Two years ago, Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, SARChI Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma at Stellenbosch University (SU), participated in a conversation with the Dalai Lama on issues such as Ubuntu, compassion, interconnection and transformation. This conversation, organised by the neuroscience organisation Mind and Life Institute and live-streamed to a global audience, was released recently (6 July) as a film to celebrate the Dalai Lama's 84th birthday.
Entitled Evolution of the Heart, the film was developed by the Mind and Life Institute and explores questions at the heart of the human condition such as: Can we consciously evolve to be kinder and more compassionate? How do we reconcile the needs of the individual with those of society? And what makes true forgiveness possible?
According to Gobodo-Madikizela, the aforementioned Institute has been organising conversations between the Dalai Lama and neuroscientists for more than thirty years. This was the first time the Institute organised one-on-one conversations with the Dalai Lama at his residence in Dharamsala, India.
She says it was very special to be invited to participate in the conversation with him.
“It was a wonderful honour to carry the SU flag on the global stage that the Dalai Lama occupies. I was intrigued to be invited by the Mind & Life Institute. That a leading neuroscience body such as Mind & Life would be interested in Ubuntu was quite unexpected."
In her conversation with the Dalai Lama, Gobodo-Madikizela talked about Ubuntu and how it laid the groundwork for healing and reconciliation after apartheid, while another interlocutor, Prof David Sloan Wilson from the Evolution Institute and Binghamton University in New York, focused on how evolutionary science has moved towards altruism and prosociality (behaviour that benefits other people).
“I presented the concept of Ubuntu as an ethic based on the understanding that one's subjectivity is inextricably intertwined with that of others in one's community. I explained that from the perspective of Ubuntu, all people are valued as part of the human community and worthy of being so recognised. This entails not blind acceptance of others, no matter what they do, but rather an orientation of openness to others and a reciprocal caring for the humanity of the other person.
“While recognising the role of the individual, Ubuntu conveys one's sense of integrity and accountability in a way that fosters a sense of solidarity with others in one's community. Ubuntu makes care and concern for the welfare of others possible. Building a sense of accountability is vital if we want to live together peacefully and to foster values that strengthen respect for human dignity."
Gobodo-Madikizela says these topics are important for our country given the increasing frequency of violence, racial conflict in our schools, and other acts of intolerance towards those who are different from us.
“Teaching about the practice of Ubuntu can be an opportunity for experiencing respectful understanding in a way that goes beyond simply learning about diversity. Steve Biko is remembered for challenging South Africans to become agents of social justice and to give South Africa 'a more human face.' He described the quest for social justice—an important concern for SU—as 'a quest for true humanity', a quest, he argued, to bestow upon South Africa 'the greatest gift possible—a more human face'."
According to Gobodo-Madikizela, the values of Ubuntu that she discussed in her conversation with the Dalai Lama also embody some of SU's values.
“These include the practice of respect for the human dignity of others and being accountable to self and others in our community. They are part of our core values and they gesture toward this idea of striving to be a positive influence."
