"Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation."
— Desmond Tutu (1931–2021), Nobel laureate
You may have noticed the addition of a beautiful new outdoor pavilion at TWU’s Langley campus. It is purposely built to serve the TWU community and conveniently located near the bus stop and the newly-opened Robert G. Kuhn Centre.
This outdoor gathering space is called the Ubuntu Pavilion.
Community of all humanity
The word Ubuntu (pronounced oo-boon-to) is rich in meaning. It originates from the Bantu group of languages in Sub-Saharan Africa and literally means humanity or humanness. Ubuntu recognizes that “a person is a person through other people” and that every human being finds meaning as part of a larger and more significant community that has an invaluable collection of values, beliefs, and practices.
Another way of signifying this is through the phrase: “I am because we are.”
Ubuntu recognizes that “a person is a person through other people” and that every human being finds meaning as part of a larger and more significant community that has an invaluable collection of values, beliefs, and practices.
Inscribed on a plaque at the Ubuntu Pavilion are the inspirational words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and 1994 Nobel Prize recipient for his efforts to resolve and end apartheid:
"Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness... 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."
A meaningful place for our global community
The Ubuntu Pavilion is especially designed as a space for students, staff, and faculty to connect with each other. We pray that the Ubuntu Pavilion would be a meaningful place for our global community to connect and that its name would celebrate our diverse student body and all that we can learn from each other. We have no doubt that many new friendships will be formed through study sessions, informal chats, and events around the fireplace and under the heaters in the Ubuntu Pavilion.
The Ubuntu Pavilion is made possible through the generosity of many TWU friends and donors. We are deeply grateful for their investment and support.
See also — TWU honours National Indigenous History Month
TWU News
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.