Namibian Heritage Week 2022 (Information Guide)
WHAT IS HERITAGE?
Heritage is the word we use to describe the things that we feel are important to preserve and protect. It can be the objects, places and traditions that one generation wants to pass on to the next.
WHAT IS NAMIBIAN HERITAGE WEEK AND ITS HISTORY?
Namibian Heritage Week originated with an idea of the National Museum of Namibia to have an annual Museum Day. The Museums Association of Namibia became a partner and the day was extended to the regions. After the National Heritage Council and other stakeholders joined it was decided to enlarge the event and change the name to Namibian Heritage Week.
The week encourages all Namibians to celebrate and commit themselves to protecting our wonderful natural and cultural resources. Namibia’s major heritage institutions (dubbed the “Heritage Week Team”) have joined together to organize Namibian Heritage Week. However, the point about the week is that every Namibian can participate in some way to celebrate our cultural and natural heritage.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HERITAGE WEEK?
Heritage Week is an opportunity for Namibians to celebrate our heritage. It encourages Namibians to keep culture alive and to pass on inherited traditions and knowledge to our descendants. Heritage gives us pride in our identity. “You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from.” The week encourages people to experience the beauty of our cultural diversity or to visit a different part of the country to experience our natural wonders.
WHAT ARE THE THEME AND DATES FOR HERITAGE WEEK 2021?
The theme for Namibian Heritage Week this year is “!Hao wese g//e-//xae” which means “Unity in Diversity” in !Xung.
The aim is for there to be a week dedicated to Namibian heritage each year which includes participation from the government, organisations and individuals from all fourteen regions so that the week can successfully become an annual and national event.
The Heritage Week team’s role is to facilitate the success of the week by providing support to organisations and individuals who host or participate in events during the week through logistical support and marketing.
This is a week for every single Namibian to get involved in celebrating and learning about Namibia’s rich and diverse heritage.
Namibian Heritage Week 2022 will be from the 19th – 25th September 2022.
WHAT ARE THE KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE WEEK?
- To celebrate Namibia’s rich and diverse heritage
- To promote the safeguarding and protection of all cultural heritage in Namibia irrespective of their religious or ethnic identity
- To recognize that all forms of cultural heritage in Namibia are valued as equal in importance
- To promote understanding across diverse communities of the communal value of heritage
- To recognize that the holdings of cultural repositories are also locations of the tangible expressions of human history
- To preserve the knowledge of the indigenous communities of Namibia
- To develop, maintain and support a wide network of contacts and partners dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage through effective practices
WHAT ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR DURING HERITAGE WEEK?
There will be activities across the country during the week. There will also be at least one activity each day of the week in Windhoek. More details about all the events taking place during Heritage week will be communicated, through our social media pages.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN NAMIBIAN HERITAGE WEEK AND HOW?
All Namibians from the 14 regions. During Namibian Heritage Week everyone in the country is encouraged to participate. We can attend the events that have been advertised and organised by our local museum or cultural organisation. We can all, living together in the Namibian House, also celebrate our cultural diversity in our own way. We can dress in a way that reflects one of our cultural traditions or create a special, uniquely Namibian dish during the week.
We will only be able to protect our cultural and natural resources if we value them.
WHO IS THE HERITAGE WEEK TEAM?
These institutions form part of the National Organizing Committee. The Committee is responsible for the overall planning, implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation of the Heritage Week activities.
- Museum Association of Namibia (MAN)
- Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC)
- National Arts Gallery of Namibia (NAGN)
- Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF)
- National Archives of Namibia (NAN)
- City of Windhoek (COW)
- Namibia Arts Association (NAA)
- TransNamib
- University of Namibia (UNAM)
- National Theatre of Namibia (NTN)
- National Heritage Council of Namibia (NHC)
- Cosdef Arts & Craft Centre
- Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN)
- Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)
- Namibia National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM)
- Ministry of Mines and Energy: National Earth Science Museum
- Namibian Society of Composer and Authors of Music (NASCAM)
- Swakopmund Museum / Scientific Society Swakopmund
- Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
- Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture: Directorate of Arts
- Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture: Directorate of Heritage and Culture
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- EduVentures Trust
- Fashion Council of Namibia
You can read more about Namibian Heritage Week 2022 by downloading the Namibian Heritage Week 2022 Information Guide.
Please follow Namibian Heritage Week and MAN on Social Media for more information about events.
Watch the One Africa Interview with some of the Namibian Heritage Week Team members here
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