Press release
Science Week: Better Health Through Better Understanding
In November and December 2021 UNESCO the Goethe Institute Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Swakopmund Museum is organizing the Science Week under the theme Better Health through better Understanding  Participating schools and members of the public will have the opportunity to engage and interact with local scientists   This years theme  takes into consideration the effects of Covid19 on scientists schools and the public and looks at scientific ways of improving our wellbeing such as mental health The Science Week is a melange of entertaining handson educational activities by local scientists and noncommercial science films that promote science literacy and facilitate awareness of contemporary scientific technological and environmental issues The overall aim of this initiative is to communicate science in a more accessible way to support and advance inclusive science and quality education for all Activities include Panel discussion on the Wellbeing of Scientists Hybrid Sand Play Therapy Coding Covid19 simulation and Robotics Doodle video on the Science of Happiness and workshop Social media challenge on a science experiment Screening of Goethe Science Festival Films
Press release
Regional Workshop to Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the Fight Against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property in Southern Africa
On 14 November 1970 the General Conference sixteenth session of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO meeting in Paris adopted the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property The treaty is signed to combat the illegal trade of cultural properties from countries of origins   In this context UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture and the Namibian National Commission for UNESCO NATCOM will host a Regional meeting on the theme Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the Fight Against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property in Southern Africa The twodays meeting will be hybrid to be held from the 27 October 08h30 16h00 and the 28 October 2021 09h00 15h30 via zoom while the physical event will take place at Sea Side Hotel Swakopmund CAT   The regional meeting contributes to UNESCOs continued efforts to raise awarness and understanding on the value of the conventions which oversee the governance of illicit trafficking of cultural property The workshop will also draw attention to the two conventions that addresses matters related to illicit trafficking of cultural objects the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1995 International Institute for the Unification of Private Law UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects    In addition the meeting also serves as a platform to encourage further ratification of the Conventions by African member states that are currently not signatories and to strengthen and improve collaboration between institutions dealing with the illicit trafficking of cultural property at both national regional and international levels The meeting will bring together local regional and international experts to promote peer to peer learning from countries that have ratified the Conventions   Honourable Ester AnnaLisa Nghipondoka Minister of Education Arts and Culture of Namibia will officially open the meeting on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia As the meeting is virtual observers are welcome and can listen into the exchanges  Register in advance for this meeting and obtain the link to join httpsunescoorgzoomuswebinarregisterWNfCMGMPj6Tpq5T48GvygLUA
Press release
Official Launch of The Virtual Museum of Namibian Fashion
The Museums Association of Namibia MAN in collaboration with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO the Gerda Henkel Foundation the Berlin Ethnographic Museum EM the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture the University of Namibia UNAM and the National Museum of Namibia NMN hereby invites all Namibians and all citizens of the world to attend the virtual launch of the Virtual Museum of Namibian Fashion at 1100CAT on Friday 20th August 2021 MAN is currently working in partnership with NMN and UNAM on a project funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation This collaborative project seeks to unlock the healing and creative potential of the colonial collections from Namibia held at the Ethnologisches Museum EM in Berlin Germany and the Ethnographic Collection at the National Museum of Namibia in Windhoek It reconnects the collections with each other and with their heritage communities researchers and artists in Namibia As part of the project staff from NMN scholars students from UNAM and staff from MAN have been facilitating workshops with heritage experts and researchers community representatives and artists to engage with the collections at NMN and conducting fieldwork with digitized collections in heritage communities throughout the country The project aims to reactivate knowledge about the objects document immaterial cultural heritage and provide a vital source of inspiration for artists and designers The knowledge thus created including oral histories and artworks will be shared with the wider public in an online database a publication and an exhibition at the newly founded Museum of Namibian Fashion as well as in an exhibition at NMN in Windhoek to be conceptualized in the second phase of the project By reconnecting stakeholders in Namibia with colonial collections from Berlin and Windhoek the project seeks to engage with colonial trauma spur new cultural production and envision decolonial creative futures MAN believes that museums should be living organisms that should be updated regularly and able to easily adapt to change With that said MAN has realized that the COVID19 pandemic requires museums to adapt and to do things differently As a result the idea of a Virtual Museum of Namibian Fashion was birthed and made possible with funding from UNESCO The virtual museum will be officially opened by Ms Merja Iileka Chairperson of the Fashion Council of Namibia and will feature addresses by different stakeholders and a musical performance by Namibian multiawardwinning artist Big Ben The website enables visitors to view items and to interact with them by adding comments as well as submitting photographs for possible display on the virtual museum Ndapewoshali Ndahafa Ashipala from MAN said The COVID19 pandemic has shown us that we need to adapt and learn to do things differently A virtual museum of fashion could create an interactive educational space where we can also showcase Namibian culture to both local and international audiences The galleries in both the virtual and physical Museum will have the following Bead and shells Hair and headdresses Leather and Animal Skin processing Metal Accessories Plants Bones and rocks Tattoos and body scarification Textiles The Peoples Gallery and Deeps Root New fashion The Deep Roots New Fashion The gallery showcases the work of Namibian fashion designers who incorporate features from our cultural roots to create new styles with a uniquely Namibian flavour The Museum of Namibian Fashion will be based in Otjiwarongo Namibia and will be launched in late 2021 or early 2022 If you have an item information or photographs that you think should be part of the collection of the Museum of Namibian Fashion then you can contact MAN on infomuseumscomna or 264 61 30 22 30 Further information about the project can be found on the MAN website wwwmuseumscomna Watch the official launch and opening on YouTube Museums Association of Namibia Watch the official launch and opening on Facebook Museums Association of Namibia SPEAKERS Mr B Djaffar MoussaElkadhum Head of Office at UNESCO Windhoek Ms Maria Caley Chairperson of Museum of Namibian Fashion Mr Kavenauarue Tjiworo Documentalist based at the National Museum of Namibia Mr Kevanhu Alfred Muifi Curator of the Museum of Namibian Fashion Ms Merja Iileka Chairperson Fashion Council of Namibia Please note that the link to the Virtual Museum of Namibian Fashion will be shared on the MAN Youtube Channel Website and Social Media Pages during the launch
Press release
National Workshop on Artistic Freedom
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2021 Windhoek Namibia UNESCO is organizing a twodays workshop for civil society and government officials on policies and measures to protect promote and monitor artistic freedom The workshop seeks to facilitate a better understanding of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its overall goal to promote human rights and artistic freedom   The workshop will examine existing laws policies and measures that promote and protect artistic expression and challenges that countries face in designing and implementing them It will discuss through presentations case studies and group exercises what works or not and what could be improved to support artistic freedom  It will also debate obligations that governments in close cooperation with civil society have in terms of reporting to UNESCO on policies and measures taken to promote artistic freedom in particular though the Quadrennial Periodic Reports that countries submit every four years on progress achieved in implementing the 2005 Convention   The 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is an international legal instrument ratified by 149 Parties including Namibia which ensures through various provisions that artists cultural professionals and creative practitioners as well as all citizens have the capacity to create produce disseminate and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods services and activities In 2019 artistic freedom became a reporting requirement in the quadrennial periodic reports that countries submit every four years to UNESCO on cultural policies implemented as well as challenges faced   The first day of the workshop will introduce participants to the concept of artistic freedom and help to engage a discussion on global challenges to artistic freedom the international legal frameworks regulating artistic freedom social and economic rights of artists and data collection mechanisms   The second day will focus on how to report on artistic freedom worldwide and in Namibia Through group works the participants will qualify how Namibia may report on artistic freedom as part of the forthcoming quadrennial periodic report submission to UNESCO on the implementation of the 2005 Convention   The workshop will take place in Windhoek from 2829 April 2021 at the Namibia University of Science and Technology NUST Hotel School  
Press release
10th Anniversary of International Jazz Day
2021 marks the 10th Anniversary of International Jazz Day IJD This years celebrations will focus on the history of Namibian jazz To foreground the history of Namibian jazz the film Skymaster Township Jazz from the Old Location will be screened Additionally the concert on IJD will feature The Ugly Creatures one of Namibias oldest jazz bands that celebrates its 5Oth anniversary this year Namibias celebration of IJD are organized by the FNCC in collaboration with the UNESCO Windhoek Office the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation NBC TV and Energy 100FM The events are cosponsored by the FNCC and Rand Merchant Bank Namibia Join us in celebrating JazzDay10 IJD was proclaimed during the UNESCO General Conference of November 2011 The day is intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool and a force for peace unity dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people Many governments civil society organizations educational institutions and private citizens engaged in the promotion of jazz music embrace the opportunity to foster greater appreciation not only for the music but also for the contribution it can make to building more inclusive societies This years celebrations of IJD coincide with the celebrations of World Press Freedom Day WPFD as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free Independent and Pluralistic Press The celebrations for WPFD will take place from 29 April to 3 May 2021 in Windhoek  
Press release
Namibia to Host Regional Meeting on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage in Africa: 10 to 11 March 2021