It is also an opportune time to re-evaluate our definition as to who constitute the heroes and heroines of our country, and examine whether, in fact we need to give this debate the prominence at the political/military level it currently enjoys.

I REMAIN concerned that we spend too much time looking back and too little looking forward.

This is not to say that the past doesn't have resonance or relevance, but it too often takes centre stage at the expense of immediacy and the need to 'get on with the job' of making Namibia a success story now.

What better way than this to honour the memory of the heroes and heroines who've lost their lives throughout the last century and in recent decades, in the fight against German or South African colonialism respectively? For us to be able to say we truly conquered the colonial legacy by building a democratic and corruption-free Namibia in which our citizens could hold their heads high in pride at the united achievement of a pluralistic society, would be a huge achievement, and this is what we should be aiming at, rather than getting ourselves lost in history.

We've also got ourselves totally bogged down in the heroes debate.

And I think its because we're still so obsessed with the liberation struggle era and acknowledging the contributions only of that select group, that we cannot dispassionately and holistically look at what is not necessarily only a political issue.

For as we move into the future, the Namibian heroes and heroines will probably be otherwise ordinary citizens who've made tremendous personal sacrifice for the betterment of their communities or who have made great achievements at great personal cost.

How can the youth be inspired only by a phalanx of heroes who are named such because they are considered true comrades? Far from all the people who fought in the struggle are heroes.

And simply picking up a gun to fight for a cause doesn't automatically place one in this category either.

Some of those we have honoured in this fashion may have made their political contribution but they were also people with problems and personal weaknesses, which certainly denigrates the status they've been accorded.

We need heroes from all walks of life.

The selfless citizen who saves lives, risking his or her own in the process; the sportsman or woman who has honoured the country at international heights; the scientist whose invention has made a difference to the world; the environmentalist who has dedicated his/her life to a particular cause.

These are just some examples of the types of 'heroes' we should be considering outside the political and military realms.

We also need to seriously examine whether the freedom fighter who may have selflessly fought for his country yet who also beat his wife or neglected his children, is deserving of hero status.

Neither do we always have to focus on political leadership from which to choose such heroes, who should, in many ways, be our ultimate role models.

There's a distinction too, between heroes and celebrities and we need to interrogate the difference between the two.

The world is full of ordinary and/or disadvantaged people who've done the exceptional, and these should be our heroes first and foremost.

We don't necessarily only need to look within our national borders.

The AIDS orphan who cares for and brings up siblings in dire circumstances; the amputee who becomes a contestant in the Olympics, overcoming a disability to achieve this goal; the volunteer who takes no payment for acts of self-sacrifice for the good of the community ...

the list goes on.

Heroism could be a single act or a lifetime achievement and we also need to thoroughly scrutinise our definitions.As we approach Heroes' Day, one thing cannot be denied.

We need more of them at all levels of our society, and ways and means need to be found to identify also those 'hidden' heroes who are perhaps doing exceptionally good works in their communities, but who are not necessarily known outside of them.

It is also true to say that Namibia needs more role models than we have at present.

When we commemorate Heroes Day, we should widen our definition to include also the forgotten heroes, and those who are unrecognised.

Neither should we just confine our Heroes' Day thoughts to the liberation struggle but widen the ambit to honour the acts past and present, of the selfless and good people who provide us with inspiration towards a better world.

Columns Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Let Us Heed the Voices of Sanity
•  Political Perspective
•  Andimba Ya Toivo's Political Morality: A Weapon To Transcend The Logic Of Cruelty
•  Rural Water Supply Reform: Success Story And Poverty Trap
•  From the Sidelines: Time for change