Ubuntu: A Nonviolence Philosophy/Pedagogical Practice
Abstract
Mahatma Gandhi writes, "Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man" (Sharma, 2007, p. 23). The empowerment of the society's weakest is fundamental to Gandhi's Satyagraha. However, Gandhi's nonviolence is more than a tool for mass mobilization, it is a way of life. As our nation and world continue on a path of chaos, racism, and violence, it is time educators become catalysts of change. Ubuntu, a nonviolence philosophy/pedagogical practice, is a means toward that end. Combining the teachings of Gandhi, the Zulu philosophy of Ubuntu, and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and James M. Lawson, Jr., Whitcomb posits a nonviolence approach to life, education, pedagogical practice, and the classroom experience. Ubuntu guides both teachers and students towards lives dedicated to the active practice of nonviolence; a practice intent on overcoming oppression, seeking justice, and cultivating a democratic society.
Presentation Description
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Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Whitcomb, Caroline, "Ubuntu: A Nonviolence Philosophy/Pedagogical Practice" (2022). Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative. 21.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cssc/2022/2022/21
Ubuntu: A Nonviolence Philosophy/Pedagogical Practice
Mahatma Gandhi writes, "Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man" (Sharma, 2007, p. 23). The empowerment of the society's weakest is fundamental to Gandhi's Satyagraha. However, Gandhi's nonviolence is more than a tool for mass mobilization, it is a way of life. As our nation and world continue on a path of chaos, racism, and violence, it is time educators become catalysts of change. Ubuntu, a nonviolence philosophy/pedagogical practice, is a means toward that end. Combining the teachings of Gandhi, the Zulu philosophy of Ubuntu, and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and James M. Lawson, Jr., Whitcomb posits a nonviolence approach to life, education, pedagogical practice, and the classroom experience. Ubuntu guides both teachers and students towards lives dedicated to the active practice of nonviolence; a practice intent on overcoming oppression, seeking justice, and cultivating a democratic society.
