On Wednesday, President Obama gave a speech on the budget titled, "The Country
We Believe In."

He presented his vision of fiscal responsibility for the country -- built on "...a belief that we are all connected."

This reminded me of our vision for the future of the iZania virtual community. Based in the South African philosophy of "Ubuntu", (I am what I am because of who we all are) and the idea of consensus building, the concept perceives society as a community to which all individuals belong and is built on close relationships and group interactions. The community is held together by a feeling of mutual security and harmony. In this way, we hold to the traditional African values. And we are empowered to work together for a better future.

Equally important, our vision for the future must have foundational principles that guide our actions. This is a good time to revisit our iZania Community Pledge... in the Spirit of Ubuntu:

We, the members of the iZania Online Community, pledge our efforts, our intellect, and our material resources, to achieving a stronger, more united Virtual Black Community. The foundation of our success is dependent on three pillars: family and community unity, economic growth, and educational achievement.

We pledge:

• Our full participation in the Information Age by embracing best practices to help close the digital divide, expand our virtual community, and make information technology available to every Black family.
• Our active involvement in making a change to our society through political action, and social action to bring about change.
• To leverage our personal expenditures to help Black Entrepreneurs and professionals. Try to spend the very next dollar in your pocket with a Black-owned business, or Black professional. Then pledge to spend more. This "investment" will help create wealth, jobs, and economic empowerment.
• To support Black educational achievement from early childhood education through secondary education in our local communities. Volunteer to mentor a young Black child. A small investment of time will yield great returns for future generations.
• To strengthen our commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities - the keepers of our history and our heritage. Send money, even if your children don't attend.
• To collaborate with others who support our goals. We must strive to become active participants in the Global Society, and seek partnerships that accelerate our progress.

We thank you for your support of our vision for the future and invite you to continue your efforts to make the Virtual Black Community stronger.  Please confirm your commitment to our pledge and share your comments below.