Conceptualizing Ubudlelane philosophy as a communal approach to sustainable poverty alleviation

Abstract

Poverty remains a persistent challenge in many communities, necessitating sustainable, community-rooted solutions. This paper explores the ubudlelane philosophy, an emerging African communal framework, as a vehicle for fostering human sociability, shared resources and mutual support in the fight against poverty. Ubudlelane not only promotes collective well-being but also creates an enabling environment for Ubuntu, the recognition of shared humanity and interconnectedness, to flourish among community members. Grounded in the principles of communal living and reciprocal support, ubudlelane emphasises the collective responsibility of community members to assist and uplift one another, particularly those most vulnerable. This conceptual paper, leaning on a narrative review methodology, examines how the practical application of ubudlelane can contribute to poverty alleviation through active cooperation and solidarity within communities. We argue that ubudlelane offers a culturally rooted and contextually relevant pathway for addressing poverty, highlighting the potential of indigenous philosophies to advance sustainable development, social justice and community resilience. This article contributes to the growing body of scholarship on indigenous knowledges, particularly within the field of social work theory and practice. It advances the decolonisation of social work by challenging the dominance of Western-centric cultural and epistemological paradigms and advocating for the integration of contextually relevant, Afrocentric frameworks.

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