UGO
Ubuntu Global Organization (UGO) is a network of leaders with grounded Ubuntu background, with the aim of empowering communities by driving Ubuntu philosophy - "I am Because You Are".
I am because we are! That is the spirit of Ubuntu, the African philosophy that emphasizes 'being self through others'. Ubuntu, a "Nguni" word from South Africa, addresses our interconnectedness, our common humanity and our responsibility to each other. Ubuntu is a call to service and participation; resulting in service to humanity in a practical way. Central to Ubuntu philosophy is that no man is an island— every individual human being is part of a larger world. It shows that we are all interconnected and therefore interdependent, heightening awareness of our mutual responsibility and accountability to each other. Ubuntu embraces respect for the diversity of what it means to be human. It cherishes the critical value of taking care of our community, in a way that is considerate, communal and radically generous. Ubuntu is an eternal African philosophy of 'Oneness' – this oneness is an understanding of the interconnectedness of all life.
Ubuntu Global Organization (UGO) is rooted on a genuine desire to promote the interests of ALL individuals, groups and communities. UGO is predicated on precept that draws on the talents of a diverse community to establish high standards for collaboration, debate, delegation of responsibility and ethics. The belief of the UGO team was driven by development ethics that exemplifies conception of development as an ethical or philosophical enterprise constituted by three questions:
A good life is a function of having a virtuous character, and a just society is one that respects persons in their capacity for virtue and operates on the moral logic of the common good. The UGO team believes in 'living our purpose' by making a difference and helping others which is a core aspect of team spirit in line with the Ubuntu philosophy. UGO promotes the ideals of 'unity of purpose' through collaborating with other social organizations and community groups. UGO assumes social responsibility, and ensures its entity status through others by means of collective caring, leading to dignity and respect within communities.
Ubuntu - or the essence of being human - is about promoting diversity, inclusion, integrity, mutual accountability, and teamwork, all on which UGO is anchored. It is doing what you would do for yourself to others as well, and injects a level of much-needed accountability in business and people management. UGO is built on a strong sense of team unity. UGO principles include sharing, collective ownership of opportunities, responsibilities and challenges, the importance of people and relationships, participatory leadership, loyalty, reconciliation, experiential learning and knowledge management.
Ubuntu emphasizes 'living a purposeful life' and intentionally doing so. This Ubuntu axiom is consistent with UGO’s policy of making sure that every individual on its team is engaged in purpose-aligned work, which ultimately helps them to be at their best while simultaneously giving them a sense of meaning and fulfillment. When we realize that 'your success is my success, and my success is your success’, we don’t have to dampen our spirits, and dim our light. We shine so everyone can shine!
According to Desmond Tutu, a South African theologian, Ubuntu does not mean that people should not consider themselves, but that they do so in a way to enable the community around them to improve. Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, explained Ubuntu as “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 be in equal measure due to the work and achievement of others.” UGO sticks to this course by building a formidable team because it takes a team to get the work done, staying true to the African proverb, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito.” Making a difference requires that we show up for each other. It is important to spend time developing relationships, trust, and spaces for reflection. Commitment to innovate, solve problems, and serve people demands that we create a culture in which people feel safe, seen, heard and respected.
We are committed to being fair, objective and proactively transparent in our actions. We honour our commitments and purpose to always do the right thing.
We act with dignity, professionalism, and treat everyone with empathy and fairness
We challenge social injustice and work for social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people.
We foster an environment of unity, acknowledging that we achieve more when we collaborate and work together.We foster an environment of unity, acknowledging that we achieve more when we collaborate and work together.
We are responsible for our words, actions, behaviours, and results
We view collective and individual diversity as richness. We value and seek out inclusion of differences, realizing that we can learn from each other and that our differences make us stronger.
UGO believes that we all share in the responsibility to create a positive culture and to safeguard diversity, inclusion, accountability, teamwork, and dignity & respect for all.