Saturday, February 12, 2011
Conscientious Objector: TELLING YOUR BUSINESS STORY: A strategy for buildi...
Conscientious Objector: TELLING YOUR BUSINESS STORY: A strategy for buildi...: "Today, in my capacity as the Regional Director of a small business development center, I was invited as the guest speaker at the New Jersey ..."
TELLING YOUR BUSINESS STORY: A strategy for building sustainable business relationships
Today, in my capacity as the Regional Director of a small business development center, I was invited as the guest speaker at the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners-Essex County Chapter Dinner & Board Officers Installation Ceremony. When the President asked me to be their guest speaker I confidently agree, because this is an organization that is a great collaborative partner for the Center. There were 47 women business owners present for the event. When I got there the Chapter President kept on telling me and everyone she introduced me to during the networking session what a great speaker I was and such a draw for them as they have never had such a turn out. It was flattering, but it was also working my nerves into nervousness. I could tell the expectations were high. The fact that she told me they had just cut my talking time did not help. I was supposed to speak on “Managing Your Business” but somehow my intuition had been telling me that this was not an appropriate topic. Therefore I prepared a speech on “Strategies for The Small Business Soul” which also did not seem like the right presentation once I was in the room. I decided it was time to be pragmatic. I therefore decided to share testimonials of my business stories and how they save as a strategic way of building your business. This is what I share with the women.
Tell Me A Great Story:
I am here to talk about Managing A Business, but I am not going to talk about that because it is my belief that anyone who has a uterus knows how to manage! Women we are managing everything – our communities, our relationships, our families, our children, even our bodies – so we know how to manage a business! What I want to talks about are strategies to help you position your business. To rethink what you are doing right now in your business so that you can seize the opportunities in the environment and take it to the next revenue levels. But people are so distracted these days and unless you are telling your business story, to your customers, your employees, your strategic partners, you could be missing an opportunity to redefine yourself in the market place.
Most of us recall how we were raised on stories. Whether from the oral tradition of our grandparents and elders or when your parents or guardians read you bed time stories. We have already been trained since childhood to listen to and appreciate a good story. Most people I know love a good story. Therefore telling your business story is a great strategy for repositioning, marketing, creating and maintaining your strategic relationships and ultimately building your business. The effect a good story has is that when you tell someone a great story, they are likely to remember you, when they remember you, then you have made a positive lasting impression. You have achieved one of the fundamental principles in marketing strategy – that is, help them remembered who you are the next time you meet them again. It also takes away the awkwardness of trying to remember who you are.
A good story engenders positive feelings toward you and your business, but a great story makes people like you and in business, people want to do business with people that they like. So tell your great story! Make it good, positive, funny short, sweet and relevant. You have achieved your sales proposition without them even realizing that you are telling them about who you are, how you do business, and why they should do business with you. Therefore, its not always about having a sales proposition as the end, its about cultivating a long term relationship, that may turn prospects into clients or help contacts refer clients/customers to you. (So I told them my own business story):
“I used to own a retail business where I designed, manufactured and sold contemporary African clothing. It was an opportunity I stumbled on out of necessity. When I started graduate school, I could not cope the work load of school and working fulltime so I had to leave my job. But my graduate fellowship was not enough to live on so I started designing cloths and doing fashion shows. I had never trained to be a fashion designer but as a young kid I always had to design my cloth and my mom made them for me. I knew how to saw because I had taken a high-school “domestic science” sawing class. I hated sawing. But because I needed to generate additional income, I had to saw. Well from designing, making and selling man’s dashiki shirts, I got more and more sophisticated that I was being invited to do fashion shows of my designs. Before I knew it I had opened a retail store and selling “INDATE DESIGNS” designer, custom fitted clothing for women. Who knew that the little domestic science sawing class would help me pay for graduate school? They liked this rags to riches story.”
My point in sharing this story with you is to illustrate that as women business owners we have skills that we can transport from one context to another, you just have to think and act strategically to know which skills can be applied when – if you plan your household budget you know how to do a business budget if you put your mind to it; if you know how to multi-task your children’s sports activities you know how to time manage, coordinate, delegate and conduct performance measurements in your business. Different contexts, same skills.
Turning threats into opportunities:
Most small businesses conduct strategy in their businesses, but they are just not consciously organized and deliberate in planning what class of strategic actions they end up engaged in – is your strategic focus on Managerial leadership? Knowledge capital? Resources? Operational fit? Or your business Environment? In most small businesses strategic decisions and actions are usually the process of crisis management. If you understand that strategy is the ability to for the business to manage opportunities and threats in the environment. But sometimes the wisdom is in the ability to turn your threats into opportunities. To illustrate how a threat can turn into an opportunity, I will share with you a story that happened to me recently with Mushaindoro, a bed and breakfast facility I own here in Essex County.
“Recently I had to let one of my housekeeping employees in the Bed & Breakfast go. But she made it easy for me. I had been unhappy with her performance for a while but I did not have the heart to fire her – given that this is a time of the recession. So the last Saturday in May as she was leaving, I told her I had to travel the following weekend and would like her to arrange to stay overnight while I was out of town. Thats when she told me she would not be able to come to work that Monday the 1st of June – she needed some time off to do something. I had just given her a week off the beginning of the month so I did not understand where she was coming from. I asked her if she was quitting her job and she said not she was just taking some time off, she would be back in July. At that point I wanted to tell her she was fired, but I just told her to leave and take her time off.
At first I thought this is a threat to my business, my guests, my household and all my meeting plans for the month. But as the days went by I realized I was coping without her help; I realized I did not need her! Strategically, I realized that what may have seemed as a threat in the beginning was actually turning into an opportunity to restructure my HR needs, I could also reallocate her salary for the month to other projects pending for Mushaindoro. Then I decided to fire her.”
In a nutshell, give yourself time to reevaluate what’s going on inside and outside of your business environment. As women we have the gift of intuition and trust it. Threats sometimes makes room for opportunities to manifest. As small businesses we are agile, quick to adapt and respond to threats at less cost and seized opportunities in the environment.
Elements of Strategic Success:
In closing I share with you that for your strategy to succeed there are other elements that need to be in place and they play a significant role in whether your strategy results are great or average.
1. Leadership – be present in your business
2. Know your company’s DNA
3. Know your business environments
4. Know your customers
5. Have a strategic consciousness
6. Act deliberately and boldly.
Use your business story as a strategy to build your business relationships. A great story makes people like you and people do business with people they like.
Tell Me A Great Story:
I am here to talk about Managing A Business, but I am not going to talk about that because it is my belief that anyone who has a uterus knows how to manage! Women we are managing everything – our communities, our relationships, our families, our children, even our bodies – so we know how to manage a business! What I want to talks about are strategies to help you position your business. To rethink what you are doing right now in your business so that you can seize the opportunities in the environment and take it to the next revenue levels. But people are so distracted these days and unless you are telling your business story, to your customers, your employees, your strategic partners, you could be missing an opportunity to redefine yourself in the market place.
Most of us recall how we were raised on stories. Whether from the oral tradition of our grandparents and elders or when your parents or guardians read you bed time stories. We have already been trained since childhood to listen to and appreciate a good story. Most people I know love a good story. Therefore telling your business story is a great strategy for repositioning, marketing, creating and maintaining your strategic relationships and ultimately building your business. The effect a good story has is that when you tell someone a great story, they are likely to remember you, when they remember you, then you have made a positive lasting impression. You have achieved one of the fundamental principles in marketing strategy – that is, help them remembered who you are the next time you meet them again. It also takes away the awkwardness of trying to remember who you are.
A good story engenders positive feelings toward you and your business, but a great story makes people like you and in business, people want to do business with people that they like. So tell your great story! Make it good, positive, funny short, sweet and relevant. You have achieved your sales proposition without them even realizing that you are telling them about who you are, how you do business, and why they should do business with you. Therefore, its not always about having a sales proposition as the end, its about cultivating a long term relationship, that may turn prospects into clients or help contacts refer clients/customers to you. (So I told them my own business story):
“I used to own a retail business where I designed, manufactured and sold contemporary African clothing. It was an opportunity I stumbled on out of necessity. When I started graduate school, I could not cope the work load of school and working fulltime so I had to leave my job. But my graduate fellowship was not enough to live on so I started designing cloths and doing fashion shows. I had never trained to be a fashion designer but as a young kid I always had to design my cloth and my mom made them for me. I knew how to saw because I had taken a high-school “domestic science” sawing class. I hated sawing. But because I needed to generate additional income, I had to saw. Well from designing, making and selling man’s dashiki shirts, I got more and more sophisticated that I was being invited to do fashion shows of my designs. Before I knew it I had opened a retail store and selling “INDATE DESIGNS” designer, custom fitted clothing for women. Who knew that the little domestic science sawing class would help me pay for graduate school? They liked this rags to riches story.”
My point in sharing this story with you is to illustrate that as women business owners we have skills that we can transport from one context to another, you just have to think and act strategically to know which skills can be applied when – if you plan your household budget you know how to do a business budget if you put your mind to it; if you know how to multi-task your children’s sports activities you know how to time manage, coordinate, delegate and conduct performance measurements in your business. Different contexts, same skills.
Turning threats into opportunities:
Most small businesses conduct strategy in their businesses, but they are just not consciously organized and deliberate in planning what class of strategic actions they end up engaged in – is your strategic focus on Managerial leadership? Knowledge capital? Resources? Operational fit? Or your business Environment? In most small businesses strategic decisions and actions are usually the process of crisis management. If you understand that strategy is the ability to for the business to manage opportunities and threats in the environment. But sometimes the wisdom is in the ability to turn your threats into opportunities. To illustrate how a threat can turn into an opportunity, I will share with you a story that happened to me recently with Mushaindoro, a bed and breakfast facility I own here in Essex County.
“Recently I had to let one of my housekeeping employees in the Bed & Breakfast go. But she made it easy for me. I had been unhappy with her performance for a while but I did not have the heart to fire her – given that this is a time of the recession. So the last Saturday in May as she was leaving, I told her I had to travel the following weekend and would like her to arrange to stay overnight while I was out of town. Thats when she told me she would not be able to come to work that Monday the 1st of June – she needed some time off to do something. I had just given her a week off the beginning of the month so I did not understand where she was coming from. I asked her if she was quitting her job and she said not she was just taking some time off, she would be back in July. At that point I wanted to tell her she was fired, but I just told her to leave and take her time off.
At first I thought this is a threat to my business, my guests, my household and all my meeting plans for the month. But as the days went by I realized I was coping without her help; I realized I did not need her! Strategically, I realized that what may have seemed as a threat in the beginning was actually turning into an opportunity to restructure my HR needs, I could also reallocate her salary for the month to other projects pending for Mushaindoro. Then I decided to fire her.”
In a nutshell, give yourself time to reevaluate what’s going on inside and outside of your business environment. As women we have the gift of intuition and trust it. Threats sometimes makes room for opportunities to manifest. As small businesses we are agile, quick to adapt and respond to threats at less cost and seized opportunities in the environment.
Elements of Strategic Success:
In closing I share with you that for your strategy to succeed there are other elements that need to be in place and they play a significant role in whether your strategy results are great or average.
1. Leadership – be present in your business
2. Know your company’s DNA
3. Know your business environments
4. Know your customers
5. Have a strategic consciousness
6. Act deliberately and boldly.
Use your business story as a strategy to build your business relationships. A great story makes people like you and people do business with people they like.
Originally published on Musha Indoro on Sunday, June 21, 2009 at 9:59am. Republished on February 12, 2011. Copyright @ June 2009 by Dr. Tendai Ndoro (DocNdoro) – Founder, SLIPPA/Brighten The Corner Foundation; CEO EDCTrainers, LLC.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Road Rage with a 6 year old!
I was driving with my son the other day, and someone cut me off….I yelled “Idiot Moron B**tch!” and from the back seat of the car I heard “Moron Beach”. That was my son. For a split second, I wasn’t sure what he said because my son has his own language speech because he combines word together so it sounded like he said “morebeach”. We had just been to the beach the day before so I figured he was trying to indicate that he wanted to go back to the beach because we were on the road (Garden State Parkway) that takes you to the Long Branch Beach in Central Jersey. So I let it slide and engaging him saying we were not going to the beach but running errands.
Then another day again some stupid driver was driving so selfishly hogging the lane and as I tried to pass him he started accelerating. As I finally sped past him I yelled more to myself than the driver “Moron Idiot!” Again from the back seat I heard “F*** U moron idiot” Of course it sounded like “Fakumoreidiot!” I definitely heard the word “idiot” clearly. This driver happened to be a man! By mere extrapolation, I was now convinced of what I heard because I could not come up with any “synonym” for the words I thought my son had uttered…though I still was not sure. I looked at him, he had a serious straight face intently focusing on the road and other motorist as we drove on and sitting nicely in his seatbelt. I inquired “What did you say Za?” But he would not repeat it but instead looked at me like “What are you talking about Mommy?”
Then I started pondering. This was not the first time my son had interjected whenever I yell at someone on the road. I used to be polite, making nice comments like “Commoooon, didn’t u see me!” or “Plizzzzze, just because your SUV is bigger than mine u do not have to be rude on the road” or “ We are all trying to get somewhere”. But lately my comments have gotten somewhat “hot & spicy”.
Then I started pondering. This was not the first time my son had interjected whenever I yell at someone on the road. I used to be polite, making nice comments like “Commoooon, didn’t u see me!” or “Plizzzzze, just because your SUV is bigger than mine u do not have to be rude on the road” or “ We are all trying to get somewhere”. But lately my comments have gotten somewhat “hot & spicy”.
I first took notice of my road rage when I was coming from JFK airport with my daughter, who was visiting on holiday from boarding school in June. I released one of my exploitative and she gave me one of her sideway glances and smiled….(her polite way of saying “Mummy don’t be rude!”). Well she is attending one of those “British” boarding schools in Africa where etiquette and manners is equally important as academics , if not more important than academics. Of course she couldn’t voice her opinion aloud because it would have been improper, but also because my son was in the Car. The second time it happened, that is me cursing at another motorist, it was just me and her in the car coz my son was in School. Then she said “Ahh Mummy!” That was enough to let me know she did not approve of my tasty language! I had not even realized I am doing it. Let alone doing it so frequently. So I became conscious from that day on.
Well, I thought, when I am alone it’s was fine. But this is how habits take root and this one seems to have taken root already because now my son was saying “Moron Bitch” in concert with me! This is an epiphany for me. I have always wondered about people who end up shooting fellow motorist and wonder how can just a small driving infraction lead someone to such a drastic action? Well you get there gradually and totally unconscious of it. I have even been fantasizing about being a traffic cop and putting my siren on whenever one of those inconsiderate “idiots” cut me off and give them a hefty ticket! Just the thought and satisfaction of it makes me feel warm! So when my 6 year old starts repeating after me, it’s bad, really bad. I don’t feel rage-full like I know normal rage, but I confess, I have road rage! OMG I am becoming one of those people!
When I told my boyfriend this incident the other day he said he had noticed I have gotten a “little foul mouthed”, which absolutely hurt my feelings. I argued that I have not (not in front of him anyway). He said I have used the “BS” word when I am ticked off and I defended that BS is NOT - a curse word and it does not warrant me being labeled “foul mouthed”? He disagrees. My other friend said I should seek help with a professional therapist! But I don’t believe in spending a dime in them people, God that’s my free therapist. So I am in one of my spiritual cleansing session!
Well, I thought, when I am alone it’s was fine. But this is how habits take root and this one seems to have taken root already because now my son was saying “Moron Bitch” in concert with me! This is an epiphany for me. I have always wondered about people who end up shooting fellow motorist and wonder how can just a small driving infraction lead someone to such a drastic action? Well you get there gradually and totally unconscious of it. I have even been fantasizing about being a traffic cop and putting my siren on whenever one of those inconsiderate “idiots” cut me off and give them a hefty ticket! Just the thought and satisfaction of it makes me feel warm! So when my 6 year old starts repeating after me, it’s bad, really bad. I don’t feel rage-full like I know normal rage, but I confess, I have road rage! OMG I am becoming one of those people!
When I told my boyfriend this incident the other day he said he had noticed I have gotten a “little foul mouthed”, which absolutely hurt my feelings. I argued that I have not (not in front of him anyway). He said I have used the “BS” word when I am ticked off and I defended that BS is NOT - a curse word and it does not warrant me being labeled “foul mouthed”? He disagrees. My other friend said I should seek help with a professional therapist! But I don’t believe in spending a dime in them people, God that’s my free therapist. So I am in one of my spiritual cleansing session!
As for my son, I am still trying to figure out a way to get him to confess to exactly what he said without making it even more “interesting” by repeating the censored vocabulary or undermining my authority. I think if I say it then I am reinforcing it and then tell him how wrong it is, then what it says about his mommy…. She uses bad words? It’s a delicate situation. Anyway I will consult with my higher power therapist on that one.
Originally published on FB Monday, August 2, 2010 at 3:06pm.
Copyright @ August 2, 2010 (Edited and republished February11, 2011) by Dr. Tendai Ndoro (DocNdoro) – Founder, SLIPPA &Brighten The Corner Foundation; CEO EDCTrainers, LLC.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Conscientious Objector: Am I Creating A Mama's Boy?
Conscientious Objector: Am I Creating A Mama's Boy?: "This article writing was originally published on my Facebook as “Mother & Mummy’s Boy” June 12, 2010. I had an epiphany today - A..."
Am I Creating A Mama's Boy?
This article writing was originally published on my Facebook as “Mother & Mummy’s Boy” June 12, 2010.
I had an epiphany today - Am I creating a Mama's Boy? I hated dating Mama's boys. But am I involuntarily creating one myself...The feminist that I am? I asked my son today, "Do you want chicken with Sadza (our Zimbabwean staple food), brown rice, or Couscous for lunch?" all of which are leftovers in my fridge....but he said "Chicken & pasta"...so I find myself getting up and cooking a pot of Pasta! As I was cooking the pasta I asked myself..."Why am I doing this?" While simultaneously thinking and feeling sorry for his future wife...my future daughter-in-law who will have to share her governance over him with me! Then I asked myself "why not?"
Earlier, I was cleaning my second apartment and I had asked him to take a garbage bag to the garbage bin in the garage...three floor flights down to the basement level, and my 6 year old boy complied! No rolling eyes, no facial expressions of protest and no smart tongue lashing back at me. Then he got back and I asked him to take some cereal boxes to the kitchen on the 1st floor...Done! Then he got back and I asked him to take some dirty linens to the laundry room, again in the ground floor basement - another 3 floors down - Done! No protest or any indication of it! Then got back and being the rambunctious 6 year old that he is, was running around in my second floor and accidentally broke my beautiful African vase in the hall way and I banished him to the 1st floor, when I got back he had been crying with remorse -tears, mucus, puppy eyes and all, and was profusely apologetic and would not stop till I accepted his apology...I was still mad at him and that took almost 45 minutes of persuading me to accept his apology. Well he was finally forgiven.
On the other hand, earlier I had asked my daughter to help with the 2nd floor cleaning. Despite the fact that we were doing it together, all I got was 14 year-old teenage attitude..eye rolling, TV interlude watching in between pillowcase stuffing and vacuum cleaning chores, smart mouth, etc, etc…and never mind that she is getting PAID too!...We got it done, but I felt like I had to be the Gestapo to get her to accomplish it! She is a sweet girl, but I have to put boxing gloves and combat boots once in a while...but with my son...it’s all silent , peaceful compliance, no protests and no demands to be paid!!!
So this brings me back to my epiphany...Am I creating a Mama's boy? Well if he likes to have a fresh cooking of pasta instead of settling for the leftovers...what’s the big deal? Forget my daughter in law! I can't be running 3 floors down every 2 minutes so that she can have a husband who pays more attention to her that me in the future! My paradox at the moment really ends up questioning my feminism or womanism (depending which camp you come from)...I want my son to adore and do for me more that he will do for his future wife. Sorry Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Steinem, Bella A. (my mentor) & all of your generation! I have got to define my own feminism in the parenthesis of my motherhood!
Copyright @ June 12, 2010 (Edited and republished February 6, 2011) by Dr. Tendai Ndoro (DocNdoro) – Founder, SLIPPA/Brighten The Corner Foundation; CEO EDCTrainers, LLC.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Conscientious Objector: Getting old is a rude awakening:
Conscientious Objector: Getting old is a rude awakening:: "Copyright @ 6/4/2009, Dr. Tendai Ndoro (DocNdoro) – Founder, SLIPPA/Brighten The Corner Foundation; CEO EDCTrainers, LLCIts 2:19am and I can..."
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Conscientious Objector: THE QUEST FOR UBUNTU – Income Equality makes socie...
Conscientious Objector: THE QUEST FOR UBUNTU – Income Equality makes socie...: "The other day I had the pleasure of making welcoming remarks at a lecture inspired by the book The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes..."
THE QUEST FOR UBUNTU – Income Equality makes societies stronger!
The other day I had the pleasure of making welcoming remarks at a lecture inspired by the book The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Stronger Societies Stronger. My introduction went as follows:
Friday, January 21, 2011
GOODMORNING Ladies & Gentleman, my name is Dr. Tendai Ndoro,
On behalf of Community Access Unlimited Board of Trustees, Executive Management & Staff and Community Access Unlimited Collaborative partners, I would like to welcome you all to the Center for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education at Kean University Campus. More importantly I welcome you to this very important lecture program inspired by the publication: THE SPIRIT LEVEL: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger.” written by Drs. Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
This is such a timely topic of conversation given the economic recession that has overtaken the world like a tsunami forcing us all to question our prevailing socio-economic paradigms and values. In Southern Africa there is expression that embraces the value of equality called: ‘UBUNTU”, which means I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE! The essence of which speaks to the perils of inequality that one cannot be really WHOLE when others are LESS! The Spirit Level truly attests to the essence of Ubuntu by advocating that greater equalities make societies stronger!
To our distinguished guest, Dr. Richard Wilkinson, Welcome and we truly appreciate your presence here with us today. Thank you.
The irony of this whole day was that America is a Society that at its core values believes in individualism! However more and more I have been hearing both people in academia and public society calling for cooperation, collaboration, cooperativeness, community, common ground and any of those communal adjectives that favor the social capital of togetherness! But this is not framed in Putnam’s Social Capital theoretical framework. The independent variables vary depending on which discipline the author or speaker comes from - Dr. Richard Wilkinson is a epidemiologist and therefore comes from the health industry.
But my question is: Is globalization forcing us to evolve to social communalism? The Spirit level is a study that looks at the developed world (including such countries as – Japan, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, etc) and measured how certain social indicators such as: homicide, imprisonment; teenage pregnancies; infant mortality, mental illness, drug abuse; social mobility; obesity; high school dropouts; etc perform based on the margins of income equality. The greater the income equality and lower the social maladies, conversely, the gross income inequalities leads to the higher the social maladies. In a nutshell the authors point out that “gross inequalities tear at the human psyche, creating anxiety, distrusts and an array of mental and physical ailments”. Thus reducing the gap in income inequalities leads to stronger and better societies. Unfortunately, this data based study indicated that the US had the greatest income inequalities and as such was at the bottom of the ladder in terms of greater social maladies. “Therefore if you want to live the American dream, you may have to relocate to Sweden or Japan” Wilkinson remarked.
At the end of the lecture, one of my Republican colleagues in the room came to me and expressed his horror at the thought of equal incomes, as ‘income equality’ translates into “income redistribution”! I laughed and reassured him that he need not worry as it will never happen in his lifetime! He exhaled!
This social study narrative is not new. That is, the variables are new but the idea or explanations of why some people suffer and others prosper is a narrative that has emerged in many other various forms in the past. To name a few – Mills’ power elites theory (the idea that interwoven interests of people in and/or with power will do anything including setting up institutionalized systems to protect those interests); Putnam’s social capital (the idea that homogeneity fosters greater community wealth for members of that group, thus feminism and racial integration undermined social capital in the USA), Galtung’s structural violence ideas (widely defined as the systematic ways in which a regime prevents individuals from achieving their full potential. Institutionalized racism and sexism are examples of this - @ Wikipedia); and Schneider & Ingram’s policy design as a socially constructed narrative for target populations, usually choosing who gets benefits or burdens, with burdens skewed unfavorably to the disadvantaged populations (@ Policy Design and Democracy); and now Wilkinson & Pickett’s narrative of how income inequalities (disparities) undermining stronger societies, and thus lead to chronic social maladies.
Well, I always live in a ‘relative universe’ (i.e. the reality of my perceptions are defined by my circumstances at that moment in my universe), and thus always tries to draw parallels to show that we are all the same, it’s just our geography that’s different. Therefore in participating in this lecture presentation, it reinforces my beliefs in those parallel existences as well as the lines of symmetry that bind us together as humans. I came to one conclusion which is the quest for Ubuntu - which had once been called primitive during the reign of colonialism - is still relevant after all! I must add, Ubuntu is a universally African philosophy which means that I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE, but the term itself is specifically a Southern African term – Ubuntu or as the Shona people would say Uhunhu or Unhu – the essence of being [human].
Copyright @ February 1, 2011 by Dr. Tendai Ndoro (DocNdoro) – Founder, SLIPPA/Brighten The Corner Foundation; CEO- EDCTrainers, LLC.
UBUNTU ROOTS: ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(philosophy) :
Ubuntu (Zulu/Xhosa pronunciation: [ùɓúntʼú]; English: /ʊˈbʊntuː/ oo-BOON-too) is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of southern Africa. Ubuntu is seen as a classical African concept.[1]
Ubuntu: "I am what I am because of who we all are."
Bantu means the men or people. The word occurs in all Bantu languages, for example, it appears as wa-tu in Swahili, ba-to in Lingala, and aba-ntu in Zulu in shona as Van-hu
Monday, January 31, 2011
Conscientious Objector: The Bliss of Ignorance?
Conscientious Objector: The Bliss of Ignorance?: "I was watching Steve Kroft interviewing Julian Assange (Founder of WikiLeaks) on CBS 60 Minutes the other Sunday. Something about the interv..."
Conscientious Objector: Are you a Team-player or a Take-player?
Conscientious Objector: Are you a Team-player or a Take-player?: "The other day my niece asked me: What is the meaning of a Team-player? When I inquired why she was asking, she told me that she was ha..."
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