22/07/2026
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From 15 to 18 July, the historic Portuguese city of Portalegre hosted the first-ever Ubuntu Fest Iberia, bringing together members of the Ubuntu Leaders Academy from Portugal and Spain to jointly celebrate Mandela Day, 2026.
Here is the speech from the national coordinator of the Ubuntu Leaders Academy Spain, Ms Carmen Garcia to mark this profoundly meaningful occasion:
I am truly delighted to welcome you today and to thank you for being here at our very first Ubuntu Fest Iberia. It is a great joy to see more than two hundred young people and professionals gathered here, having traveled from different parts of Portugal and Spain, united by the same conviction: that the most transformative kind of leadership is leadership that is placed at the service of others.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to experience my first Ubuntu Fest. I will always remember arriving full of curiosity, thinking I was attending another youth event like so many others I had visited through my work. But what I found was something completely different: I had the certainty that I was witnessing a movement capable of transforming individuals, communities, schools, and organizations.
I remember returning deeply movedโnot only by the incredible energy in the room, but by the authenticity of everything that was happening there. Seeing young people discover their own voice, trust one another, admire their teachers, realize that each of them can be part of the solution, and watching educators and professionals grow alongside them... it is something that leaves a lasting mark.
We, the people of today's Iberian Peninsula, share much more than geography. We share challenges, opportunities, and, for several years now, we have also shared this Ubuntu way of understanding education and leadership, thanks to our collaboration with IPAV and the entire global Ubuntu Global Network.
Ubuntu reminds us of a simple yet powerful truth: "I am because you are." This principle is much more than a beautiful phrase. It is a way of seeing the world. It reminds us that our own growth depends on the growth of those around us; that cooperation creates greater impact than competition; and that meaningful, lasting transformation is always a collective endeavor.
That is why I find the theme of this gatheringโhUmanarโso fitting.
To hUmanar is to see others with dignity.
It is to listen before responding.
It is to extend a hand before building a wall.
It is to dare to care, to build community, and to lead by placing people at the center.
Over the next two days, you will live together, learn together, celebrate together, exchange ideas, make new friends, discover different realities, and, most likely, step outside your comfort zones.
Make the most of every conversation. Every workshop. Every shared meal. Every song. Every hug.
And above all, every new person you meet. Especially take the time to speak with those you don't already know.
Because so often, it is precisely those small encountersโthose unexpected conversationsโthat end up changing the way we understand the world and our place within it. They are the moments you will remember years from now. Or perhaps when, one day, you are the teachers and educators bringing your own students to a gathering like this.
I would especially like to thank IPAV for planting the seeds of this methodology so many years ago, and for continuing to believe that another way of leading is possible. I also want to thank all the individuals, organizations, educators, and volunteers who make it possible for Ubuntu to continue growing around the world and in Spain, where we remain deeply committed to this shared mission.
What a joy it is that today we can celebrate this first Ubuntu Fest Iberia. I am convinced that, years from now, we will look back on this gathering as the beginning of something much greater: an Iberian community that is ever stronger, more connected, and more committed to building societies where no one is left behind.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for choosing to be part of this movement.
Welcome to Ubuntu Fest Iberia.
Let's enjoy these days together to the fullest!
