Saturday, December 14, 2013
How to pronounce Rholihlahla, Qunu, isiXhosa and Camagu
Siyabulela, tata - We are grateful.
Sizokukhumbula - We will miss you.
Camagu
Makhosi
Labels:
clicks,
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Qunu,
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Monday, December 2, 2013
Thundafund Xhosa Video Crowdfunding Campaign
We're super excited to have launched our first ever request for financial assistance, (UBuntu Bridge first started in 2006). Details are below. Please support us by viewing the video, rewards, purchasing a reward and forwarding our campaign to other people you think will be interested.
Click here to see the campaign page and help us reach our target: https://www.thundafund.com/ubuntubridge
Enkosi
Dankie
Thank you
Click here to see the campaign page and help us reach our target: https://www.thundafund.com/ubuntubridge |
Watch the video here:
REWARDS:
Rewards include our recently launched T-shirt campaign, under the following names:
T-Shirt 1: South African Whitey
T-Shirt 2: Molo, Mlungu!
Click here to see the campaign page and help us reach our target: https://www.thundafund.com/ubuntubridge
Enkosi
Dankie
Thank you
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Great African Language Learning in Schools Dilemma and Proposed Solution
If you are here, reading
this, you probably:
a)
recognize the
vital and urgent power of even basic African language learning, coupled with
African cultural awareness, as a way to help forge a united nation and heal
wounds from our past, relating to intercultural dynamics
b)
are concerned
with how we can find a way to make it relevant, convenient and effective for
young scholars (the future of this country) and adult learners
For years the debate has
raged, and as recently as this morning, we have seen the headline of the Cape
Times proclaim that the new policy will require an extra hour to the school
day, much to many teacher’s and learner’s dismay. The issues have been unfolding, often with controversy, for some time!
African languages have been
taught at many ‘white’ (arguably where they are needed most) schools over the years and are beset by the following
problems with profound consistency:
1)
lack of interest
from learners (usually one or two white learners finish it for matric)
2)
sub-standard (and often describes as boring) teaching from mother tongue teachers who have not received training on how to
teach their own language as a third language (an equivalent to TEFL - we refer to our methodology and teaching style as TXTL - teaching Xhosa as a third language).
3)
old-fashioned
course content, which focusses on deep, non-contemporary Xhosa, thus providing learners with very little practical reward (and thus erodes motivation and interest).
4)
grammar heavy
learning, which results in scholars knowing the noun groups, but not how to
greet and introduce in a way that facilitates relationship-building and enjoyment of the language
5)
lack of cultural
empathy and connection, thus reduced enthusiasm, respect and little
authenticity to the learning process, something ‘white’ learners need, as
language and ‘race’ issues in modern SA for whities is particularly about
identity, shame/guilt, fear, arrogance, ignorance.
As a white, male, adult learner of Xhosa, and having spent much time immersed in traditional villages and modern townships, I have walked the paths (and still do) that I advocate here.
After years of experimenting and testing, we at UBuntu Bridge believe we have a very viable solution. At the recent PANSALB Language Indaba we erected a stand which demonstrated our beliefs, and vision. We wore t-shirts which showed our humour in innovative ways to teach and inspire Xhosa language learning and we displayed our materials and brochures.
After years of experimenting and testing, we at UBuntu Bridge believe we have a very viable solution. At the recent PANSALB Language Indaba we erected a stand which demonstrated our beliefs, and vision. We wore t-shirts which showed our humour in innovative ways to teach and inspire Xhosa language learning and we displayed our materials and brochures.
We also screened demos of our
Xhosa language and Culture learning Videos (demos below):
This is the summary of what
we were saying at the conference:
Vision in a Nutshell:
Language Learning in SA is really about
two things:
1.
PAST:
Respecting our local cultures, people and history, for proper
reconciliation and healing of all our peoples!
2.
FUTURE: Connecting our
peoples across socio-economic divides, to build a nation to inspire the world, again!
Marketing and Motivation:
Language learning needs to be popularised. It needs to compete with all the other
interests and distractions out there!!
But it needs to be marketed via demonstration – videos, music, popular
culture.
Once you have interest, there are Three C’s you need to give
learners:
· Confidence - materials and teaching methods that focus
on practical essentials!
·
Convenience - multi-platform and mobile learning tools,
for adults with busy jobs and scholars
with full curriculums!!
· Cultural
Context – immersion
opportunities to authenticate the connection and learning process!
UBuntu Bridge has a 5-pointed plan for the situation, which we have been
building and testing for 7 years of teaching on corporate, govt, school, NGO,
online and public learning platforms (since 2005):
1. Excellent and
engaging materials and teaching methodology
2. Fun and enrolling
live teaching and tutoring
3. Online, multimedia
and mobile learning tools e.g. videos
4. Online tutoring
support
5. Language and culture
immersions in townships and rural villages (which stimulate local
micro-enterprises)
BUT WE NEED FUNDING AND INVESTMENT!!!
Please email for more
information on sponsorship opportunities!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Quite a White Ou SAPA Speech Videos
On Africa Day, QAWO was invited to speak to 500 school principal's at the South African Principal's Association (SAPA)'s Annual conference. The talk provided an opportunity for Makhosi to share just a piece of the vision and mission for helping to transform global society into a place where we can rebalance the benefits of technology and modernity with the ancient wisdom still contained in indigenous cultures that is ALL of our heritage, but largely ignored or trivialised by western society.
In part 1, the focus is on introducing language as a way to bring people together to address the core issues in society today - separation and mistrust between people, especially across cultures!
In part 2, the focus is on the notion that we need balanced transformation in society, that western cultures have as much to learn from indigenous cultures as we expect them to learn from us!
In part 3 & 4, the focus is on the notion of a calling to service in society, and how ideally education should help connect children with their calling. Also talking about edutainment as a strategy to compete with media and and other distractions for the attention of scholars and adults.
In part 5, the focus is on cultural immersions in townships and villages as a global strategy for creating balanced cultural respect, multilingualism, distribution of wealth, de-urbanisation and stimulating micro-enterprises in areas of poverty.
In part 6, the focus is on global context and relevance of multilingualism and multicultural respect, as well as how a new world requires a new way of educating!
Thanks for having me, SAPA!!!!
See the script and slides here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2013/06/quite-white-ou-sapa-speech-script-and.html
In part 1, the focus is on introducing language as a way to bring people together to address the core issues in society today - separation and mistrust between people, especially across cultures!
In part 2, the focus is on the notion that we need balanced transformation in society, that western cultures have as much to learn from indigenous cultures as we expect them to learn from us!
In part 3 & 4, the focus is on the notion of a calling to service in society, and how ideally education should help connect children with their calling. Also talking about edutainment as a strategy to compete with media and and other distractions for the attention of scholars and adults.
In part 5, the focus is on cultural immersions in townships and villages as a global strategy for creating balanced cultural respect, multilingualism, distribution of wealth, de-urbanisation and stimulating micro-enterprises in areas of poverty.
In part 6, the focus is on global context and relevance of multilingualism and multicultural respect, as well as how a new world requires a new way of educating!
Thanks for having me, SAPA!!!!
See the script and slides here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2013/06/quite-white-ou-sapa-speech-script-and.html
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
'Open-source Ideas Blog' idea
I had another thought about an 'open-source ideas blog', a place where people can post ideas, that they are happy for other people to take on and act on, because they too busy or whatever! But for anyone who is seeking inspiration they go to the blog, and they just need to post their proposal on how they think they can manifest the vision. Others could then see and join, comment, make shizz happen. Original idea dude can then sit back and be like, oh yeah, that was my idea, haha!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Street Xhosa Stickers Intervention
As you know here at Ubuntu-Bridge, we are passionate about using languages to bridge the numerous gaps between people and communities, so we hosted an intervention as part of the 100in1day Cape Town initiative centered on encouraging people to learn Xhosa.
We designed and printed dual Xhosa and English stickers containing useful everyday phrases
and nouns to give people quick, practical and hopefully humorous Xhosa/English lessons! The stickers were distributed by other intervention leaders and citizens of The Mother City!
Here are the bumper stickers:
A very big "ENKOSI" To Native for this collaboration!
Here is an insert of the interview that the 100in1day team did on a popular breakfast show called Expresso hosted on SABC 3 where the intervention was mentioned and the stickers introduced.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Talking Heads
Talking heads talk (full
version) – 20 April 2013
I was recently invited to speak at the Africa Centre’s
Talking Heads evening, during which I got to share my thoughts for 20 minutes
with three groups of 3 people, and invite discussion around the topic. The opportunity allowed me to hone some of
the thoughts I have harboured and not shared openly for many years. After
the evening, I found myself writing more on the topic. It may be slightly long-winded, but here it
is!
I came to my work of teaching Xhosa and promoting African
cultural awareness through my passion and my calling to be of service to my
community (nowadays, that means global society). As a result, whilst I have accepted a
business model as a way of reflecting an exchange of value and of sustaining
the enterprise, I have struggled with any notion of selling or marketing my
products and services, unless it is part of an authentic creative or emotive
expression. As a result, I am extremely
critical of my arguments, which lean towards promoting what I sell, and yet I
am torn as I genuinely have pursued this path as I believe in its power to
influence our world for good, to bring the transformation of our society that
so many of us crave to see, and too many of us fail to believe in. Because it unfortunately takes effort,
discomfort, humility, sacrifice!
Here follows the essence of my philosophy:
We are going through
a transformation of humanity. Compared to millions of years of life on earth
of our recent and even previous species of ancestors, but even to the last
10000 years, the last 400 must surely be the most spectacular, and of those,
the last 50 particularly, and the last 20 to the extent that the growth and
rate of change seems to be exponential.
We have been through an industrial and technological revolution, we have
seen slavery and colonialisation throw different cultures, languages and
religions across the globe, mixing all manner of diversity all over the
show. We have seen humans master flight,
and ultimately space travel and moon landings.
We have for the first time seen our planet from space, and realized its
fragility. We have seen the birth of the
internet and cellular communication, both of which allow us to access vast
stores of knowledge and communicate across the globe instantaneously (the kind
of telepathy the aboriginal peoples could only have dreamt of, probably did, and
have finally manifested). We have seen
our own consumption patterns affecting the climate, which in turn affects weather
systems across the globe. A bomb in one
country effects foreign policy in another affects the price of petrol in a
small town in an entirely different part of the planet.
We are truly living in an age of ubuntu or intense
inter-connectedness and inter-dependence, its just that we are experiencing it
more in an external sense, than in the romantic, internalized sense that we
commonly associate with the term, that notion of humanity and goodwill towards
others. Quite where this global transformation
is taking us no one really knows. It’s
all very impressive, and surely therefore amazing and an improvement, but we
cannot refute or deny the tremendous amount of negativity and suffering that
modern civilisation has inflicted upon people, cultures and the planet.
We seem too to have lost many of the jewels our ancestors
developed and nurtured, at least as a natural part of our society and
culture. They are still there but they
have to be manufactured and not everyone is privileged to experience them. They are things like rites of passage, and
initiation, most importantly within the framework of a community.
What has this loss in culture cost us?
Whilst some
will claim these symptoms have always existed, we know that socio-economic,
historic and political circumstances in recent times have led directly to many
of today’s most horrific stats. For
instance, there is ubiquitous violence against women and children, sex abuse
scandals becoming the norm, grotesque acts of terrorism on all sides, oppression,
widespread poverty and inequality, rampant drug abuse amongst the wealthy and
poor alike, clogged prison systems, failing old world economies now that their
exploitation is tempered, political corruption as a status quo, manipulative
media and sociopathic corporations, fear, insecurity, climate disruptions and
the resulting dog-eat-dog competitiveness, it doesn’t exactly look pretty.
Cultures
previously renowned for their hospitality, respect and spiritual consciousness
are now in the news continuously for grotesque atrocities. For these elements of modern society, we
cannot blame anyone else except aspects of the human spirit, manifested through
the western, colonizing powers and their systematic destruction of other
cultures!
Meanwhile, we have
South Africa going through its own transformation. The country the whole world has looked to in
these last 20 years, as the place where the impossible happened, where miracles
manifested, where people managed to forgive and accept, to tolerate and
collaborate, where Mandela was freed, apartheid was ended and we had free and
fair elections. There are not many
countries that can claim such magnanimity of the masses, such generosity of
spirit, not from the previous oppressors so much, who merely saw their time had
come, but of the previously oppressed, the people who had suffered land
disenfranchisement, slavery, colonialism, apartheid. These people allowed Nelson Mandela to be
their voice piece, to lead us into an age where all could prosper and live in
freedom and opportunity. But something
has not quite worked. Why?
There are many surface level reasons, symptoms,
explanations, etc, where we can blame government, and indeed our current
leaders defy belief with their shameless disregard for the principles they
supposedly fought so hard for, but that is not my concern in this article. I am seeking to highlight dynamics and social
beliefs which existed before, and persist today which contribute to the
environment which allows a corrupt government to continue to receive support
from those they exploit and let down!
I wish to address the heart of the issue: our very notion of transformation.
When we speak of transformation in South Africa, it is
always a movement from afrocentric, traditional, ‘primitive’ towards
eurocentric, modern, ‘civilisation’. The
default setting is to assume our western and modern ways are naturally better
than any alternative. If we imagined
successful ‘transformation’ we imagine black people getting white jobs,
adopting white culture, speaking better English, working in better jobs,
becoming middle class, becoming ‘land owners’.
Even the notion of transforming people from poverty to
something better, the automatic assumption is that leaving poverty means
leaving townships, which are social constructs and legacies of apartheid (and a
symptom of our system worldwide), colonial exploitation, etc, but not back
towards a traditional or rural cultural stability and prosperity as existed
before! No, forwards towards the middle
class culture so loudly trumpeted and accepted as the obvious answer to
humanity’s lifestyle desires, regardless of its obvious unsustainability. Traditional, rural lifestyle is without much
thought considered to be backward, unappealing, poverty!
I am not for a minute implying people should be expected to
return to rural villages where erosion, droughts, poor infrastructure and
shortage of resources are prevalent.
However, I am drawing attention to the line and direction of our
commonly held assumptions and beliefs, and to the options we therefore tend to
ignore by default!
The underlying assumption we all make is:
“West is best, white is right!”
AND yet, the world looks to “black” South Africa as the
people and the place that forgave its previous oppressors, who chose to forgive
and live together to build a new country, a new nation. It’s the Mandela’s, Tutu’s etc who are
admired, idolized and the source of inspiration globally. And yet no one looks to the culture and the
people, who lie behind the humility of these men.
As a white male South Africa, of wealthy and privileged
birth and upbringing, I should surely be the scorn of all non-white South
Africans. But no, we have a country of
people, who seem to be blessed with a tendency to judge people for how they
treat others, the respect they show, but especially an effort to acknowledge
people! I have found that my efforts to
speak the language of Xhosa specifically, but other languages too, my
willingness to hear and research history from a non-colonial perspective, to
seek and acknowledge the wealth and value of indigenous cultures, but most of
all my willingness to put aside my cultural arrogance and default superiority
setting, has been hugely appreciated by people.
This process of acknowledging and appreciating re-humanises
people, and Im conscious not to sound like it is white people who have the
power to de-humanize or re-humanise people.
Far from it, we white people have paid our own large cost for the
benefits of unjust and inhumane systems and it depends on your values and
priorities that may deem you to judge it a larger or lesser cost. Our very souls have been put in jeopardy by
our collective greed, willful ignorance and continued denial. If you do not believe in souls, then let me
say that if one is not burdened with a sense of guilt and shame at how one’s
ancestors treated the ancestors of others enough to struggle to fully
appreciate the blessings of one’s privilege, then you may be of the other ilk,
those who have turned fully towards the void, and chase drugs, sex, material
wealth, anything to give them a sense of escape or worth in the eyes of others,
let alone of themselves, and yet still they dig themselves deeper into an
ultimate despair!
So what we need is
balanced transformation. The old notions
of black or indigenous people being given access to resources, education and
the resulting choice of lifestyle and career to pursue is a no brainer and this
would mean a natural tendency for black folks to become more Eurocentric. And yes, people need to understand that this
system is built and sustained by people working for what they get and
contributing towards its growth!
Handouts do not work, nor do they empower, nor are they
sustainable!
The move to Eurocentrism is already happening, and almost
all peeps have learnt at least some English, adopted some of our cultural ways
and lifestyle habits! BUT we ALSO need
white folks as a whole to become more authentically afrocentric, more diversity
literate, to get in touch with elements of indigenous culture that can allow us
to experience and understand what ubuntu is.
This would allow us to empathise, to get involved, to reconnect, to
experience community, fulfillment, purpose, and yes, even genuine joy!
And yet many ‘good’ white people and others find many
justifications for leading lives of relatively grotesque overconsumption,
whilst fully aware of the struggles, hardships, etc of others. How can this be? It seems that we have an ingrained
superiority complex, not necessarily by race or culture, but my ‘civilisation’. It’s the same default setting that
non-technological societies aren’t worth much more than the occasional
self-help book, or fantasy blockbuster!
So what would this balanced transformation look like? Well ultimately to become more acquainted
with a culture, you need to learn the language, and of course learning the
language acts as a form of initiation into a culture, depending on degree of
involvement. It requires effort,
discipline, humility, dedication, struggle, and ultimately achievement! Its effect on oneself is profound and
transformational, and its effect on one’s relationship with people of that
culture shifts too, firstly as they appreciate and respect your efforts to
learn the language, and then as you earn their trust and admiration as you make
good progress!
This is especially effective and pertinent when a member of
the previous oppressors learns the language and ways of the previously
oppressed, voluntarily, by choice, an action that indicates a sincere effort to
know, to learn, to understand the ‘other’ and discover ultimately the immense
similarities we share under the surface shell of culture or religion or
language!
I believe passionately about the ability to communicate and
empathise with our fellow South Africans being an important factor in this
country's future. I believe it will be a valuable experience for scholars
who are still in a position to really learn Xhosa well.
There is a lot to be learnt about the human spirit by
experiencing people in their older, earthier ways of life, and thus my focus is
on village experiences and other cultural immersions, a way to economically
uplift rural areas, whilst remaining culturally sensitive and empowering ALL
involved!
You will need to watch our other videos and talks for more
ideas and visions! Its still very much a
work in progress.
Thank you for reading this!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Kaos Pilots Intro to Xhosa Culture and Language Workshop Video
An amazing organisation called the Kaos Pilots form Denmark, recently spent 3 months in Cape Town on an 'Outpost'.
For more on what they did and do, see here: http://100in1day.co.za
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaosPilots
http://kpcpt.org/
But they basically dropped a love bomb on the city of Cape Town.
When the Pilots first arrived, I gave a brief Intro to Xhosa language and Culture Workshop, the video you can view below:
Monday, April 1, 2013
Buy the Ndingumlungu Ringtone
BUY THE RINGTONE:
To buy Ndingumlungu by Quite a White Ou
SMS: 28782537
To 33333
Terms and Conditions: Please ensure bill payers permission before requesting any content or using any of the advertised services. eXactmobile may contact you with offers or information by SMS or MMS. To opt out, sms STOP SMS to 36175 (50c/sms). Wap enabled handset required. Free & bundled SMSes do not apply. Errors billed. T&C at www.exactmobile.co.za. All rights reserved Exact Mobile (Pty) Ltd. Handset Compatibility & Support Tel: 0822 302 222 (VAS Rates, Free minutes do not apply)
To buy Ndingumlungu by Quite a White Ou
SMS: 28782537
To 33333
Terms and Conditions: Please ensure bill payers permission before requesting any content or using any of the advertised services. eXactmobile may contact you with offers or information by SMS or MMS. To opt out, sms STOP SMS to 36175 (50c/sms). Wap enabled handset required. Free & bundled SMSes do not apply. Errors billed. T&C at www.exactmobile.co.za. All rights reserved Exact Mobile (Pty) Ltd. Handset Compatibility & Support Tel: 0822 302 222 (VAS Rates, Free minutes do not apply)
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