Among the tribes of northern Natal in South Africa, the most common greeting, is the expression: Sawu bona. It literally means, "I see you". If you are a member of the tribe, you might reply by saying Sikhona, "I am here". The order of the exchange is important: until you see me, I do not exist.
This meaning, implicit in the language, is part if the spirit of ubuntu. "A person is a person because of other people." If you grow up with this perspective, your identity is based upon the fact that you are seen -- that the people around you respect and acknowledge you as a person.
In putting this book together, we aspire to the mutual respect and openness that is embedded in the spirit of ubuntu. As a book of "notes from the field," this volume takes its shape and meaning from the aspiration and commitment of the people who will read these pages, the people who are working to build learning organizations.
Senge, P.M. et.al., (1994) The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook., Doubleday, NY. P3~4.
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