Many people attend cultural events to enjoy alcohol, among other activities, and not because they want to embrace the inherited old practices of culture. This was said by Matheus Petrus, the SRC chairperson of IUM Nkurenkuru Campus, during the opening of the International University of Management (IUM)’s annual cultural festival held recently in Windhoek. “It’s a fact that our modus operandi has gone wrong. Perhaps it is time to analyse, evaluate and assess the vitality of culture in our lives. If not, then we have to know that as the youth, we have lobotomised and floccinaucinihilipilificated our very own culture,” he said. Petrus added that the youth will remain in a quandary and quagmire situation if they fail to revert to what defines them best in the context of culture. “It’s our mandate to escalate and maximise their enthusiasm towards the foundation of tradition and culture. Only then will they be able to achieve honourableness from others that value culture.” Also speaking at the event, Chief of the Batswana Ba Namibia Andrew Mongwaketsi Kgosiemang noted that “because we come from a divided past, it is often the case that we focus on our differences, rather than on our commonalities”. “That mindset should change if we are to build a society that values freedom of people to come together, equity, diversity and inclusion. Events like this provide a perfect platform for inter-cultural dialogue,” he added. The event took place under the theme ‘Showcasing diversity through culture’, and saw cultural performances by various Namibian cultural groups, live music, and delicious traditional food on offer. – emariahaipinge@gmail.com