Ubuntu

Ubuntu was a network of individual Black and minority ethnic practitioners and activists, networks and groups who share an interest in promoting and delivering learning from Black perspectives on Community Development work.

This publication gives a historic and contextual overview of the development and need of “Ubuntu”, the Swahili concept that expresses the belief that “people are people through other people”.

“During the mid-1980s the Federation of Community Work Training Groups (FCWTG), now FCDL, organised training to support the development of the skills and understanding of Black & Minority Ethnic workers around the country.  FCDL also supported its regional training groups in developing short programmes for Black and Minority Ethnic activists and workers within their areas. On attending FCDL national events, such as its Annual General Meeting, a number of these workers were concerned about the relatively low level of Black & Minority Ethnic participation. This was thought to reflect the pressures existing on Black and Minority Ethnic workers’ time and the weakness of anti-discriminatory strategies within the regional training groups”. (extract from publication)  

The publication was produced for:

Ubuntu & FCDL Conference “Black Perspectives within Community Development”: Celebrating and Creating Possible Futures, that took place on 10^th March 2011.

The event was a way to explore and celebrate Ubuntu’s past and future as changes internally and externally to FCDL, meant that Ubuntu was inactive for some time. However, through discussion amongst founders and FCDL staff, an action plan has been identified to look at the relevance of Ubuntu, by establishing a working group and planning of March 2011 event to explore and celebrate Ubuntu’s past and future.

Further Ubuntu information can be found in Previous Publications.