By Dr Moses Amweelo 1. The Traditional Women of Namibia Stamp There are a few things in life that reflect the soul and heart of a country as candidly as its art. Art by its very nature is able to transcend both cultural and national boundaries, carrying messages across while remaining true to its origin and source. Stamp designing is a form of art that is highly specialized, as it requires a high degree of intricacy, technical expertise and intimate knowledge of the subject matter. By all accounts, this is true of the traditional women of Namibia stamp range. It is breathtaking in its beauty and its elegance, and promises to be very popular within the stamp collector fraternity. Stamps are not simply there to get one’s letter from one point to another. They form a rich tapestry of images from a country ranging from heroes, achievements and special events, the fauna and flora of a given country, as well as the social fabric of its people. There are millions of people around the world who collect these images for this very reason, while others collect them as part of a sound financial investment plan. However, it is because stamps through letters reach the furthermost corners of the world that they have been coined “the windows to a country”, serving as a true ambassador of that nation. It is against this background that the images of our mothers and grandmothers, and as a result our traditions and cultures are being seen and discussed across many oceans and in faraway countries. Stamps are an excellent way of communicating to others about ourselves, who we are and where we come from. They connect the people of the world in a tangible and permanent manner, and today a total of more than 840 000 images of our traditional women are floating around in the world, and the same number of people if not more, would have been educated about Namibia, its traditions and its women. That is a truly remarkable thought! For many years now, stamp collection has been the domain of a selected group, and few black Namibians have been exposed to, or have developed an interest in this specialized hobby. However, we all believe it is time that we start promoting this among Namibians in all its facets, from a wider participation of local artists in the portrayal of Namibia through stamps, to stimulating this interest among school children from a very tender age. With the right mindset from teachers and educators, our youngsters will soon find out that this is a creative and interesting hobby that if sustained over the years, may turn out to be a sizable investment. It is well known that the older a stamp collection gets, the more valuable it becomes. Another reason why it is important for schoolchildren to be exposed to stamps, is that is an ideal way to learn about Namibia and all its facets. In these particular stamps, our youngsters would be able to appreciate this culturally diverse nation better through the understanding and knowledge of how our ancestors manifested their traditions through physical adornments. Stamps clearly display the resourcefulness of traditional life. Using often the simplest and most available materials, they invented beautiful headdresses and made jewellery of unique beauty. Some of the adornments shown on the stamps are still seen around, while others are becoming memories of our history. In spite of the hardships of their lives, these traditional women filled their daily duties with song, spirit and dance. The traditional women of Namibia stamp was launched on March 20, 2002 at the Ongwediva Trade Centre. The traditions displayed on stamps include women from the Mbukushu, Himba, Nama, Herero, Kwanyama, Ngandjera, Kwalldhi, Mbalantu, San, Baster, Damara and Mafue traditions. They form a sizable part of the many diverse traditions found in this country. I would like to thank the initiative Nampost has taken to save a part of our lives through their stamps and to congratulate the artist for portraying the images of our traditional women in such an accurate and authentic manner. Who of us is able to forget the huge impact our mothers and grandmothers made on us as children? When closing our eyes, almost all of us can feel their warmth, can smell their food cooking on the fire, and can see them working the fields in order to provide for their families. These were all phenomenal women in their own right, who fully deserve the accolades bestowed upon them. 2. The Heroes Acre Stamp Series The Heroes Acre is today best described as a symbol of the remembrance for the known and unknown heroes and heroines in the struggle for national freedom, justice and peace. It is a place we remember ordinary men and women who have risen above their own personal adversity to reach for the highest good within them and in doing so, inspire others to attain similar heights. Everyone wants to be a hero, and everyone can be. Heroism is the stuff dreams are made of is a popular saying among the youth. Heroism is the realization of a vision for a better tomorrow for the benefit of all, whether in a political, social or economic context. What drives heroes are the inner strength, conviction and determination to attain a specific goal or outcome that will change the landscape and level the playing fields in a particular area of life. Some people are the visionaries; those who can courageously stand up and say, “I have a dream”. Others are able to sit down and contextualize these dreams. They can put the plan together. And some implement the change, the greatness that the visionary has seen in his mind’s eye. All these people can be classified as heroes in one way or another. When glancing at the social fabric of our communities, it is clear that many things lend themselves to attain the notion of heroism – parenting, teaching, nursing, fighting, science, sports, culture, literature, and politics to name but a few. In fact, heroism is a natural outflow of humanity. Every society needs heroes as drivers of change, gallantry and greatness. They need to be remembered, recognized and their great deeds need to be recalled as having made special contributions to the growth and development of a nation. The national monument that is today known as the Heroes Acre, is a living testament of all such people, especially those who have faced danger and tremendous odds, and fallen in the process to ensure maximum results for the common good of our country and nation. Their deeds and ideals are truly epic and fabulous in their dimensions, and can today be held up as fitting models for all Namibians irrespective of race or colour. Now that we have such a place of dedicated remembrance, we owe it to ourselves, to our ancestors and our children, to ensure that those heroes and heroines whose blood watered our freedom, are glorified every year on Heroes Day, from now on. It is for that reason that we are particularly pleased to see that Nampost, being one of the key players in the communications industry of Namibia, have taken it upon themselves to keep the flame of remembrance alive, by educating and informing Namibians and the world at large, of those who fought and died for the motherland through the depiction of the Heroes Acre on their stamps. The heroes Acre stamp series, issued one year after the momentous inauguration of the Heroes Acre Monument on the outskirts of the City of Windhoek, is a true reflection of the appreciation of reverence we hold for the brave sons and daughters of Namibia. We urge Nampost to continue providing this excellent service to the people of Namibia, while at the same time teaching them about the essential and crucial roles stamps play in terms of our history and the tourist market. 3. Joint SAPOA Stamp The launching ofÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ the first joint SAPOA stamp range on October 9, 2004 was a key example of how co-operation and goodwill is used to highlight the work of one of the lesser known products in postal services, namely philately. As we are aware, the Southern African Postal Operators Association (SAPOA) is a regional consultative and collaborative body aimed at fostering support between all public postal operators in Southern Africa, and is an outflow of the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology. In 2004, one of SAPOA’s technical sub-committees, the philately task force, resolved to produce a joint stamp issue to trigger philately sales and promote the co-operative marketing of philatelic products for the mutual benefit of member countries. In addition to this, the joint stamp issue is expected to promote and market the region’s identity to international collectors worldwide. The joint SAPOA stamp range which portrays the national birds ofÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ all participating countries, will once released be seen as miniature ambassadors of each country within the Southern African region. In this sense, they will grace the covers of millions of letters, postcards, and parcels the world over. Philately services and products hold a unique position in the postal industry, as it is the one area where goodwill for a cause or principle can be maximized to promote better understanding through publicity, and considering the sophisticated and refined target market for these products, it is very important that philately products remain of the highest artistic and technical quality. However, it is important that we in Africa and especially the Southern African region harness the endless possibilities locked up in the production and sale of quality philatelic items. Worldwide there are more than 6 million stamp collectors. It is high time that we too are able to access these collectors through our marketing efforts. Philately is an expensive but lucrative business, and if we in Africa want to become global players in this regard, we need to focus strongly on the development of a philatelic awareness and culture particularly among our youth. It is a known fact that the majority of stamp collecting is done by adults in the higher age bracket, who are interested in the preservation of historical, scientific, technologic and social-economic issues of our times. We need to make a concerted effort through development campaigns especially in schools to reverse the apparent lack of interest in philately by promoting this dying hobby for the simple reason that it is highly educational and financially rewarding beyond the norm. We are most confident that this joint stamp issue will be a resounding success and that all SADC postal services will join hands for the second joint stamp issue in the very near future! Harambee Africa! Let’s work together Africa! Let us not forget that the world is our oyster, and that with our excellent physical regional infrastructure, we should aggressively promote and market our regional assets by presenting a united front to the world. In so doing, we will not only boost the philately following in our own countries, but also strengthen the identity of the region as an international philately stronghold.