Ubuntu Philosophy on Youth AprIGF 2019 Vladivostok — “I am because we are”

This essay applies the conceptual framework of the African Philosophy — most prominently associated with John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu — to re-read the Youth AprIGF 2019 Vladivostok conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.

Introduction: The Problem

Ubuntu philosophy expresses the personhood view "I am because we are" widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Youth AprIGF also becomes a venue for this relational personhood model against Western individualism.

This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Youth AprIGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of “I am because we are”, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.

Ubuntu digital community

The sense of agenda brought to IGF by participants from Russia (especially African nations) often carries Ubuntu personhood as background. アジア太平洋若者 can be re-evaluated from the priority of community inclusion.

Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu-type problematic.

The Youth IGF practically raises the philosophical problematic of intergenerational justice.

Relational personhood

John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2019 conference. We examine that application below.

1. Application to "アジア太平洋若者"

Discussion of "アジア太平洋若者" can be positioned, from the perspective of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's “I am because we are”, as a central problematic. In Russia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around アジア太平洋若者 are particularly at stake.

2. Application to "フェローシップ"

Discussion of "フェローシップ" can be positioned, from the perspective of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's “I am because we are”, as a derivative problematic. In Russia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around フェローシップ are particularly at stake.

3. Application to "メンタルヘルス"

Discussion of "メンタルヘルス" can be positioned, from the perspective of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's “I am because we are”, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Russia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around メンタルヘルス are particularly at stake.

4. Application to "若者育成"

Discussion of "若者育成" can be positioned, from the perspective of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's “I am because we are”, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Russia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者育成 are particularly at stake.

5. Application to "若者のSNS利用"

Discussion of "若者のSNS利用" can be positioned, from the perspective of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's “I am because we are”, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Russia's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者のSNS利用 are particularly at stake.

Implications for Executives and Practitioners

The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Russia.

First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of “I am because we are”. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.

Academic Positioning and Future Research

The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.

1. Verification of the applicability of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu's framework to other IGF conferences
2. Comparative contrast between African Philosophy and other theoretical traditions
3. Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Russia

In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.

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Primary Sources

• IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of Youth AprIGF.
• Youth AprIGF 2019 Vladivostok Conference Materials.
• Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/

Secondary Sources (Philosophy)

• Works of John Mbiti / Desmond Tutu (representative texts of African Philosophy)

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*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*

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第1稿投稿 2026年10月12日 14時51分（記事コンテンツアップ）

— 中澤祐樹