UBUNTU = COMMUNITY
We at UBUNTU believe that the best way for our communities to thrive and benefit the people is through direct communication, communication, combining live data, from real people, with their stories gathered by deeper and respectful engagement.​
Place
Each location is unique. It is where we live.
It is where children play, where dogs are walked,
where people plant their roots to grow their family
and to leave memorial imprints.
An essential aspect of understanding the physical
aspects of a community includes: defining an
area, learning about its population, communities,
infrastructure, geography, organisations and
civic leadership.
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES
SUPPORT CREATE
​ Understanding the non-physical aspects of a location belonging to a community involves
uncovering the area's traditions, norms,
rules and practices. Our approach to gaining this information involves building relationships with community
members, collaborating with its leaders.
We aim to unearth these community
secrets, to get to the core of how a
community functions and interacts.
This is done through understanding an area's relationship with adjacent
areas -alliances, conflicts, boundaries,
developing an understanding of the areas
social problems, as well as its communities' aims, shared values and goals.
We engage and capture live authentic community
voices, this enables us to support communities, and
to paint a live picture of any disparities and address
any gaps, we find. The final outcome will build a structure to support equity, diversity and inclusion.
Community
We understand that people are complex, so
their communities will be an entanglement
that could potentially be a stage for
confluence. Discussing the social, political,
cultural and economic issues which affect
communities strengthen bonds within
communities and build bridges. ​
We believe it is imperative to record a community's
cultural narrative (i.e. sense of its own history),
facilitate safe, creative discussions around cultural identity. We champion a community's desires, needs
and ideas for positive change or solutions through
Community Champions and peers.
Culture
Culture is much more than where a person is from,
it is about the home we create, the friends we
make as well asthe teachings of our familial
surroundings.
​
Part of our commitment to engaging
communities involves us mapping cultural
activity already happening in the area,
nurturing, supporting and celebrating native
creativity and cultural activity. We believe in
co-creating community arts and cultural projects
that support a community to thrive and create a
harmonious, appreciative environment.
A thriving community is formed by creating a local
culture which honours individuals’ unique
contributions, and promotes community member’s
hopes, dreams and aspirations alongside their
reality and challenges. The UBUNTU outcome leads
to facilitating communities to consider their options
for the best benefit and hosting safe spaces for
dialogue within and between communities, ensuring
optimal community cohesion and prosperity.
Agency
Giving people the knowledge and space to make their own,
informed decisions is key to enabling a community's members freedom to thrive. At UBUNTU we guide individuals and communities as a whole, to develop capacities for self-determination and action. We build up awareness of power dynamics, shared
power and trust within and around the community, we aid in defining self-determined, community goals. Moving from discussion and theory to action, UBUNTU encourages the building a mechanism for planning, scheduling and accountability, which leads to the devolving responsibility and leadership
opportunities, bolstering autonomy of
individuals and groups.
What UBUNTU has embedded
at its core is a culture of
discussion, action and
feedback, which we
intend to replicate
to help
communities
around the
South West
thrive.
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