London-based, Norway-born photographer Sølve Sundsbø [IG]is always evolving in new directions of visual presentation. In this fashion story ‘People Are People’ for Mission Magazine, the artist distills the stated purpose of the United Nations [UN] in images.

Models Alyson Dubey, Barbara Almeida, Emanuel Ramos and Morgan Fernandez create collective, composite images styled by David Bradshaw./ Hair by Kei Terada; makeup by Joey Choy

Mission Media promotes itself as “The first fashion philanthropic, digitally interactive, media brand.” It strikes AOC that both Mission Magazine and Sølve Sundsbø, the artist and photographer, honor the philosophical meaning of ‘ubuntu’, the South African Nguni Bantu concept of humanity that says ‘I am because you are’; ‘I am because we are’.

Speaking of ‘I am’, AOC is thoroughly disgusted that Linux has totally taken over such a great word as ‘ubuntu’ for its operating system. Nevertheless, if there is one word on the move it is ‘ubuntu’.

My beloved former president Barack Obama spoke to the meaning of ‘ubuntu’ at Nelson Mandela’s funeral on December 15, 2013:

Mandela understood the ties that bind the human spirit. There is a word in South Africa – Ubuntu – that describes his greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that can be invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.

I cannot speak for the models and other creatives in the fashion shoot ‘People Are People’. I can speak to the spirit and values of Sølve Sundsbø, whose fashion story prompted me to shift AOC in this expanded direction over a decade ago.

Mission Magazine also expresses the theme of ‘ubuntu’ across its pages. I’m having serious technical issues with the website, including trying to order a copy of Mission [on my brand-new super Macbook Pro and a T-1 connection, so it’s not me], but you can follow Mission Magazine on IG. ~ Anne