“Activism is action on behalf of a cause, action that goes beyond what is conventional or routine. The action might be door-to-door canvassing, alternative radio, public meetings, rallies, or fasting. The cause might be women’s rights, opposition to a factory, or world peace”. Most people would agree with this, activists are just as important to a society in making a difference. If we look back at history, it is activism that has played a major role in ending slavery, challenging dictatorships, protecting workers from exploitation, protecting the environment, promoting equality for women, opposing racism, and many other important issues.
Namibia, a country in southwest Africa distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population, but most importantly, its influential activists that have fought for change in their country by bringing awareness to certain things and being a voice for the people.
Job Shipululo Amupanda is a Namibian politician who, before his suspension and resignation in 2014, served as a spokesperson for the SWAPO Party Youth League and as Secretary for Information, Publicity, and Mobilisation since 2012. He is also a co-founder of the Affirmative Repositioning movement.
Pauline Frannzisca Dempers (born 28 April 1962 in Aranos, Hardap Region) is a Namibian human rights activist and politician. In 1996, Dempers became national coordinator for Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS), a group which advocates for the rights of those detained by SWAPO during the Namibian War of Independence. Dempers was active with the Congress of Democrats.
Reinhard “Kalla” Gertze (1960 – 13 March 2008) was a Namibian university lecturer and parliamentarian as a member of the Congress of Democrats party. He was also the former president of the Breaking the Wall of Silence movement.
Evilastus Kaaronda is a Namibian trade unionist. He served as the secretary-general of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).
Asser Kuveri Kapere (born June 11, 1951) is a Namibian politician. He is a member of SWAPO and has been the Chairman of the National Council of Namibia since December 2004.
Veronica Cecilia de Klerk (born 26 November 1947) is a Namibian women’s rights activist. Veronica Cecilia De Klerk is a former television news presenter and actuality radio program presenter with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation in Namibia and was educated in Germany in the “Promotion of Women’s Self-help programs in developing countries.
John Kwedhi is a Namibian trade unionist. He is the secretary general of the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union an organization founded on 5 June 1989 under the umbrella body of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).
Blythe Loutit née Pascoe (14 November 1940 Natal, South Africa – 15 June 2005 Namibia) was a founding member of the Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), an artist and a respected conservationist.
Visolela Rosalinda “Rosa” Namises, nicknamed the “Rosa Luxemburg of Namibia” is a Namibian politician and human-rights activist. She was the former member of Parliament and founding member and former secretary-general of the Namibian Congress of Democrats.
Phil ya Nangoloh is a Namibian human rights practitioner. He heads the organization Namrights, formerly Namibia’s National Society for Human Rights.
Emma Touny Waundjua Tuhepha is a Namibian HIV/AIDS activist. In 1996, she was the first Namibian woman to state publicly that she was HIV-positive.She became a high-profile activist for HIV/AIDS awareness and her efforts paid off, as anti-retroviral drugs soon arrived to treat Namibians with HIV/AIDS.
These are a few Namibians activists that have made the choice to be the voice and bring awareness to for their people without not asking for anything in return.
Featured Image via Wikimedia
