Ubuntuism as an international turning point for social work profession: new lenses from the African pot of knowledge

Abstract

The application of Ubuntu in social work practice cannot only be limited to an African context. Through globalisation, a lot of Africans have moved to either the West or East for various reasons but they still maintain social and cultural ties with their relatives back home. Hence, for these Africans to get appropriate social work intervention, there is need to look at international application of the Ubuntu concept. Other non-African countries have also embraced the efficacy of Ubuntu concept in their practice, management and technology. The implementation of Ubuntuism in Africa and abroad is a welcome development in making strides towards finding the relevant, contextual and sustainable solutions towards global poverty bedeviling 3rd World Countries and making a relapse among the vulnerable populations in developed economies. This paper advocates for widening the application and internationalization of Ubuntu in social work towards addressing the social and economic challenges faced by different clientele.

Keywords: Ubuntuism, internationalization, social work, new lenses, African pot of knowledge