The Meaning of “Ubuntu” – Explained by Nelson Mandela June 1, 2006
Posted by Carthik in ubuntu.trackback
I have often wondered what the best way to explain the meaning, or the feeling sought to be conveyed by the word “Ubuntu”. No, it is not a word in my native tongue, and so it is all the more intriguing to see how closely that word fits the concepts around the Ubuntu OS. What better way to understand what it means that to hear it from Nelson Mandela, one of South Africa’s most famous sons?
I found the following YouTube video (thanks to this German Blog) which shows Nelson Mandela explaining what Ubuntu means:
I would like to pat Mark, and everyone else involved in naming the Ubuntu OS, on their backs, and thank them for choosing such a wonderful name.
Digg This!
Ubuntu Blog 
Very nice explanation of the word.
Thanks for the video.
Greetings
Patrick
You can also find it in /usr/share/example-content/Experience ubuntu.ogg as it is in the example-content pagacke in dapper.
Here explanation from Desmond Tutu [1] :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(ideology)
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu
[…] The latest version of Ubuntu Linux, known as Dapper Drake is now available! This is the most polished Linux Distro I have ever used, and is the one that has finally moved me away from Windows (although I still have a 10gig windows partition just in case wine fails me. Let’s just say I would have to add it to my menu.lst before booting it.). To celebrate, I’ll post a youtube link I found on Ubuntu Blog: […]
[…] The latest version of Ubuntu Linux, known as Dapper Drake is now available! This is the most polished Linux Distro I have ever used, and is the one that has finally moved me away from Windows (although I still have a 10gig windows partition just in case wine fails me. Let’s just say I would have to add it to my menu.lst before booting it.). To celebrate, I’ll post a youtube link I found on Ubuntu Blog which has Nelson Mandela describing what Ubuntu is. Apparently this flick is included with Ubuntu in the example-content package. […]
[…] Haleluja, der flotte Enterich ist da! Und natürlich konnte ich keinen Tag länger als bis zum Release-Date warten und habe die neue Ubuntu-Version sofort installiert. Da ich mein System gerne mal mit inoffiziellen Paketen und anderer Software vermurkse, lief das Upgrade nicht so glatt vom Stapel wie vorgesehen, aber wie ich von Debian, der Ubuntu-Grundlage, gewohnt bin doch immernoch sehr einfach und zuverlässig. Einziges Problem: Für meine Matrox-Karte gibt es noch keinen proprietären HAL-Treiber für X.Org 7 und mit den offenen Treibern habe ich immer ein kleines “Flacker”-Problem. Danke an Matrox für die schönen Jahre — höchste Zeit für eine NVidia- oder ATI-Karte. Aber ansonsten schnurrt der Rechner noch besser als vorher. Den richtigen Spirit dazu liefert Nelson Mandela [via Ubuntu Blog]. […]
ech, mandela is a communist. yuck.
Mandela rocks. Ubuntu is the first time I’ve heard that word, sounds interesting.
[…] Ubuntonista at Ubuntu Blog came across a video of Nelson Mandela explaining the word ubuntu on YouTube. […]
Nelson Mandela explica lo que significa Ubuntu
Un video de Nelson Mandela explicando qué significa Ubuntu.
No le entiendo un pescao al amigo nelson.
It seems to me that the concept of “ubuntu” has quite a bit of overlap with the western philosophical concept of “humanism”.
[…] Ubuntu may seem like a strange term to those who don’t know the meaning behind this word, here’s Nelson Mandela explain just that, the meaning of “Ubuntu”.read more | digg story […]
Yikes!
No captions!
Not accessible to the deaf!
This borders on the hypocritical – ubuntu is ubuntu unless you are deaf!
Nelson Mandela? Interesting view from him… Ubuntu is just a great Linux operating system. I have been using it since it was in Alpha stage.
Ubuntu is the best linux based OS i have ever seen and used. Nice video!
Did he know that he’d be featured on an Ubuntu Linux site I wonder. Eitherway, it’s a good word to use.
[…] What Ubuntu means? By Nelson Mandela himself. […]
If Mandela is a communist, and Ubuntu means all these wonderful things, then I am a communist too.
mandela is definitely not a communist, he has been far more democratic than most world leaders.
http://lace-wigs-knastore.com
Transcript please?
thanks for that video – he sums up what I took the general meaning of Ubuntu to mean
[…] Ubuntu may seem like a strange term to those who don’t know the meaning behind this word, here’s Nelson Mandela explain just that, the meaning of “Ubuntu”.read more | digg story […]
How ironic that Ubuntu is explained through the use of the proprietary flash plugin something which goes against its nature…
haha. seems shuttleworth is actually more of a texan buisnissman than an “african” in ideology.
or maybe that’s just texan unpatience =)
Interviewer: “Many peopel regard you as a personification of ubuntu, what do you understand ubuntu to be?”
Nelson Mandela “in the old days when we’re young, a traveler would stop at a village, and once he stoped he didnt have to ask for food or for water once he stops the people give him food at the table. that is one aspect of ubuntu bu it will have various aspects.
(text scroll)
NM: “Ubuntu doesnot mean that people should not address themselves, the question is therefore, ar yu going to do so i order toenabl he community arround you to be able to improve, these are the imprtant things of life, and if one can do that you have done something very important that will be appreciated.
holy filth.. this wireless keyboard sucks… (it dropps keys when im not looking 🙂
Interesting. No one has mentioned the full zulu phrase… “ubuntu ngmuntu abantu” which means, a person is a person because of other people, or rather a person is a person through other people.
The wealth of the word ubuntu is actually that it refers to the full phrase above, and the phrase above can mean more than one thing depending on its context. It is not dissimilar to the word karma, or to the tenet of “do unto others as you woudl have them do unto you”.
I definitely appreciated the african sensibility and mystique of this concept while living in South Africa.
[…] Y como remate al fin de semana, éste video, encontrado en mi vecino Ubuntu blog, sobre que significa la palabra Ubuntu. […]
[…] Últimamente he estado perdiendo el sentido de la curiosidad. Lo cual es muy malo. Apareció en digg.com un enlace a la explicación por Nelson Mandela de la palabra Ubuntu (hay un nuevo sabor de Linux llamado así). La palabra es un concepto africano. De la explicación que aparece en Wikipedia, podría traducirse algo así como “ser en base a los demás”, o “yo soy porque nosotros somos”, o “ser humano a través de los demás”, una persona con ubuntu, es abierta y disponible a los demás. Algo así como definir a la persona en base a sus relaciones con los demás. Qué impactante y apropiada palabra para denotar el movimiento de software libre. Mi reflexión sobre todo esto se reduce a lo siguiente: ¿En qué medida soy ubuntu? […]
[…] Ubuntu may seem like a strange term to those who don’t know the meaning behind this word, here’s Nelson Mandela explain just that, the meaning of “Ubuntu”.read more | digg story […]
[…] I've been thinking about Linux a lot lately and I am (once again) going through my semi-annual "which one is better" ritual. Yesterday, Ubuntu Linux raised both of its hands and yelled "Pick me! Pick me!", so I'll start downloading the Desktop Version today. I don't know whether it's the best or not, but I've heard a lot about it from Brian Glass' blog (he seems to really like it) and I found the Ubuntu Blog (#1 WordPress site of the day – June 6, 2006) which features a YouTube video of Nelson Mandela talking about Ubuntu (yes, THAT Nelson Madela!). 'Ubuntu' is one of those African words where the meaning transcends any written definition and is best characterized through the unselfish spirit of giving, helpfulness and sharing. Call me a sap, but the video inspired me to explore a brand of Linux with such a noble name. […]
[…] El significado de la palabra ‘Ubuntu’, explicado por Nelson Mandela. […]
Let’s not get too distracted.
At the end of the day, the Ubuntu project is out to make money for the creators/suppliers/Canonical/whatever.
As noble as the name sounds, there is an element of marketing in the whole deal. I get my Ubuntu shipped for free. Hurray, that’s great, I like that.
But in South Africa, from whence I come, the support Contract for Ubuntu was given the (one of) the largest Linux businesses around. Ubunu to me would mean train the little guy (that’s me), give me ny daily bread and set me out onto the world. They couldn’t even post me a CD for free – asked me for a fee, they did. I got it posted from another continent to me at no cost.
What clever marketing, even getting the “product” endorsed by Mandela. I’ve read some other blogs on the video, and some people thought that UbuntuLinux came first, and Mandela was explaining the word because of the OS!
The bottom line though:
Whatever your perspective (Ubuntu is an OS / Ubuntu is a spirit of community), Ubuntu Rocks!
[…] Perhaps what I like most about is the meaning behind the Bantu derived word “Ubuntu”. Nelson Mandela explains its meaning here. A humanist ideology and a humanist operating system. […]
[…] If ever humans had to make a case before the Council of United Galaxies and the Universal Government as to why Earth should not be blown up to make way for an interspace wormhole, we have a few saving graces, a few heroes to justify our existence: Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Hawking. We have concepts like ubuntu and a desire to surf the moon. We are capable of great generosity and innovative ways of spreading it. […]
The Baganda of Uganda are the greatest of all the Bantu stretching from Cameroon to South Africa. The Baganda qualify a person to be civilised and worthy to be given a wife/husband if she/he has Ubuntu. The customary education of Baganda teaches Obuntu-bulamu.
[…] So, I totally dumped Windows XP down to an old 20GB HDD and installed Ubuntu Linux “Linux for Human Beings” on my main drive, as my main OS. Ubuntu is a word which means, as I have heard it: “I am because we are”. It has sister projects, including Edubuntu “Linux for Young Human Beings”, which is designed for schools and students. I burned a LiveCD of it to take a look at it. You’d have to spend hundreds of dollars to get that much educational software on a Windows or Mac machine. I was a bit worried about installing it because there are so many detractors out there. Especially since I connect to the internet via a wireless card. But, I didn’t even have to try. I had downloaded Flock and was surfing minutes after the install was complete. Windows XP came out 5 years ago. Vista won’t come out until next year. Ubuntu has new releases every 6 months. Or, if you don’t want to update that often, you can install a LTS (long term support) release, like the one that’s out now. Right now I’m trying to decide whether I want to put non free software on my system. How idealistic am I? MP3 is not free. Posted by Slugicide Filed in ubuntu, Tech, software, Linux […]
Great explanation of the word.
Thanx
Hamza
This is our world! Right?
[…] * Yesterday, I got Ubuntu Dapper Live CD (AMD 64). It is wonderful! Ubuntu’s human theme looks attractive and icons are really great! Menus are clean. The ‘examples’ are cool, which includes meaning of Ubuntu explained by Nelson Mandela. Ubuntu book is also well-written. I will try to get full book – if it is available in India. Another feature is ‘Live CD Installer’. For which, I need to do some more research. […]
Please this article:
Nafukho, F. M. (2006). Ubuntu worldview: A traditional African View of adult learning in the workplace. Advances in developing human resources, 8(3),408-415
I appreciated the opportunity recently to read and reflect on your article, “Ubuntu Worldview: A Traditional African View of Adult Learning in the Workplace.” What a wonderful concept ubuntu is, with its emphasis on spirituality, consensus and dialogue. And, what a marvelous construct the ubuntu-related philosophy—umuntu ngumentu ngabandu—is, with its emphasis on human solidarity as a strength in understanding and learning.
Congratulations on your paper. And, thank you for helping to bring a valued African philosophy to the attention of a wide audience.
Best wishes. Bob.
[…] Ubuntu may seem like a strange term to those who don’t know the meaning behind this word, here’s Nelson Mandela explain just that, the meaning of “Ubuntu”.read more | digg story […]
i can’t understand mandela’s talks plz write all of his talks in this video!
plz send me!
Ubuntu may seem like a strange term to those who don’t know the meaning behind this word,
ubuntu is the unique word i have ever found that can actualy transmite the feeling (and not the though) that we are all conected, no matter what, no matter where, no matter how, no matter when and no matter who!
yes ubuntu is a great free OS and i want to thank you for the clear explanation of the root of the word. nice vid also
I love Mr. Mandela and I am willing to die for him. Ubuntu to my African nation. Thank-you for this clip.
can you sent this to me please!!!!
Ubuntu is the flavor we used for an OS class I attended last Fall. Too bad we ended the last two days of class with the Ubuntu install and then it was time for exam review, therefore we really did not get a chance to play with it much, the teacher just wanted the students to get a feel of something besides Windows.
Cool OS.
Barberman
UBUNTU in its simpliest form is defined as the “art of being human”. It is an all encompassing view of world life and huminity . It is the humanistic experience of treating all people with respect and granting them their human dignity. It’s philosophy is race neutral and treats all people as humans living in one large community.
Ubuntu’s foundation is spiritual intelligence which we all need. The next era after the knoweledge era – The era of wisdom will not only require cognitive intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence, physical intelligence, but spiritual intelligence. To survive in the era of wisdom people will need to heavily rely on their conscience hence the importance of the ubuntu world view
yo no ce que significa ubuntu si es algo espiritual bueno que lo siga asiendo. edwin
does anybody knows the title of the soundtrack at the beginning of the video ?
Ubuntu signifies a class of civilization. Within civilization we come to understand stability, accountability, communication, tolerance and understanding human values. The Baganda people when they say “Oli- muntu” meaning “You are a person” in deep ti carries great meaning such as a person who understands, noble, who has feels. We can go on and on. So Ubuntu carries a lot of meaning in Bantu people.
“(…) he trobat aquest vídeo de Nelson Mandela en el qual explica el terme “ubuntu” (…)”
[…] motivated and inspired by the speakers who came to share their message about self-love and Ubuntu; the power of your dreams and how your passions can lead you to greatness. Though each speaker […]
Heart-touching meaning (enlightened by honorable personality) and titled for the highly suited product. So Ubuntu Era begins now !!!
The real product for humanity – sure requires an awareness and mass support!! Are we ready to take up the task!?! Come-on lets join our hands.
Our State of Kerala (India) officially recognized the Ubuntu Linux OS and introduced it in all the schools as the only OS for computer classes. May be the next Keralite generation groomed with rich Linux taste.
Ubuntu rocks. Humanist? Communist? Not so much these as benevolence and community. There is also an unstated feeling within the Ubuntu community from the top down, that seems to be lacking in the general free software community. A feeling of choice, whereby if I stopped using the software today, I would not be rejected, but welcomed still, though those true to Ubuntu will not join me in using closed systems like MS Windows. (This jives with my Christian values, where if someone walked away from God and the Church, I would be non the less their friend, even if I don’t participate in their immoral behavior).
[…] “Meaning of “Ubuntu” – Explained by Nelson Mandela, The.” Ubuntu Blog. 1 June 2006. 5 Mar. 2008. <https://ubuntu.wordpress.com/2006/06/01/the-meaning-of-ubuntu-explained-by-nelson-mandela/>. […]
Hi Patick,
Have you seen this video? I found it interesting.
Ubuntu explained by Nelson Mandela.
Cheers,
Adele
[…] Documentrio sobre o drama das pessoas infectadas com o HIV/Aids em Malawi, na frica, mais conhecido como “o filme da Madonna“. Site oficial. “I Am Because We Are” o significado da expresso “Ubuntu” (Nelson Mandela explica). […]
[…] to South African freedom leader Nelson Mandela, Ubuntu is not a single thing but a broad concept involving characteristics such as unselfishness and caring […]
To my friend Mr. Jet Tayer, a linux user, I congratulate you! You’ve found the sensible explanation of “Ubuntu” by no less than Mr. Nelson Mandela himself. Nice sharing of intellectual happiness in the community of intelligence.
donrobert.
You can now help in adding subtitles in your own languages so that the concept of Ubuntu can spread even more!
See http://dotsub.com/films/nelsonmandela/index.php
This is Awesome. About 7 years ago i started opening our team building and training programs with a greeting that incorporates Ubuntu. I first read about it in the Fifth Discipline Field Guide – which tells of the Africal Zulu tribe and the meaning being “People are people because of other people.” Leadership, teamwork and organizational performance begins with acknowledgement – and continues with the overall attitude and philosophy that Ubuntu represents. I think it is awesome that the Celtics (my home town) have take on and believe it has a great deal with their comeback and record year! Check out http://www.seekingtruenorth.com
about my new book and blog on living to your true potential! UBUNTU!
BTW, today (18 July) is Nelson Mandela’s birthdate (1918).
Ubuntu in other languages
Insani – humaneness (Arabian society)
Utu – Swahili. Mwalimu Julius Nyerere one of the great African philosophers who was the President of Tanzania, used to give a weekly radio address to Tanzanian’s on utu (ubuntu)
Obundu bwomundu nabandu – (Luyia, Kenya). What makes a person humane are the other people in society
saol cigerim
A dear friend bought a new Dell Mini 9 lap top for me and it has Ubuntu Linux as the operating system. This laptop is at the low end in cost from Dell and after reading all these posts I am positive I got the best OP on my new laptop that will be delivered to me at the end of March, 2009. This was the only way I could get a laptop. A beautiful tribute from a beautiful and revered fighter of social justice, Nelso Mandela. I am proud to have this new machine now!
me han hablado muchas cosas buenas de linux y lo estoy descargando despues les cuento como me parece pero lo poco q he visto me parece genial desde colombia saludos
[…] Benvenuto in anticipo nel mondo Ubuntu! (sembrerebbe una distro maceratese per chi non conosce le origini africane del termine) __________________ Live LOVE & love […]
[…] Mandela has been and continues to be a sterling example of African leadership at its best. U lo Buntu. Honored by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in 2007 as an Honorary Laureate of the Mo Ibrahim Prize, […]
This is the main reason I love embraceuubunntu.com. Stunningb posts.
[…] coletividade e no compartilhamento, não só de software, mas também de idéias e conhecimentos e muito bem explicada por Nelson […]
ubuntu i got it naw.thanks to fmr.president Mandela.
No le entiendo un pescao al amigo nelson.
thanks for that video – he sums up what I took the general meaning of Ubuntu to mean
[…] And that’s to name but a few of the inspiring people selected this year. Two of my favorite take-away thoughts were: “If you can’t imagine it, it won’t happen” and “Ubuntu” [if you don’t know the meaning of this African word…please look up its “definition”] […]
This is our world! Right?
UBUNTU in its simpliest form is defined as the “art of being human”. It is an all encompassing view of world life and huminity . It is the humanistic experience of treating all people with respect and granting them their human dignity. It’s philosophy is race neutral and treats all people as humans living in one large community.
Hello! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
As noble as the name sounds, there is an element of marketing in the whole deal. I get my Ubuntu shipped for free. Hurray, that’s great, I like that.
But in South Africa, from whence I come, the support Contract for Ubuntu was given the (one of) the largest Linux businesses around. Ubunu to me would mean train the little guy (that’s me), give me ny daily bread and set me out onto the world. They couldn’t even post me a CD for free – asked me for a fee, they did. I got it posted from another continent to me at no cost.
teşekürler bilgi için elinize sağlık
Ubuntu has new releases every 6 months. Or, if you don’t want to update that often, you can install a LTS (long term support) release, like the one that’s out now. Right now I’m trying to decide whether I want to put non free software on my system. How idealistic
need I add more??
I agree completely…
Thank god some bloggers can write. Thank you for this post.
Extremely well written piece of writing..
Thats an all ’round great article..
Ich möchte Ihnen für diese Hinweise danken. Sie sind sehr nützlich.
Generosity amongst fellow humans making the world a better place. Ubuntu!!!
[…] Video found here […]
that, 18 bucks was the right price for me as I needed somtiheng for that day and did not have time to mess around with burning a Linux CD . it worked perfectly on my laptop and I booted Ubuntu off the CD (I never actually installed it on the hard drive). WiFi worked immediately and the user interface seemed very Windows familiar. Lastly, I was able to find an answer to all my questions with a simple google search of the documentation/forums.Bottom line: Assuming you this OS in the store and see no alternatives AND you need to get right then and there AND you don’t mind overpaying 9-8 dollars, then this product it right for you. PS Amazing how far Linux has come since the last time I used it 4-5 years ago. Pretty sure I would never buy Windows with a new PC again
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I am because you are, therefore because you are I am. From sister Juney Ubuntu Social Living Networks – Family Health Isis in Lewisham. Implementing the Ubuntu way to improve wellbeing and aspirations of our young people. October8 th 2013
his have provided me with comprehensive perspective about the ubuntu!!!!!…….
lov the xplntn………..fact utata madiba is a communist so….?
over 18 ? check top adults dvd online
https://www.facebook.com/notes/oswald-datl-entertainer/madiba/590897510981699
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[…] African philosophy we have concept called Ubuntu – “I am, because we are…” and Nelson Mandela was a major proponent of this. In China they don’t talk about it, they […]
Thank you for video. I learn something new today. 🙂
Thanks for the video.
[…] The Meaning of “Ubuntu” – Explained by Nelson Mandela … – The Meaning of “Ubuntu” – Explained by Nelson Mandela June 1, 2006 Posted by Carthik in ubuntu. trackback. I have often wondered what the best way to explain … […]