United Nations in Namibia

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth's environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Namibia.

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05 May 2022

From Despair to Hope, Children and Armed Conflict 25th Anniversary Exhibition

Hear their stories in a new exhibit at UNHQ NY and online: https://bit.ly/38GudBf. Hear their stories in a new exhibit at UNHQ NY and online: https://bit.ly/38GudBf. To mark the 25th anniversary of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, this poignant exhibit aims at reflecting on the complexity of the lives of children amidst conflict, emphasizing both the tragedy and the faith in a better future. The exhibit is on view starting 4 May at UNHQ, with an online companion available. It is organized by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. WHEN:
On view 4-27 May WHERE:
UNHQ Visitors Lobby VIRTUAL EXHIBIT URL
https://bit.ly/38GudBf

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16 May 2022

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Teachers Training Seminar

With less than a decade to go to reach the SDGs, the Intercultural Relations/ the Germany Exchange, partnered with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MOEAC), and the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Windhoek to host a Teacher’s Training Seminar on the SDGs. The Seminar was intended for teachers from different schools in the Khomas region. Three teachers from each school were invited to attend. The seminar was held at the Habitat Research Centre and commenced on April 4 – 21. An estimated number of 200 teachers attended the training seminar. Seven teachers who were trained through the “Namibian-German Partnership, Khomas Regional Governor’s office” coordinated and served as facilitators. The course aims to equip teachers with relevant information and new research tools to teach Namibian learners about the SDGs. The learning experience proposed a sequence of learning, using different didactic strategies for different grade levels. The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Windhoek donated “Frieda and the SDGs” storybooks to all the teachers to improve teacher-learner understanding of the SDGs and its connection to everyday life and to drive students’ achievements. The main objective of this teaching workshop is to ensure that the trainees gained the best educational experience on the SDGs, to share ideas to enhance their teaching practice, and create a learning environment where they can extend the roles of SDGs within a classroom wall and across the community. The pedagogical aspects related to the teaching strategies and techniques laid a solid foundation for the trainees to enhance the quality of their teaching on the SDGs and to integrate all the necessary elements to build the lessons of local and global citizenship in the 21st century into their daily teaching. The teaching engagement is deemed to be beneficial. Education is key to increase citizens’ awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, it is essential to integrate the 2030 Agenda into teacher training and to take concrete actions toward the achievement of the SDGs.

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29 April 2022

Happy Kids and Frieda Observes World Book and Copyright Day

United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Windhoek’s continuous educational reading session of ‘Frieda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ opens children to new horizons. It helps them to think outside of the box, unknowingly engaging with the outside world towards the achievement of the SDGs. The story telling moment at Happy Kids in the informal settlement in Katutura proved to be a well-received learning lesson. Most importantly, Frieda took another group of children on her fun adventures whilst sitting with the story book open on their laps. Ms. Anthea Basson, Head of the UNIC Windhoek noted, “for decades the value of books has helped shape the human experience, aiding to share ideas, obtain information, and inspire admiration for different cultures. Our mission with our storybook Frieda is to ignite a love for reading, an appreciation for books and create meaningful conversations around the SDGs for children.” Close to 150 children participated in an interactive and fun reading session lead by the UNIC team. The children, aged 5 to 6 were eager participants as the UNIC team read with actions and engaging movements throughout the story, involving the children every step of the way. Using ‘Frieda’ as our vehicle, we lay the foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals discussing No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, Quality Education and Responsible production and Consumption. When Frieda learns about SDG 3 “Good Health and Wellbeing” for example, it is coupled with demonstrations on exercises and fun ways to stay fit and active, and what it means to be healthy. “It is essential to get down to the level of each child. We target children from as young as 5 years, and to understand SDG 3 for example, we make simple, yet relatable ways for the children to connect to the concept,” said Welda Mouton, who lead the reading at Happy Kids. Each child received their own copy of the story book. For some of the children, it is the first storybook they have ever owned. Taking the book home enables the children to share their knowledge with their families and community. Books create opportunity for dialogue and interaction, and this is exactly what took place at Happy Kids as the young children identified with the illustrations in the book and the UNIC team guided them to make observations and conclusions related to the SDGs. In a digital age, books still have a prominent place in society. Books stimulate our creativity, enrich our imagination and grow our knowledge. Books can teach us about our world and how to make it a better place. Promoting the values of reading is empowering especially in Namibia, where the Ministry of Education and its partners are actively working to nurture a reading culture in schools and ECD centres across the country. Happy Kids is an Educational Child Development Centre located in Katutura a township. The classrooms is structured with corrugated iron catering schooling for children form the age 1 to 6 years old. A lush garden of succulents maintained by the teacher’s creates a beautiful learning environment. And the tippy taps outside the classrooms encourage handwashing to improve health and personal hygiene. About UNIC Windhoek: The United Nations is a firm supporter of developing the literacy of Namibian Youth and introducing them to the pleasure of reading. The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Windhoek has been a driving force in this mission as the Centre produced the successful Frieda and the SDGs children’s book and serves as a founding member of the African Chapter of the SDG Book Club, which promotes African literature that introduces children to topics of sustainable development. About World Book and Copyright Day: 23 April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books. For this reason, World Book and Copyright Day is commemorated on 23 April every year. Learn more about World Book and Copyright Day here: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldbookday

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28 April 2022

World Creativity and Innovation Day commemorated in Windhoek

The aim of the event, as outlined by the UNESCO representative Djaffa Moussa- Elkadhum, is “to promote the role of the Namibian and African textile, fashion and clothing value chain in creating decent jobs and inclusive growth”. This event was attended by different UN agencies, the Deputy Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Civil Society Representatives, African Development Bank - Fashionomics, Development partners, various creatives , fashion master students, and the media.” The three-part event kicked off with an exhibition, showcasing Namibian designers and artists’ work within the fashion and artistry industry. UN Namibia and Partners invited UN staff and stakeholders to take part in celebrating the diversity of Namibian culture and African by dressing up in traditional attire. In the spirit of promoting cultural diversity, guest modelled their outfits made by local designers and seamstresses within their respective communities. The unintended modelling session by invitees caused for great laughter and enjoyment but more importantly provided a clear visual expression of cultural pride and sense of belonging. With about 11 ethnic groups in Namibia, the land of the brave prides itself of different varieties of traditional dresses. Some colourful, some immersed in history and specific to the country's cultural heritage and others are due to circumstance or status. Textiles and clothing are a fundamental part of everyday life and an important sector in the global economy. By moving to a circular system, the industry can unlock significant economic opportunities for local business , young entrepreneurs and contributing to the sustainability challenge to buy local products. As highlighted by Eladhum “The textile and fashion industry in Africa is labour intensive and represent an important contributor to economic growth and job creation, especially for women and youth”. The day’s celebration also promised to inspire a broad audience in the fashion industry with a master class by the African Development Bank’s Fashionomics as well as a dialogue session with local designers. The overall aim of the educational session is aimed at providing strategic guidance on marketing for fashion designers and how to move toward a sustainable vision, rooted in identifying target audience and implementing better ways to promote their designs or products. Ending the day on a high note local models, student and professional designers strut down the catwalk at the Katutura Fashion Week. The fashion showcase seeks to promote Namibian designers and provide an opportunity for emerging fashion designers to exhibit their work, to gain the necessary exposure and simultaneously providing an advantage for the smaller markets to grow. With less than a decade to go to reach the SDGs, the world creativity and innovation fashionomics occasion clearly mapped out and demonstrated how culture and diversity fit into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Agenda and how the fashion industry can contribute to the creative and cultural targets within the SDGs as noted by Honourable Faustina Carley “Creativity and Innovation is inter- linked, it is part of our daily life. When we face problems, be creative, and as a result innovate to find solutions to those problems”.

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26 April 2022

Poultry scheme empowers Witkrans residents

A group of 16 participants comprising mainly of women and youth from the small farming settlement of Witkrans in the Hardap region recently received training on poultry farming as part of FAO’s poultry scheme project. The two-day training, facilitated by agricultural extension personnel within the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) in the Hardap region, sought to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to undertake poultry farming. In a bid to promote rural development and improve the diversification of rural livelihoods, FAO recently donated 100 Lohmann Brown layers, chicken feed and medication to the Witkrans community. Thirst for knowledge During the training, participants were taken through various key themes all aimed towards ensuring the production of quality eggs and meat. Some of the topics covered include breed selection, sourcing of chicks, good husbandry practices, as well as management and marketing. The participants also received practical training on good poultry farming hygiene practises, and health and safety. Fabian Boys, an Agricultural Extension Officer based in Hardap region, who led the training, expressed his satisfaction with the level of interest displayed by the beneficiaries. “They [participants] were very keen on receiving the training and were taking notes and asking questions throughout - which is a sign that they have been thirsting for this kind of knowledge,” Boys noted. Better nutrition Meanwhile, Christina Isaaks (46), trainee participant and Witkrans resident, underscored that the support by FAO is positively contributing to the food and nutrition security situation in her community, in particular the local primary school. “Because of this donation our children now have access to protein derived from the eggs which ensures their overall good health and wellbeing,” said Isaaks. The primary school has close to 140 learners between the ages of 5 to 12. A majority of the learners are from nearby commercial farms and villages where their parents work and reside. “Most of the learners rely on the school’s hostel for their meals as their parents’ income are too low to be able to meet all their food and nutrition needs,” Gift Kamupingene, FAO National Project Coordinator, pointed out. The FAO Representative in Namibia, Ms Farayi Zimudzi, also shared similar sentiments regarding the project. “This project is one of the ways in which FAO is supporting the strengthening of local food systems through the diversification of rural livelihoods while improving the nutritional status of children and the community members at large.” Better Life Apart from contributing to a protein rich diet, the community’s poultry initiative also serves as a source of income for community members taking part in the project. The project generates most of its revenue from the sale of surplus eggs to community members and nearby settlements such as Stampriet According to Johanna Amakali, MAWLR’s Chief Agricultural Scientific Officer in Hardap region, most inhabitants in rural settlements such as Witkrans are eager for similar support to come their way. “Many communities are eager to adopt new ways to improve their food security situation and reduce poverty. “A donation such as this goes a long way in removing the barrier to access resources so they can sustain themselves,” she said. Cecil Peterson (25), a youth participant, noted how the training changed his perspective on poultry farming and acknowledged the potential it has to change his life for the better. “Thanks to the training, today I discovered that poultry farming has the potential to be a great source of income for an unemployed youth such as myself. I am now very eager to be actively involved in our community’s poultry initiative so I can gain enough skills and perhaps start my own poultry farm someday.”

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17 May 2022

5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour

DURBAN, South Africa, 17 May 2022 (ILO News) – The 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour has opened in Durban, South Africa, with a strong call for urgent action to combat the rising numbers of children in child labour.

Speaking at the start of a week of discussions in Durban, South Africa, and online, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on delegates to commit to taking “far-reaching actions” to make a difference in the lives of children.

“We are here because we share a common conviction that child labour in all its facets is an enemy. Child labour is an enemy of our children’s development and an enemy of progress. No civilization, no country, and no economy can consider itself to be at the forefront of progress if its success and riches have been built on the backs of children.”

His call was echoed by Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder. “Some may say that child labour is an inevitable consequence of poverty and that we have to accept that. But this is wrong. We can never resign ourselves to child labour. We do not have to. Tackling the root causes such as household poverty is essential. But make no mistake, child labour is a violation of a basic human right, and our goal must be that every child, everywhere is free from it. We cannot rest until that happens.” With the 2025 UN Sustainable Development Goals deadline for the elimination of child labour looming, many speakers outlined the urgent need to recover the progress that had been made in many regions prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest figures show that 160 million children – almost one in ten of all children worldwide – are still in child labour. Numbers are rising, and the pandemic threatens to reverse years of progress. Child labour has grown particularly in the 5 to 11-year-old age group.

It is the first time the Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour has been held in Africa – a region where, based on sheer numbers, child labour numbers are highest and progress has been slowest. Most child labour on the continent – some 70 percent - is in agriculture, often in settings where children are working alongside their families.

The conference will build on four previous Global Conferences, held in Buenos Aires (2017), Brasilia (2013), The Hague (2010), and Oslo (1997), which raised awareness of the issue, assessed progress, mobilized resources, and established a strategic direction for the global movement against child labour.

It is expected to conclude with a Durban Call to Action that will outline concrete commitments to scale up action to eliminate child labour.

This press release is issued by the International Labour Organization and the Government of South Africa.

For more information contact newsroom@ilo.org or Petunia.Lessing@labour.gov.za

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09 May 2022

The Sustainable Wildlife Management Community Conservancies.

SWM Programme improves wildlife sustainability in KaZa Thirteen Community Conservancies (CCs) in the Kavango-Zambezi (KaZa) landscape in northeast Namibia are currently benefiting from various interventions stemming from the Sustainable Wildlife Management Community Conservancy Project (SWM-CC) under the SWM Programme launched last year. The SWM Programme, in collaboration with the Government of Namibia, through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), is seeking to address threats from unsustainable levels of wildlife hunting, closure of habitats, and fragmentation, which prevent animals from reaching the resources they need to survive, as well as the poaching of animals because of human-wildlife conflicts. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is leading the project’s implementation along with technical support from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Namibia, MEFT, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Diversifying livelihoods “The SWM-CC project is seeking to reconcile the challenges of wildlife conservation with those of food security in a set of key socio-ecosystems including forest, wetland, and savannah,” said Manon Mispiratceguy, FAO’s Field Assistant Coordinator under the SWM Programme. According to her, the SWM-CC project has so far implemented a wide range of activities aimed at promoting the sustainable and legal exploitation of resilient animal populations by indigenous rural populations, while increasing and diversifying the protein supply for the benefit of rural and urban populations. Through the project’s interventions, 75 women received training on poultry production across targeted community conservancies (CCs), with the top 30 participants identified set to receive further training and capacity building this year. Additionally, plans are underway to support selected farmers to improve small-scale horticulture production through innovative and organic approaches in the target CCs. The SWM-CC project will also seek to identify and address issues relating to the lack of market access for small-scale farmers who produce livestock, poultry and horticulture products. This, according to Mispiratceguy, is all in a bid to ensure the availability of alternative sources of protein to promote food and nutrition security and the sustainable consumption of wild meat. Community ownership The SWM-CC project has other key interventions aimed toward the sustainable management of wildlife species such as the construction of crocodile enclosures and lion-proof kraals in Bamunu and Wuparo CCs spearheaded by Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC). Most of these predator-proof kraals were set up in the Namibian section of the Kwando Wildlife Dispersal Areas (WDA). The kraals were constructed in partnership with local livestock farmers in Kwando WDA to protect livestock, mostly cattle, in human-wildlife conflict hotspots. Farmers were responsible for providing all the poles needed for constructing the kraals while the respective conservancies and the SWM project provided the fencing, equipment, skilled labour, and training. “By supporting farmers’ involvement in the construction process, the farmer becomes more invested in the upkeep and long-term maintenance of the kraal,” says Pauline Lindeque, Wildlife and Landscape Programme Director, WWF Namibia. According to her, the most significant impact of the lion-proof kraals is evident in three conservancies that were hotspots of human-wildlife conflict namely: Kabulabula, Nakabolelwa and Salambala, where attacks on livestock by lions have declined by between 90% and 98%. Reducing human-wildlife conflict Lindeque further highlighted that the strategic placement of crocodile fences in areas of the river where people and livestock access water has greatly improved safety by reducing incidences of human-wildlife conflict. “Crocodiles regularly account for the loss of life or injury of humans, as well as livestock, this particular intervention is trying to mitigate these destructive incidents,” she noted. The SWM-CC project activities form part of a EURO 3.5 million project financing by the French Development Agency (AFD) channelled through the SWM Programme to improve sustainable wildlife management and food security in the Kavango-Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KaZa TFCA) in both Namibia and Botswana.

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16 May 2022

Journalism under siege, World Press Freedom Day 2022

3 May is World Press Freedom Day, the day acts as a reminder to governments for the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. On World Press Freedom Day there is an emphasis on the support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story. The theme of 2022 World Press Freedom Day, “Journalism under Digital Siege”, underlines the many new digital threats journalists are faced with, and demands responses from all concerned stakeholders. This year's commemoration is an opportunity to put into action the commitments made by all UNESCO member states as regard to the principles of the Windhoek +30 Declaration. The Windhoek +30 Declaration continues to be relevant in regard to its recognition that press freedom, independence, and pluralism are prerequisites to guarantee information as a public good that serves as a shared resource for the whole of humanity. This year we walk the talk on implementing the Windhoek+30 Declaration with practical steps to do our part to help secure information as a public good as an urgent need today, and as a legacy for those who come after us. "We all must do more to address the risks and seize the opportunities of the digital age. On this World Press Freedom Day, I invite Member States, technology companies, the media community, as well as the rest of civil society to come together to develop a new digital configuration – one that protects both journalism and journalists." — Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day About World Press Freedom Day: Every year, 3 May is a date that celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluates press freedom around the world, defends the media from attacks on their independence, and pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration(link is external) Sur le pluralisme on media pluralism and independence. At the core of UNESCO's mandate is freedom of the press and freedom of expression. UNESCO believes that these freedoms allow for mutual understanding to build sustainable peace. It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom - a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended, and closed down, while journalists, editors, and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered. It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide. https://youtu.be/vBjDIm_Q0rg

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Press Release

06 May 2022

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Book Club African Chapter turns One !

At 12 noon, Saturday 23 rd April 2022, Anthea Basson, National Information Officer UNIC Windhoek, Namibia, delivered her goodwill message on behalf of the UN on the occasion of the 1st year anniversary of UN SDG Book Club Africa. https://youtu.be/l-NJVXncV0I

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Press Release

15 March 2022

Peer-to-peer learning workshop on policies for creativity

UNESCO, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture of Namibia, is organizing a “Peer-to-peer learning workshop on policies for creativity: Monitoring and implementing the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions” from 29 March to 1 April 2022 in Swakopmund, Namibia. Originally planned in 2021 and postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this workshop, proposes to reflect on strategic orientations for future participatory policy monitoring and policy making for creativity in light of the upcoming “UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development Mondiacult 2022”. This workshop builds on the results and achievements of a series of sub-regional training of trainers on participatory policy monitoring held in 2019, and of the implementation of the EU/UNESCO project “Supporting new regulatory frameworks to strengthen the cultural and creative industries and promote South-South cooperation” on participatory policy making and peer-to-peer learning. Gathering representatives from fifteen countries from around the world, it is expected that the workshop serves as a policy lab on creativity, sustainable development and thinking the future post-COVID-19. Through focus group sessions, the peer-to-peer exchanges aim to provide opportunities to exchange knowledge and experiences leading to mutual learning on the future of policies for creativity. Moreover, these exchanges are equally organized with a view to create a community of practice around policy monitoring and formulation for creativity as well as to build local expertise and capacities. To this end, the workshop will count on the presence of the 15 partner countries from the EU/UNESCO project as well as several African partner countries from the UNESCO-Sida project “Reshaping cultural policies”, and representatives from the sub-region that have engaged in the Quadrennial Periodic Reporting (QPR) exercise and in the EU/UNESCO project during the first phase. Representatives from Botswana, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Palestine, South Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, as well as members of the 2005 Convention Expert Facility, selected national experts and representatives from UNESCO field offices will thus be present. The workshop is supported by the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

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Press Release

17 June 2021

Press Release: 2021 Day of the African Child (16th June)

On June 16th 2021, SDG Book Club Africa celebrated the Day of the African Child with three exemplary Ambassador Schools: Beehive School, Ikeja, Lagos, Chrisland Schools (Lagos, Abuja) and Gateway School, Enugu. All three schools are located in Nigeria, West Africa.
In response to the survey administered by teachers about the Day of the African Child (June 16th 2021) and Africa Day (May 25th 2021), children of the three schools expressed joy and pride in their identity as Nigerians and Africans. They also expressed pride in attending great Nigerian schools.
Click here to join the children of Beehive School, Chrisland Schools and Gateway School as they talk about why we must continue to celebrate the African Child.
https://namibia.un.org/en/131739-day-african-child-un-sdg-book-club-africa-
ambassador-school-chrisland-school https://namibia.un.org/en/131737-june-16th-2021-day-african-child https://namibia.un.org/en/131789-day-african-child-un-sdg-book-club-africa-ambassador-school-gateway-school
SDG Book Club Africa is one of the latest chapters of the UN SDG Book Club. It spans the entire continent of Africa and is, in size, second only to the global Club. SDG Book Club Africa launched the Ambassador Schools Program (17 th May 2021) to motivate children to read more and to provide them with quality books of a wide variety of genres, whose themes address principles of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our Ambassador Schools encourage healthy and creative engagement with the SDGs, both
indoors and outdoors. At our Ambassador Schools, we seek to ensure that no-one, particularly children, the builders of our future, is left out of the global effort to make the world a better place. SDG Book Club Africa Organizers
African Publishers Network (APNET).
Pan-African Writer Association (PAWA).
Pan-African Booksellers Association (PABA).
Association for the Development of Education (ADEA).
African Library Information Institutions & Association (AFLIA).
BORDERS Literature for all Nations (BORDERS).
United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Windhoek, Namibia.

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Press Release

12 May 2021

‘Playing’ into Sustainable Development

Our planet is at a critical point. From global health crises to economic disparities to climate change, there has never been a more crucial time for our young leaders to step up and help come up with solutions to these existential challenges. The United Nations (UN) is committed to tackling these issues by achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and UN Namibia has come up with a unique and clever way to get Namibian youth to create changes within our communities and throughout the world. UN Namibia launched their latest youth engagement tool, Swift 30: SDG Edition. This locally made board game brings the SDGs into the hands of the youth, to educate them on Namibia and how they can positively impact our future. During the launch, UN Resident Coordinator Sen Pang, recalled playing games growing up and emphasised the knowledge building exercise as having the potential to teach young and old alike. “Even I learnt something new today”, he noted. The UNRC along with the Deputy Minister of Education and other stakeholders played the game to get a feel for the content and interaction it encourages. Swift 30: SDG Edition was produced in collaboration with Ms. Ndeshi Fikameni and her company, Afroprintline. This iteration follows the success of her first game, Swift 30, a game that drew its inspiration from the popular board game, 30 Seconds, but exclusively focused on Namibian topics – a game for Namibians by Namibians. Similarly, Swift 30: SDG Edition, which includes a colourful hand-sewn game board, appeals to Namibian youth with the aim to empower them to take their future into their own hands. Speaking at the officially launch Swift 30: SDG Edition, Deputy Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Hon. Faustina Caley recognizes that initiatives such as this are of paramount importance to the development of Namibian youth. She commended this effort saying, “the Ministry welcomes the strategic partnership support in establishing non-school based opportunities for the Namibian child to relate to the SDGs and for catering to the diverse interest and talents of learners across regions.” Twenty youth from various schools and organizations around Windhoek attended the event. Together they learnt how to play the game, which came with a lot of friendly competition amongst each other. Orban Primary School learner Jasmine Schmidt, 12, spoke with excitement for Swift 30: SDG Edition explaining that she “learned a lot and it was super fun! I hope others enjoy it as much as I did.” Claudios Rervelso, 19, from the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) described his experience as, “awesome and educational, everyone engaged in the game. I personally want my peers to know about Swift 30: SDG Edition.” Following its official launch, the team behind Swift 30: SDG Edition will continue to build awareness by engaging with schools, youth groups and other organizations through game activations and programming. The SDGs are only attainable through a collaborative effort from all, and this game is a major way for the UN to reach a whole new audience. For more information, please contact Ms. Anthea Basson at bassona@un.org at telephone: +264 61 204 6408 / +264 (0) 81 551 695 or Ms. Welda Mouton at mouton@un.org or telephone: +264 61 204 6346 or / +264 (0)815511378

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