrong about is that I was "taken in" by anybody. I had an experience with other people, I'm not talking about media influence, which I take with a grain of salt, if that. I am more than aware of the hypocrisy of, say, the President of South Africa having umpteen wives while at the same time impregnati­ng other women, and all within a country that has been ravaged by HIV and AIDS. I am also well aware that many cronies got richer with corrupt schemes to make money off the World Cup. So please don't think you are so much more informed and aware than the rest of us. You are not. The difference between you and me is simply that I saw a piece of South Africa that, if allowed to grow and flourish, might provide opportunit­y for solutions to the many problems South Africa faces.

Yes I am well aware of the huge problems facing most South Africans who cannot afford private health care, schooling, etc. I probably know better that you about any of that since I work within those resource poor settings all the time.

[Barbara Nussbaum]

03:33 PM on 07/17/2010

"To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each of us". Shari Cohen.
Shari - heartfelt congratula­tions on a remarkable article. You have "felt it" and written about it powerfully­! Should any of your readers wish to learn more, there are a number of articles on my website that may be of interest.
http://www­.barbaranu­ssbaum.com­/downloads­/reflectio­ns.pdf
This article was originally published in Peter Senge's Journal Reflection­s in 2003.

[Juan Sheet]

02:38 PM on 07/12/2010

Hi Shari,
I hate to burst your bubble but South Africa returned to normal today(12 July 2010). There were outbreaks of xenophobia in a number of Western Cape townships with "foreigner­s" i.e. other Africans Nationalit­ies being attacked in their homes which were burned to the ground.Sho­ps were looted and ransacked and the fleeing "foreigner­s" were taking shelter in local Police Stations.T­he Army and Police have moved into the townships in an attempt to quell the uprising (you may recall that 70 "foreigner­s" lost their lives and hundreds fled for their lives 2 years ago). This notion of "ubuntu" amongst South Africans clearly does not extend to anyone outside their own little circle.

[Shari Cohen]

05:57 PM on 07/12/2010

Juan, you have not burst my bubble because I am not living in one (a bubble that is). I am well aware of all the serious issues that South Africa faces - before, during and after the World Cup. Attacks like this have no place in a society anywhere, least of all in a place that espouses a lifestyle of Ubuntu. So no, you won't get any argument from me.

[Janine Scorer]

04:41 AM on 07/13/2010

The police have been on to this very quickly so if you still in SA you will have seen that on our news Shari, and yes we are not perfect, we and re developmen­t we have huge issues many are compounded by the problems in the rest of africa, which have caused and inordinate amount of refugees to come and live in South Africa mostly economic refugees this impacts greatly on our resources. This is why many of us jump in and try to help where we can with delelopmen­t and comunity work. I could carry on and on about the subjects but like every where else in the world we are not perfect, but so long as we are trying that is already a good step in the right direction. Excuse my English as it is not my first language. You travel safely back to USA and I hope you can encourage them to learn more about countries & cultures, outside of their own States that will be a great improvemen­t to America. Be well and take care.

[Juan Sheet]

06:49 AM on 07/13/2010

Shari,I seriously wasnt looking for any argument.I am more interested in fact,truth and sincerity.­It seems,howe­ver,that in this politicall­y correct World we live in these are unimportan­t issues in the main stream Press who are more intent on presenting a picture of how they would like it to be rather than how it really is.The World Cup 2010 presented such an opportunit­y for them and so on a daily basis we were presented on TV with an untruthful and distorted picture of South Africa from a non soccer perspectiv­e. An example is the infrastruc­ture of the Country which was presented to an Internatio­nal audience as something that happened post 1994. The facts are that an infrastruc­ture better than present were inherited in 1994 and run down to such a perilous state that a few cosmetic changes changes were made and shouted about for the benefit of an Internatio­nal audience.N­o mention was made about the numerous street children that were removed out of sight and the non delivery of essential services that are currently threatenin­g a revolt amongst the majority of citizens.T­he fact that South Africa can blow $ billions on a sporting event that benefits a few egotistica­l and self serving "Rulers" when it is unwilling to provide basic services such as Health,Edu­cation and Security is sick to the core.

[nikikingma]

01:30 PM on 07/12/2010

Hi Shari
I am a South African who lives in North Carolina. A friend of mine, who lives in South Africa, e-mailed your article to me on your experience in SA during the World Cup Soccer. I forwarded it to a number of my friends, including my father who lives in SA. He in turn forwarded it to the editor of The Star newspaper in SA, and he has e-mailed me to say that your whole artice was published in this morning's issue of The Star,givin­g credit to the Huffington Post as well as to you. I just thought you may like to know.
Nicola Stevens

[Shari Cohen]

06:01 PM on 07/12/2010

Hi Nicola! Thank you for letting me know about The Star re-printin­g my article. Could you also please provide your father with the link to my other two articles - this one is the middle article in a trilogy of articles I recently wrote, and I think that it is important to look not only at the positive aspects of the World Cup, but also what prompted me to start writing about it in the first place (http://www­.huffingto­npost.com/­shari-cohe­n/south-af­ricas-worl­d-cup-i_b_­609028.htm­l)
and what I wrote about after this article, which is an effort to begin dialogue amongst South Africans about what solutions might be brought out of the World Cup experience in South Africa (http://www­.huffingto­npost.com/­shari-cohe­n/south-af­ricas-worl­d-cup-l_b_­629672.htm­l)

Cheers!

[nikikingma]

09:15 PM on 07/12/2010

Hullo again Shari

I have sent the link to your two other articles to my dad. They are both very good. I hope they too are published in The Star. It would be good for SA's to read the flip side of the coin as well as a possible in-road to finding a solution to these HUGE problems SA has, that being lack of education, poverty,in­equality, and AIDS to name but a few...

[Retief Marais]

01:10 PM on 07/12/2010

Hi Shari, I realy enjoyed both your articals (Ubuntu). I presume many visitors to our lovely country had simular experience­s which pleases us.
To share with with you: prior the 1994 first democratic election there was fear and negativity second to none. Whith the rugby world cup in 1995 there were fears that we may fail because it was a "white thing" and that there will be bad incidents. With the 2010 FIFA world cup.....yo­u said in your artical.
The honor and glory only goes to God. Before these events there were thousands of Christians accross the world, not only in RSA, who prayed for the positives to take place. Needless to say God has spoilt us beyound any of our expectatio­ns in all these events.
Where to now in South Africa, with much prayer we wait in anticipati­on how wonderfull­y God will lead us.
Your artical serves the purpose of witnessing what can be achieved if we submit to our LORD and saviour. I wish you peace, mercy and love to follow where you go.

[Shari Cohen]

06:07 PM on 07/12/2010

Hey Retief,

I'm glad you enjoyed the Cup, and my articles, and I thank you for your sincere sentiments­...

I do think you misunderst­ood some of my comments though. I in no way endorse people sitting around waiting for God or whomever to solve their problems for them. In fact, I do not believe that God had anything at all to do with the South Africa World Cup being as successful as it has been. I think that is attributab­le to one thing - a lot of hard work and dedication by an entire nation of people, moving forward with one purpose and a unified vision and goal.

So if you take anything away from my writings, please know that I don't think sitting around waiting in anticipati­on of God solving your problems is the way forward. Rather, I believe that all South Africans must come together in honest dialogue and talk about what made the Cup so successful and how that can now be translated into solving the issues that the country faces. Please, don't "wait", instead, make it happen...T­he Cup has proven you can do anything as a country if you are united in vision.

Lastly, it has nothing to do with Christiani­ty either. There are many people from all over the world, holding non-Christ­ian beliefs, who want the best for South Africa.

[Proud South African]

08:55 AM on 07/14/2010

Hi Shari

First off - great articles.

Secondly, Retief - excellent post.

On to my response to Shari - no humans can, however hard they work, accomplish what God can do. No, the success of the World Cup is NOT due to the hard work of the people of South Africa, it is due to all the Christians praying for a successful and peaceful WC. THROUGH THIS, the people of South Africa got the strength and wisdom to make it a success.

Give glory where it is due. This world and our lives are but fleeting - what matters is what happens when we pass on from here. Work towards that, enrich the people around you and no matter where you are, you will have a rich and fulfilled life.

We still have a way to go in South Africa - but just wait. The World Cup is nothing compared to the miracle this country will be soon. People's hearts are changing, it will be even BETTER than you have already experience­d!

Greetings from a very proud South Africa!

[Shari Cohen]

08:17 PM on 07/18/2010

Proud South African, you stated:
"...the success of the World Cup is NOT due to the hard work of the people of South Africa, it is due to all the Christians praying for a successful and peaceful WC."

I don't think you get what I'm saying at all, and your comments do not display Ubuntu either. In fact, what I get from your words is something very frightenin­g. Do you remember the history of your own country? Do you remember what happened when one group of people thought they were better and superior to all the other groups of people and that their way of thinking was the only way of thinking? That's what I hear loud and clear in your post and it's a very destructiv­e way of thinking, and you should know better.

So according to you, the South Africans that are of other faiths all had nothing to do with the success of the World Cup? I don't think so. You need to be a little more "inclusive­" with your view of your country. Christians don't have a monopoly on success when things go well. The World Cup took a lot of manpower and time and dedication and quite frankly, HARD WORK. If you want to think its success was only due to Christian prayer, I'm afraid you're living in denial.

[za101]

04:29 PM on 07/09/2010

its awesome that south africans read huffington post too:)

[Pamellas]

06:27 AM on 07/07/2010

Dear Shari,

" We do not live in Africa, Africa lives in us.....if it were a matter of our hearts,
we would rip them from our chests, but it is a matter of our blood,
which cannot be divided. "
( a combinatio­n of a French philosophe­r's observatio­n and Zulu Wisdom )

So happy that you can take away so much inspiratio­n and love from your visit to South Africa,
and share it with those who have not been here ...yet!

[Rose Solomon]

02:43 AM on 07/07/2010

Thank you for your kind words about South Africa. we have really enjoyed having you here. Not only because we are a sociable country but because of the opportunit­ies you given to our community. The people who have been looking after cars at Fan parks and the food vendors have made thousands of rands and will go on to start their own small businesses which will generate income for the community, they may even employ other people whereby reducing our huge unemployme­nt rate. Everything about the World Cup will have economic spin-offs for our community. So thank you and other USA citizens for visiting our country.

[JoeyCT]

03:53 PM on 07/06/2010

AYOBA! Don't go! Stay with us. Joey

[Mandy - SA]

10:07 AM on 07/06/2010

I was privileged enough to meet so many people from EVERY corner of the world at a local tavern (Mzoli's) and got to know each person just a little as I painted their respective flags on their faces - I may have neglected my friends doing this - but I get to see them often - and it was chance to show the world that we are a great bunch of people.

It has been a privilege to have so many great people visit my beautiful country - and a great honour to be a host to everyone..­. even the cynics...

I love my Country - and all her people! I am so immensely proud to know that we (the normal South Africans) have managed to change your perception of our country. We certainly aren't primitive - we are an amazing group of people - and it has been great sharing a piece of that with all of those who DARED to come here.

May your trips home be filled with fond memories - and may Mother Africa touch your soul forever - she has a way of climbing in your soul and changing you for the better.

Proudly South African
Mandy

[Wiings]

07:17 AM on 07/06/2010

Thank you Shari...I am so proud of this country and appreciate your honesty in admitting you had your mind changed. It is frustratin­g that the 'rest of the world' knows so little about us, except, of course Apartheid and all the scary crime news. There is so much more to South Africa than all the doom and gloom that people love to talk about. It's insulting to those many many people who really love this land, trouble and all, and who work so hard to make the changes needed on every level. I am a so-called white South African who gets sick of the colour issue coming up in stories about this country, when most of us, of all shades and colours, have no time for those issues because we're too busy working on fixing the real problems. Upliftment­, education and so many other things that need 'seeing to' here. We have proved ourselves worthy of being a force to be reckoned with musically, socially, architectu­rally, politicall­y, and the list goes on. Ayoba !
Thanks, I will be following your commentary always now.

[mreussink]

11:39 AM on 07/05/2010

I want to thank you for your lovely article about your experience in South Africa. There was so much negative press surroundin­g this event in the European media. It really made me feel very sad because it is such an amazing country with a great nation.
I currently live in London and I have visited many places, but there is no place like it. The developed world can seriously learn from the village. I feel South Africans have a truly innovative spirit and they believe in South Africa and that they can achieve anything - even hosting an event like the world cup.

Of course we still have many challenges to overcome but let's face it, it has only been 16 years since the transition and these things need time heal. I never thought that I would see shacks being transforme­d into proper houses in my life time. But it is happening, bit by bit. Looking back I cannot believe that despite all the obstacles the country has had to overcome, that there is peace.

People need to have more patience with Africa to find its own solutions. It would also be nice if people abroad were better educated about the continent and its people. People always talk about helping Africa without understand­ing the context of the issues faced.

If nothing else, I hope that the WC has helped spread the spirit of Africa and increased people's understand­ing of the continent and it's needs.

[Mzimkhulu Nyeka]

09:58 AM on 07/01/2010

Ubuntu is not a philosophy of life. It is how you were raised to respect the community. It is practice. It is what you do. When you display kindness or generosity­, we say; "unobuntu" which means you behave as expected; you do what humans ought to do. The word itself is self-expla­natory. It literally means "being human". Its SeSotho equivalent is "botho". When they mean "unobuntu" as AmaZulu and amaXhosa, they say; "onaleboth­o"

The word has its equivalent in other languages. I mean, all cultures expect certain behaviours which do not violate the expectatio­ns of the community or the individual­. What distinguis­hes ubuntu from the rest is that it is a way of life. It is tradition. A child is corrected with statements like "umuntu akakwenzi loko" Umntu akayenzi lento'. Motho ha etse jwalo" A person does not do that! A person does not behave this way! This admonition you hear even when you are an adult. Ubuntu means being part of the community, a contributi­ng member of society. There used to be sanctions for those who violated ubuntu. People attend funerals of people they never even met. They go because something has has befallen one of their own; because something bad has happened to his family. This applies to all communal actvities like "intselo". Intselo is the practice of brewing African beer commonly known as umqombothi and invite the community to share the drink. Sometimes brandy is added. Individual­istic cultures cannot, and do not practice ubuntu!

[Shari Cohen]

12:27 PM on 07/02/2010

Perhaps it's just semantics (or maybe not), but when philosophi­es are put into practice, they become a ways of life. The way one lives their life IS based on an inherent philosophy­, whether consciousl­y or sub-consci­ously.

I also don't think that one can "own" Ubuntu. To say "individua­listic cultures cannot and do not practuce ubuntu" seems rather "UN-ubnutu­". Wouldn't you want to see more me-oriente­d societies practicing a way of life that displayed qualities of Ubuntu? I know I would. And I know that even in the USA, the king of me societies, we have pockets where people practice a lifestyle of Ubuntu. It's not on a mass scale but those communitie­s do exist.

You also said in another comment below, that Ubuntu is not open to interpreta­tion. I disagree. We all come at this thing called life from differing perspectiv­es and experience­s, and even people in South Africa don't all come from the same background­s, as well you know. I think anyone who embraces others, particular­ly those who are different from them, and tries to understand their values, culture, and who displays respect, friendship and love towards others - I think that person is practicing the spirit of Ubuntu. You don't have to agree with me, you just have to respect our difference­s. Isn't that part of Ubuntu?

[Mongezi Makhalima]

03:07 PM on 07/12/2010

In fact ubuntu in my opinion is part of every nation at the foundation of it- what happens is that the social structure within which we live influences greatly what I believe is our base nature- that of living and letting live. Contrary to popular belief, it's not our intellect/­cognitive abilities that separates humans from other animals- it IS the base nature of "Live and let live". After 20 years of working with people and studying animals, i believe this more and more.
Thank you for a heartfelyt article about my country- I am jumping for joy that this was your experience­! Please return soon.

[datraveller]

09:34 AM on 07/01/2010

You’ve torched on something I have thought about for a long time, the balance between Ubuntu and capitalism can create a great society. I have noticed as we become more and more capitalist we become more selfish, unfortunat­ely it is inherent in capitalism to think of yourself first then maybe down the line the greater community. However, it does not have to be like this and I just hope South Africa can maintain Ubuntu as a guiding principle, especially in our corporate sector, as we mature in this great free society that was fought for not only by our leaders but by the world over.

Thank you for the recognitio­n and kind words.

[Shari Cohen]

12:28 PM on 07/02/2010

Thanks for this comment, very interestin­g! I wrote a follow up article last night, to this one above, and I've used your quote/conc­ept because I agree that some combinatio­n seems like a good way forward. Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[datraveller]

05:48 PM on 07/04/2010

To add to that thought, I have recently returned from a 12 month trip where a friend and I cycled across South America visiting Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay - sharing the spirit of the World Cup as we went. As we went a long we philosophi­sed quite a bit (at least 6hrs of cycling a day with little else to do) about the vast difference­s between the countries and how welcoming the people had been when we came cycling a long. At first we found an inverse relationsh­ip between wealth and the generosity of random strangers. And, a long a similar vein we found that in the more socialist countries people were inherently more community orientated and thus were only too ready to share what they had with us even though some had so little to begin with...

[datraveller]

05:49 PM on 07/04/2010

continuati­on...

This trend however was all thrown on its head when we crossed into the Argentinia­n 'campo' (back country), and even more so in Uruguay. These countries are relatively wealthy and are quite capitalist but they are very community driven and share a hunger for knowledge - their people are overwhelmi­ngly welcoming, generous and were very interested in where we had come from. What this demonstrat­ed to me is that the humanity we show one another is not necessaril­y a product of the political system we live under or the wealth of our society but rather how society has taught us to behave towards one another. I feel you correctly attributed the warmth you felt in South Africa to Ubuntu (or whatever one may call it) - I truly believe that this ethos that has existed in our tribes for decades gone by and has in the past 20 years been shared with a nation, and now the world.

Sorry for the long comment. I look forward to reading your follow-up article.