I decided to write this post when my programmer friend (of course programmer seems to be a simplification, but I suppose this is what happens when you try to define a person by their walk of life) found a can of Ubuntu Cola in Tesco (see the photograph below) and posted it on Facebook as a good geek joke. Dear all, Ubuntu Cola (and I do acknowlege the fact that it sounds freaking hilarious) is not an Ubuntu Linux trademark rip-off. The name is a reference to the same beautiful idea that the Linux distribution name originates from.
Ubuntu Cola (original photo from http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com)
Ubuntu is an African philosophy whose supporters include Nelson Mandela. The Ubuntu term itself is often translated as I am, because you are, because we are. The humanistic philosophy rejects individualism, recognizes the value of human life, values community and togetherness, dialogue, tolerance, and understanding rather than punishment Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Prize laureate, writes (quote taken from The African Philosophy Reader):
It is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa will give the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being able to go the extra mile for the sake of others. We believe that a person is a person through another person, that my humanity is caught up, bound up, inextricably, with with yours. When I dehumanise you, I inexorably dehumanise myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms and therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in belonging.
It goes really well together with the open source movement, doesn’t it? 
I first heard the word in a non-Linux context during the Intercultural Navigators workshop organised/funded by the British Council. I learned a lot there… I remember a long block of workshops and meetings on this subject, sparsely illustrated with film material in which members of African tribes described putting the Ubuntu idea into life. If somebody has nothing to eat or drink, you help them. If he ir she is not fit for work, you help them, and so on. All the time my Central European brain kept pondering: “how do they eliminate con men”? How long can you be “unfit for work”? What happens if a person decides to take a lifetime of relaxing while the rest of the tribe works their butts off, and never repays any of the favours? There seemed to be one, constant answer: “it’s not the point”. Having the favour returned is not the ultimate goal.
Since we are already on the subject (please see the Ubuntu Cola photo again), I learned a few days ago that the first Fair-Trade-only shop (is it in Poland even?) has just opened in Poznań (some shops, like Alma or Folwark Wąsowo already offer some products with the logo/certification). While writing this post I finally checked the adress – turns out I pass it every time I go to work by car and park in my sister’s garage. Expect a review quite soon
Coming back to the Navigators. I do not really remember what made me apply for this programme. For a few months I had one weekend a month taken from me, filled with meetings with some of the most determined, higher-goal-oriented and aware people I met in my life. I deeply believe that most of us learned a lot about ourselves and other people during that time. At the end of the workshop period we were given a chance to apply for a funding for a self-designed project, and somehow my Online Grandmas! idea was one of the winners. So together with my friends, including my dear Husband (who is very anxious about being mentioned here), we had this truly wonderful experience. Side effects include the release of a group of elderly spammers. See the pink email background and the bon-mot slideshows and you know what I mean, I might just look for them for your entertainment. They are really sweet. Here is one of the photos from the lecture/pratice series. You can find more in the project website, but that is in Polish only, sorry.
The Online Grandmas lecture series (Adam Mickiewicz University's Physics Department)
How about a rerun?
Have a great New Year!
Tags: Fair Trade, Intercultural Navigators, Ubuntu, Ubuntu Cola
