By Frederick Philander
WINDHOEK
Brave men and women remind us that it was not certain that a nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” would long endure.
This is the view of Namibian writer, Matthew Gowaseb. He was speaking about his latest book, Triumph of Courage, at its launch on Thursday evening.
“This realization is crucial because it underlies understanding of how precious our freedom is and how well worth defending. Were we to lose it, liberty might not come our way again. Still another idea I’ve come across is that the Namibian story is a tale of sound and fury that doesn’t signify very much,” Gowaseb said.
In his view, Namibians have not made progress, not even in technology, which we will likely discover doesn’t really fulfill our needs.
“To believe that we have made progress, so this thinking goes, is to be ethnocentric, to fall victim to a myth that the powerful use to keep everybody else in their place. I think these ideas are easy to refute, but you have to know something in order to dispute them. You have to have some basic information about historic events, some knowledge of the achievements of our leaders,” said the writer, who encouraged provocative ideas to be welcomed on Namibian campuses because they encourage debate.
He also added: “However, provocative ideas are not enough. Students need basic knowledge about the Namibian past in order for there to be a real discussion. They need to know about great events and brave men and women and what has been achieved in Namibia if they are to respond thoughtfully to claims that none of these things matter.”
He argued that ensuring the historical literacy of the next generation is not solely the responsibility of schools and universities.
“Parents and grandparents and other adults should talk to children and young people about Namibia’s past. We should be reading ourselves, constantly refreshing our memories so we can tell the next generation about the founders of this country, so that we can talk to them about Hendrik Witbooi’s bravery, and Samuel Maharero’s determination, and Mose Tjitendero’s eloquence. We need to know so that we can tell them about the courageous men and women who lived up to the noble ideals that the founders advanced,” he said passionately.
It is also good to remind ourselves so that we can teach our children of the valour shown by those who have fought for freedom.
“Our forebearers offer inspiration for the journey we are all on, telling us that although we are transitory creatures, we are capable of transcendent acts, deeds that will echo down through history and make life better for those who come after us. This affirming vision is one the children of this nation deserve to have set before them, from their youngest years,” he said.