Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Employees of the Bank of Namibia (BoN) on Friday signed the non-violence pledge, committing themselves to end violence in society and advocate non-violence in their communities.
First Lady Monica Geingos, in light of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, spoke at the event and touched on violence and its triggers.
The occasion was also meant to solicit 1,000 signatures against non-violence.
“A lot of us are angry for different reasons,” said Geingos, adding that in most cases people are angry because of past events. She said alcohol is only a driver of violence as it facilitates it, but is not the sole cause.
Most of it stems from the fact that people do not acknowledge what their triggers are and therefore are unable to deal with those triggers leading to violence.
Geingos, who spoke passionately, said that at times people have valid ideas but communicate them in a destructive manner, diluting the initial message. “You see some of the discussions in our country. People are just angry,” added Geingos.
She strategic interventions are needed, especially for parents who are raising boys.
“You need to have the correct mechanisms to speak to boys,” said the first lady, explaining that boys tend to absorb anger differently than girls. The #BreakFree #BeFree campaign involves a number of stakeholders, the church being one of them. Furthermore, Geingos also touched on abusive behaviour, adding that there is a pathology to the abusive mind. “Violence is never the answer,” Geingos emphasised.