Cruise Report

Jan.26th

Politician and human rights activist, Rosa Namises, joined us from Port Louis as a guest educator. Rosa was born in the Namibia’s capital,, Windhoek, to an Angolan father and Nu-Khoen mother. In order to further peace and protect human rights she was active in Namibia’s independence struggle, and was a member of parliament for seven years after that. In addition to being a prominent voice on gender issues and violence against women and children, she is involved in projects promoting healthy living rural communities and is an advisor for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention. Today Rosa’s lecture titled “I Love the World” was held. Rosa’s first name, Visolela, literally means “I love the world”. Her perspective gained on the forefront as a politician and human rights activist allow us to gain a closer look at a Namibia which is experiencing significant changes.

“Amongst all of the societal upheaval, I realized how ignorant we were as members of parliament and have pushed the importance of continuing to learn. “The motto ‘quality is more important than quantity’, has encouraged me to continue trying to create societal change beginning with small steps.” Through Rosa’s words and mannerisms you can feel her passion and strong sense of justice. “Because you exist, so do I. Because I exist, so do you. Therefore we cannot ignore one another’s human rights. When we share in our wealth, that is how we can overcome poverty.” Lastly, she used the Japanese word okagesama as an example of the importance of respecting one another and taught us about the importance of being thoughtful and sharing. While she is on board, Rosa plans to give more lectures about her work in Namibia.