Zoom, We-Spaces of Ubuntu

When I initially set up my website in 2011 and called my blog here2here, I wanted the term here2here to include two messages - the need to be fully present in the moment instead of acting on autopilot; and the call to mindfully use technology in a special place which was beyond the normal realms of time and space. 

Besides being a wonderful hashtag, the term suggests connectivity, interconnectedness and interdependence, calls us to acknowledge the other, invites us to widen our embrace and encourages us to broaden our perspectives.

When we meet online and communicate in here2here, perhaps another name for cyberspace, we are meeting in a special place where distance does not separate us. 

Over the years, since my blog here2here came into being,  we have seen an exponential increase in the availability of connectivity and data, and all that means for the world of apps.

Communication has evolved from the spoken word between peoples physically present, to the written word via letters with time delay, to the immediate spoken word via telephone, to emails with immediate delivery, to instant messaging via word or audio, to being able to see each other via media such as Skype and FaceTime.

This has been followed by video conferencing with apps like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, which make it possible for many of us to communicate and see each other simultaneously. Special we-spaces now exist online. 

And how timely this development has proven to be.   

We currently find ourselves in an unprecedented time in history.  The world is currently experiencing a global pause, brought about by a virus.  Covid-19 has resulted in the majority of the world’s population being in either quarantine or lockdown.  Streets are empty. We find ourselves at home with workplaces and services, except the essential, shut down.  With schools closed, families negotiate new experiences where the average day includes working from home and doing online schooling.

Much of the day for many of the world’s population is currently being spent online in here2here space. 

Although in isolation and totally separated by distance, individuals are using virtual space and apps like Zoom to not only participate in meetings or attend school, but to also sing together, meet with their loved ones and friends, offer online classes, coaching and therapy sessions, meditate together  and even create art. Each of these online encounters take place in these very special we-spaces. 

Over the past years, I have explored the architecture of cyberspace through word and image.  Now more than ever before, we need to pay careful attention to the mindful use of the communication apps at our disposal and the we-spaces we are creating online. 

Before entering the we-spaces created by using video conferencing apps, it is a good idea to get in touch with oneself by becoming aware of the breath, the sensations in our bodies, our emotions and current mental activity.  That way we will be better able to be present to the others online and to connect with them. 

Upon entering these we-spaces we soon become aware that it is not only the mind which is engaged as is the case when we message or email.  The ability to see faces and expressions means that emotions are involved as well. As we begin to resonate with each other, a field is created which involves all present in the video call. A flow of positive energy can be cultivated. 

The visuals of the we-spaces where we meet contribute to the experience, and are created by each individual participating.  People are realizing that these spaces invite creativity. Zoom virtual backgrounds, for example, are proving to be  highly popular.

Dr. Helen Papagiannis writes in her article “Zoom and Digital Fashion”,

“They’re a means to hide the real background in your home, serve as an icebreaker, and are a way to express yourself and be creative in these stressful times..”

Helen also suggests that while we are spending all these hours in front of the camera we might need something digital to wear and this could lead to the rise of digital fashion! 

Each one of us, whether we realize it or not, is a co-architect in the new social worlds being created.  

There is a wonderful Southern African philosophy called “ubuntu” often translated as “I am because we are”, or “humanity towards others” which speaks to the fact that we are all connected. 

Archbishop Tutu, who led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1996 says, “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.” 

here2here incorporates the concept of ubuntu, and as I use modern technology to create and send out my iPhone artworks into borderless realms, these words are always close to my heart.

The philosophy of ubuntu is gaining ground in the current global crisis. Earlier this month the Nonprofit organization Ubuntulovechallenge came into being encouraging #loveoverfear.  The concept is beautifully introduced in this video. Opportunities abound to advance humanity.

here2here also shouts out the message of ubuntu from the rooftops of Zoom spaces and rooms, and people all over the world are rising to the occasion. Despite the sadness and fear being experienced by so many, incredible acts of humanity fill the news during these trying times.

Placing some of the figures in my iPhone artworks into a Zoom meeting I was confronted with the following: 

I like to think that I chose not to screenshot  the moment when they were all looking at the camera and at it each other, but rather to capture that fraction of a second when simultaneously by chance, each one turned briefly away from the screen to catch a glimpse of something, before coming back to share it with the rest of the group. I choose to believe too that what they glimpsed were humans in all their beauty, performing acts of love and kindness. Diverse, but fully aware of unity and a shared humanity.

As of April 2020, 4,57 billion people of the 7,8 billion global population (59%) have access to the internet.  As we continue to explore the options and potential of video conferencing apps may we carry with us the philosophy of ubuntu. 

The world will never be the same again. We have moved fully from the Information Age into the Transformation Age. The “normal” some wish to return to never existed. Humanity as a whole is now being given the opportunity to co-create we-spaces of peace, unity and love.

Related articles:

Trend blue

Corridors of cyberspace