Ubuntu: I am because we are. 🌍✨

In this bonus episode of Humanism Now, we’re sharing the live recording of Professor James Ogude’s talk from the online event Understanding Ubuntu Traditions part of the Global Origins of Humanism series (co-hosted by Central London Humanists and the Association of Black Humanists).

Prof. Ogude is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, and a leading authority on Ubuntu—the African ethical tradition of community, compassion and shared humanity.

About the series

The Global Origins of Humanism series is a new programme of online talks and discussions exploring philosophical traditions from around the world that have influenced modern humanist thought. At each event CLH & ABH welcome a leading scholar to introduce their area of expertise, followed by audience discussion.

These events are free to attend online and open to everyone.

Upcoming events (RSVP on Meetup to join live)

• Roots of Rationalism in India with Alavari “AJ” Jeevathol — Wed 17 Sept 2025, 7pm UK
• In Search of Zera Yacob with Dr Jonathan Egid — Wed 15 Oct 2025, 7pm UK

Prof. Ogude covers;

• How personhood is earned through relationships and community
• How Ubuntu differs from Western individualism
• Co-agency: interconnectedness of human and non-human life
• Ubuntu as an ecological ethic for climate and sustainability challenges
• The material dimension of dignity: why justice must include economic needs
• Archbishop Tutu’s role in elevating Ubuntu to a universal framework for reconciliation
• Ubuntu as a process of becoming, not a fixed identity

Selected Books by James Ogude

• Ubuntu and Personhood
• Ubuntu and the Everyday
• Ubuntu and the Reconstitution of Community

More about the organisers

• Central London Humanists: centrallondonhumanists.org.uk
• Association of Black Humanists:

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This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

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Music: Blossom by Light Prism

“The arc of history bends towards justice only if you keep pushing it in that direction.”

David Livingstone-Smith, Ph.D., award-winning author, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England and a leading authority on dehumanization joins us to unpack how ordinary people come to see others as “less than human,” why that shift makes atrocities feel morally necessary, and what practical tools can help us resist it.

His books include Less Than Human (Anisfield-Wolf Award), On Inhumanity (OUP), and Making Monsters (HUP; Joseph B. Gittler Award; Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize shortlist).

Connect with David Livingstone-Smith

• Website – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com
• Newsletter – https://davidlivingstonesmith.substack.com/
• University profile – https://www.une.edu/people/david-livingstone-smith
• Media – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/media

Topics we cover

• What dehumanization is: conceiving others as subhuman creatures or monsters
• How we hold contradictory beliefs (human and subhuman) at the same time
• The role of epistemic authority, leaders, “experts” and propaganda, in spreading dehumanization
• Why racialization often precedes full dehumanization
• Moral framing of mass violence as “self-defence” against monsters
• Economic insecurity and social fear as fertile ground for dehumanizing narratives
• Psychological self-defense: recognizing our manipulability
• What actually helps: honest historical education, dismantling racial thinking, and a robust press

Resources & further reading

• Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others (2011) – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/project-09
• On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It (2020) – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/on-inhumanity
• Making Monsters: The Uncanny Power of Dehumanization (2021) – https://www.davidlivingstonesmith.com/making-monsters

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This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

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Music: Blossom by Light Prism

“Inclusion is the behaviors that result in others feeling valued, respected, seen and heard.”

Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V)—industrial-organizational psychologist, CEO & founder of Mattingly Solutions, and co-author of Inclusalytics—joins us to show how rigorous data and deeply human connection can coexist. We unpack practical, measurable ways to build cultures of belonging—at work and in communities—where people can thrive as their authentic selves.

Connect with Dr. Victoria Mattingly

• Website – mattinglysolutions.com
• Instagram – @drvictoriamattingly
• LinkedIn – /in/vpmattingly/
• Dr V.s Udemy Course: Ally Up: How to Build and Activate Ally Partnerships
• Dr V. on Google Scholar – https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=L9cutXEAAAA

Topics we cover

✔︎ Defining inclusion with outcomes: behaviours that make others feel valued, respected, seen, and heard
✔︎ “Inclusalytics”: merging workplace inclusion with analytics to measure belonging
✔︎ Why the platinum rule (treat others as they want to be treated) surpasses the golden rule
✔︎ The difference between mentorship and sponsorship—and why sponsors accelerate equity
✔︎ How executive sponsors can empower ERGs without overstepping
✔︎ Allyship as active behavior, not identity
✔︎ Three characteristics of effective partners in allyship: self-awareness, trust, and action orientation
✔︎ Capturing positive behaviors—why we should measure allyship, not just discrimination
✔︎ Using AI and language data ethically to advance inclusion

Resources & further reading

• Pre order: Act Like an Ally, Work With an Ally – Victoria Mattingly – Mattingly Solutions | Kindle
• Inclusalytics: How DEI Leaders Use Data to Drive Their Work – Victoria Mattingly & Sertrice Grice – Amazon | Goodreads
  
  

Send us a text

Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Advertising Opportunities

Follow @HumanismNowPod

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This Podcast is produced by Humanise Live. Humanise Live makes podcasting easy for charities and social causes.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at www.humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism