Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and the concept of *ubuntu*. Aimee Oberndorfer Le writes:
*"I've always understood it to translate roughly to 'I am because we are,' which is similar. Desmond Tutu puts it this way: 'Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.'"* *The Enabling Empowerment Principle - Intrinsic Motivation* A person is empowered when they are able to make choices on their own that determine what their next steps will be. The more choices you are free to make on your own, the more empowered you are. The choices you make can have a positive result or a negative result. An empowered person is responsible for his or her life and decisions. *Breaking The Poverty Cycle & Sustainable Development* – Pic and Sirkin (Program in Mexico) speak of it this way: An optimally functioning democratic society entails a citizenry that participates in constructing its future. We have stressed the importance of laws, infrastructure, clinics, and schools in creating the structural context in which people lead their daily lives. Policies and program can enhance choice, personal agency, and intrinsic empowerment so that people may form a strong social core. Change in systems of paternalism and rule-boundedness – especially at the local level is realized through the actions of agentically empowered citizens and leaders. A mindset of a personal agency requires thinking beyond isolated behaviors, to perceive oneself as part of a community and as an agent, rather than object, of change. Programs that address several domains of activity facilitate a more comprehensive conceptualization of oneself as an agent. They do so by supporting the application of the developed skills across a number of situations, thus building wider competencies and creating opportunities to execute new behaviors. This process requires not only common skills but also the reduction of psychological and social barriers. When psychological barriers are sufficiently reduced, personal agency can evolve to the point where individuals begin to see themselves simultaneously as part of the context and influential within it. We named this intrinsic empowerment. Drawing from the fields of socio-economic research and psychology, intrinsic empowerment combines the ideas of empowerment and personal agency as part of a fluid context. It is a specific form of empowerment that is intrinsically derived and therefore, we argue, is more likely to be sustainable. Together, individuals empowered with these psychological characteristics have the capacity to profoundly impact communities, and institutes within their communities. Pic and Sirkin’s work is influenced by Robert S. Hartman’s original work on formal Axiology of which I refer often in our OST Hotline conversations Thanks to all hearts and minds who gather here - I celebrate you all during this time of darkest night, turning to the light. -- *Skye Hirst, PhD* President - The Autognomics Institute *Conversations in the Ways of Life-itself* www.autognomics.org @autognomics New Phone Number: 207-593-8074
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