The Almost Forgotten Genocide of Namibia

In history class we have been learning about the first genocide of the 20^th century, the Ova-Herero genocide. It occurred from 1904-1908 and took the lives of over 60,000 Hereros.  It is often forgotten in the history books and there is no formal teaching of it in Namibian schools. For the Herero people, it has become a challenge to receive legal compensation for the horrific events. Land rights are also an issue worth fighting for. Before the advent of colonization, the Herero people were the most populated and dominant group in Namibia. The genocide killed off about 80% of the Herero tribe, with many fleeing to Botswana. Today the most populated group in Namibia is the Oshivambo, who weren’t directly affected by the genocide and were in northern Namibia at the time. The genocide has devastated the cultural identity of the people and helped cause a large shift in power away from Herero towards Oshivambo people.

The Herero grave site

Only recently in 2007 has the German government made a formal recognition of the events, but no compensation has been given to the people. Every year a day is marked for the event and a ceremony carried out in recognition of the fallen. Finally in 2007 a fence was put up and a plark erected in memory of the victims of the genocide. Before this establishment, people would drive 4-wheeler motorbikes directly over the graves, completely unaware of the thousands of people buried below.

Just outside of Swakopmund you can walk to the graves of the German soldiers with elaborate decorations and plant life. A short walk over is the graves of the Herero people signified by the many mounds in the ground. An arbitrary fence separates the graves from the outside. The problems with mass graves are in the recognition and dignity of the deceased. There are no names and separate representations for anyone. Individuality has been wiped away from the face of recognition. Instead, in the case of this burial site, there is a simple statement that is so elusively written. It says:

“In memory of the thousand of heroic OvaHerero who perished under mysterious circumstances at the realm of their German colonial masters in concentration camps in Swakopmund.”

1904-1908

Rest in Peace

The plark in dedication to the events of the genocide

What were the mysterious circumstances? Well for one thing, there was nothing mysterious about the deaths of the Herero people. The Germans kept very good records of each death as it occurred, with a detailed description about the time and method of death. Also, this elusiveness says nothing about the brutal methods that occurred. The events that took place were more than circumstances; they were part of a genocide aimed at wiping out the entire Herero population.

The German grave site

The Germans are written as masters to the people, which speak clearly to the problems of bias in historical inquiry. So often are people written in a different light, which changes the way we learn history. The heroes are glorified and in many respects seen as people who can transcend humanity. Another example can be seen with the founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in the United States. Both are often taken as saviors of all humanity, but their overt racist thinking and actions are pushed aside. It is important to speak honestly about history which can only be achieved by proper historical inquiry. This looks at the past through a multitude of perspectives and enlarges the lenses. The history of the U.S. and Namibia are not white histories. It is a history of all people from their respective lands, and primarily a history of the people who have lived and experienced the land for the longest period of time. These are people who have the greatest historical connection to the land and can have the most impact in defining the history of the region.

When we look at the records to discover the history the narrator determines to be true, let’s put on a critical lens. Let’s looks past the simple text to determine the author’s motives. Let’s realize that it is only one perspective of a conglomeration of the past events. The best interpretation of history requires an understanding of many perspectives through the most objective inquiry. 

Namibia’s Largest Industry

The dugout Rossing Uranium Mine

During out time on the Namibian coast, our group visited Rossing Uranium, a mine owned by the Australian mining company, Rio Tinto. A comprehensive tour was given by our guide, Botha Ellis which provided insight into the mine, the various implemented procedures and community development that the organization is part of. It is the largest of its kind in the world and the third largest uranium mine. It provides important economic opportunities locally by employing 1,500 permanent workers with a total of 3,000 workers. For every direct job created, it is said to create 3 indirect jobs downstream. The final product of the operation is uranium oxide which is stored safely in drums and shifted to Walvis Bay. From there it travels to various countries around the world. The mine employs an initial blasting process, by using up to 1,000 tons of sulfuric acid daily. Every ton of rock supplies an average of 350g of low grade uranium. So far more than a billion tons of rock has been extracted and the mines life is officially set at 2023. However, it is expected to last for at least 50 years. Namibia is the 4^th largest extractor of uranium in the world after Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia. With the advent of new uranium finds in Namibia, various countries from around the world are coming to establish mines, including companies from Australia, Russia, Japan and China.

Botha Ellis and our group

Unfortunately enrichment processes are not possible here in Namibia due to the extensively high costs of the process, the legal ramifications and the lack of skilled people for the task. Currently only the U.S., Canada, Russia and China can support such facilities. The explosives are made from ammonium nitrates with the main ingredients being diesel and oil. About 1 ton of explosives are required for the blasting of one hole. 3 % of the mining profits are given to the community through local projects. One such program is the kids program, which we were fortunate to visit. The Mondesa Youth Opportunities is an after school program for up to 30 kids from grades 7-12 and teaches subjects in maths, English, life skills, music and manners. Students take classes in large shipping containers and it helps increase their success in future academic endeavors and gives them potential employment opportunities.

Mining truck

There are a number of times when the mine was intending to close down due to the increased world price of uranium. It has managed to continue and is now in a period of solid growth. Overall, my expectations were greatly broadened form this encounter. It is often easy to overlook the positives from the mining industry in light of the environmental concerns that arise. Rossing Uranium mine uses a lot of measures that are less harmful for the environment, but it is in no way a perfect system of attaining energy. Its benefits are seen in economic development and through community empowerment programs. 

Namibian Coast: An Overview

Atlantic Ocean

Our time on the Namibian coast was both one of great beauty and also of the issues prevalent to Namibia. Highlights include running up some of the world’s tallest sand dunes, spending a day on the beach taking in the Atlantic Ocean and visiting the gravesite of the first genocide of the 20^th century, the Ova-Herero Genocide. We left for Swakopmund after classes on Wednesday 23^rd of February. Swakopmund is an old German colonial town on the coast of Namibia. It has beautiful beaches, a nice lighthouse and plenty of up-market restaurants, particularly catering to the German population and tourists. It was about a 3 hour drive and we finished the day with a beautiful dinner at the Lighthouse Restaurant. I had kudu schnitzel, fries and vegetables. 

On Thursday we spent a majority of the day at the Rossing Uranium Mine, the largest mine of its kind in the world. Due to time constraints we had lunch at the Mondesa Youth Opportunities, an after school program for children in grades 7-12. From there we went to the Herero Graves Memorial Park where there is a burial site for the people who died during the genocide. I spent dinner eating pan-fried shark with rice at a nice German restaurant.

Dune 7

Friday was an intense day of hearing from a range of speakers and climbing dune 7, one of the largest sand dunes in the world. We traveled to Walvis Bay to learn from two contrasting perspectives. Walvis Bay is Namibia’s largest port and houses a large fishing industry and is the home to many miners. Firstly, Jan Kruger as part of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ), talked to us about the benefits of areas exclusive areas set up for capitalistic development. Then Herbert Jauch, a labor researcher contrasted his statements, speaking about the problems with EPZ and the need for a more comprehensive approach to economic empowerment. Before lunch, we were taken to the Sunshine Centre, a place that teaches and cares for disabled children and teenagers. We had a picnic lunch at the Walvis Bay lagoon, where flamingos congregate. These migratory birds travel annually to Etosha N.P. in northern Namibia. Dead jelly fish line the tranquil beaches contrasting the colorful shells and deep blue waters. Our next stop was at the Wellness Centre, a place that provides free services to people with AIDs and HIV. To end a long, but brilliant day we went to Dune 7. It was really hard work climbing to the top as the sand was extremely hot on bare feet and the journey tiresome. Each step plunged the foot right into the sand. It was totally worth spending time walking around the tops of the sand dunes. The sights were epic with the massive red sand dunes and the sheer distance to the bottom of the each one. That night I had fish (hake) and chips from a relatively cheap restaurant.

jelly fish

Saturday was a free day in which I spent on the beach, taking in the sights and sounds of the Atlantic Ocean. There was great beauty and richness in this experience. Later on I enjoyed a free yoga session provided by my development teacher, Linda.  Dinner was a Braai (an Afrikaans word meaning Barbeque involving meat) with students from Furman University, a college in South Carolina. It was interesting to hear about their experiences traveling through the Southern African region while taking classes.

shells and sand

We headed out at 9 am on Sunday to drive back to Windhoek and prepare ourselves for the coming week. My experience in Swakopmund was aesthetically pleasing, while I experienced good bonding with my fellow classmates. I will soon post some of my future blogs to talk in more depth about some my experiences here. To finish up, I have left a poem from my time on the beach:

Home through Nature’s Call

Wave cusps form

Pushing and pulling

Merging and molding

Taken together as one

Nature’s majesty is revealed

In a seemingly ceaseless

Array of plentiful blue

Followed by wistful gray

The cycle repeats

Destructively finding its way to the

Intricate sand of completion

Where its end is not of stillness

But the coming of a another link

To an ever going pattern

That puts one on the brink

Of no return

I look up from my towel of tranquility

As a seagull sweeps softly in the winds wisps

The waves bring music to my ears and

The smell of seaweed seeps through the air

Calmness comes over like no other

As memories flood back from all of the summers

I spent at the side of the ocean

In a constant state of life’s motion

The familiar is brought back in creativity

Home is here in bright reality

Safeness returning in brilliant colors

I find nature like a child her mother

beach life

Christian Belief Fused with Traditional Healing

Our group and Lesego

In our religion class we get the opportunity of going out and seeing different spiritual practices and perspectives. Today we went to hear from a traditional healer at her house. The western perspective defines traditional healing practice in Africa as a combination of primitive and polytheistic understandings without western influence. These perceptions are of course very limiting and can be dangerous. It was interesting to hear from the healer, Lesego and see her method of practice, the power of faith in healing and her understandings of the healing process. Her practice contained the tenets of traditional healing through the use of medicinal roots in the making of various remedies, but was mixed with a Christian belief structure. It seemed like these two components of healing could not be taken separately, but are intricately and synergistically intertwined in the healing process.

Lesego is an instrument of healing, but not a healer in the absolute sense. On many occasions she reiterated that it is not her that heals, but God. The Holy Spirit is critical in providing her direction in this process. It points her to the use of a particular medicine and has the power to tell her of past and future events. She has to consult the spirit on a continual basis and uses prayer as a method of healing. Lesego said she wouldn’t be able to teach her daughter about her methods, because it could only come through the Holy Spirit. Additionally, she realizes the importance of gifts given from God. Hers is the abilities of traditional healing, while others can be gifted in Western medicine. Both are valid methods of healing. Interestingly, she didn’t have a lot to say about healing practices that weren’t centered in Jesus. Lesego only attempts to heal people that are believers of Christ. She put it simply on different occasions, “you must believe in Jesus.”  Her faith didn’t seem to be rooted in an intellectual understanding, where some call this “blind faith.” Nevertheless, faith was so obvious and definite to her that it didn’t need further questioning.

Lesego highlighted the importance of patience in the healing process. She said there is a time to be happy just as there is a time to wait. To her faith had a healing power in the holy spirit brought through medicine. Ultimately, it was this process of prayer and traditional medicine that brings about a real and visible transformation in the individual. Her medicine is taken from the roots of plants and put into liquid form. But when asked further about the specific types of medicines utilized, she would not elaborate and said that it is a secret. Even though she receives payment for her traditional healing practices, she would accept people if they didn’t have money. Lesego said, “I don’t look after the money, I look after people.”

Overall, it was a thought-provoking talk which challenged previous perceptions of traditional healing and showed the influence of Christianization in the healing process. Her understandings seemed to demonstrate the complexity of healing and that there are multiple factors that can affect a person’s well-being. The combining of two methods illustrated her holistic approach to healing through the power of the Holy Spirit. I was left to wonder about the power of faith in healing practice. What is the relationship between an individual’s belief and the healing process? What about that of traditional African religion and Christianity? We will grapple with questions like these in the next couple of weeks during religion class. The infusion of faith with healing demonstrates the pervasive importance of religious belief in Namibian society today and the difficulty of separating religion from culture. Further discussion on the critical role of religion in Namibia will be discussed in due time.  

Economic Empowerment through BIG Campaign

Katutura

There is an economic crisis in Namibia. One defined by extreme inequalities that plague all facets of society. It cannot be overlooked. It cannot be avoided. Namibia ranks with South Africa and Brazil as the most unequal countries in the world. 4,000 white farmers own 80% of the agricultural land. The population of people in poverty is around 50%. Economic issues remain at an all time critical state, even 20 years after the end of apartheid. The current government in Namibia hasn’t done enough for those in abject poverty. By following a neo-liberalist economic system that allows foreign companies to mines its own resources and give them various incentives such as tax breaks, it has overlooked the plight of the poor. A new program of economic empowerment is the word on the street. It has intrigued academia, united the church on a common social justice interest and kept those in favor of a universal system of social welfare in excited support.

Katutura

The Basic Income Grant (BIG) campaign if implemented would give every Namibian N $100 each month. This would be paid for by the rich through the tax system and bring the poorest out of abject poverty. One of the strengths is in its universal approach, which limits inefficiencies. It doesn’t have to be determined who is in poverty as all receive the check and avoids the social stigmas of calling someone poor. The counter-argument of dependency is not that strong as N $100 is equivalent to U.S.$ 15 which is definitely not enough to live off. It has already been tested in a northern village in Namibia with promising results. This pilot project saw a decrease of household poverty from 76% to 37%, high school dropout rates from 40%-5% and household debt from an average debt of N$ 1,215- N$ 772. Also it saw an increase in employment and people with access to health care. Some of my American colleagues were initially skeptical, but many warmed up to the idea with renewed vigor.

Newly build presidents palace

So far the Namibian president, Pohamba like most other politicians here in Namibia is not in support of the BIG campaign. It remains to be a challenge to change perspectives of people in power. Church campaigns have had more success in bringing people together for justice. This movement seeks to bring awareness to the poor, so that they can get really involved in the campaigns and push for change. It is by no means a sound proof system. The long term plan is unknown. What happens if the program is in full swing and the government wants to wean it off? What happens if the program isn’t successful but has already been put in motion on the national level? Regardless of the potential problems, the largest question to pose is what happens if we don’t do anything? The economic state of the country is at a crisis level with over 51% unemployment and the rate has been on the increase in the last 30 years. It remains the best working answer to the problem of income inequality in Namibia. I will keep an eye out for BIG campaigns and see what I can do to raise awareness. 

Peace Centre: Future Developments and Role with GAP

Peace Centre gate

My internship at the Peace (People’s Education Awareness and Counselling for Empowerment) Centre has so far been a thought-provoking experience. It has been filled with questions and new perspectives that have helped broaden my understanding of gender issues and Namibian culture. I have started building valuable and life-giving relationships with my colleagues and have had countless conversations with my supervisor, Dr Hetty Rose-Julius. The focus of my internship will be working on the Gender Awareness Program (GAP) with my co-supervisor, Pedro. The purpose of this program is to provide students (11^th and 12^th graders) with an understanding of gender as a social construct and its effects on Namibian society. It is about empowering both men and women and helping to break dangerous stereotypes and myths related to gender and violence. I will talk further about this program and my future objectives as part of the internship.

In this program I will help facilitate learning with Pedro. My aim is to assist in creating a paradigm shift in student’s perspectives of gender. The effectiveness of the program will be tested through pre-test and post-test surveys. At the start and end of the four session program, we give out a long questionnaire assessing student’s understandings of gender, particularly in relation to various common but dangerous myths held In Namibian society. This will give us an idea where classmates are coming from, so we can be more effective in our teaching methods.

Peace Centre model helicopter

My role in the organization is primarily a facilitator of learning. As the GAP is in its early stages, I am expected to study the program and come up with suggestions to improve its overall effectiveness. This will be achieved through my independent project, but also by questioning and assessing the lesson plans and methods of instruction. Through this process I can help improve the methods at Peace Centre and look at the most effective ways of teaching gender awareness in the classroom setting. My largest concern with this program is being able to help cause a shift in students thinking. I understand that I won’t be able to change all views, and there is only so much a facilitator can do. The rest is up to the individual. I can achieve success by providing insight into the dangers of various mentalities and giving students a larger understanding of gender and power. If we don’t see the correct changes demonstrated through the statistics, we will have to revise our teaching methods and tools. In this way we can prepare ourselves for a more effective program. If we determine that the program is flawed, it will be taken into account when writing my report. It can then be determined whether the program should be continued into the future.

Pedro's desk (often where I sit to answer calls)

To strive for success, entails engagement both with the program and in the work place which will bring about a positive learning experience. It will require me to be open to the needs and strengths of colleagues and act on this understanding. It will require me to be an active listener who uses both ears and eyes to give full attention to the words of the speaker. It will require me to be willing to make necessary changes in my perceptions and actions. It necessitates engagement and a sense of vigor that tries to seek out what is different, in a process of learning and growth. I believe the Peace Centre can provide me with the opportunity to learn and grown in new and exciting ways. I am excited by my future endeavors and realize they need to be achieved through a connection with the people. Only through this understanding will I be striving for a learning experience which is both positive and beneficial to my future development.