San fight for exemption from fees

IN their on-going battle to retain their true identity, the San community are lobbying Government to exempt them from paying the N$800 fee to change their names.

Yesterday their experiences were shared at the launch of a new book, ‘Advocacy in Action’, aimed at assisting Namibians in advocating for their rights and to influence decision-making in Namibia. The manual, which explains how Government bodies work at different levels to assist people in approaching them to make their voices heard, was launched by the Legal Assistance Centre.Paralegals Kleofas Gaingob and Jan Jakob said many San people were struggling to obtain pension and other benefits from the State because of discrepancies in the names and dates of birth on their birth certificates and identity documents.Their case was just one of many advocacy examples highlighted by the LAC to encourage civic society to actively influence decision making.Dianne Hubbard of the LAC’s Gender Research and Advocacy Project said while civil society was the primary target audience for the book, the project would specifically aim at targeting women who have not always been involved in speaking out on issues affecting them.”Good advocacy must be a dialogue.We expect this comprehensive manual to transform the ability of community groups to use advocacy to influence decisions made at local, regional and national levels,” Hubbard said.Director of the LAC Norman Tjombe, referring to very marginalised communities in Namibia, said it was the organisation’s aim to increase legal services in remote areas to protect people’s human rights.The book explains the law-making process in Namibia and how to influence it.It contains real-life examples of advocacy as well as examples of activities to raise awareness and set in motion an advocacy campaign.The manual, which explains how Government bodies work at different levels to assist people in approaching them to make their voices heard, was launched by the Legal Assistance Centre.Paralegals Kleofas Gaingob and Jan Jakob said many San people were struggling to obtain pension and other benefits from the State because of discrepancies in the names and dates of birth on their birth certificates and identity documents.Their case was just one of many advocacy examples highlighted by the LAC to encourage civic society to actively influence decision making.Dianne Hubbard of the LAC’s Gender Research and Advocacy Project said while civil society was the primary target audience for the book, the project would specifically aim at targeting women who have not always been involved in speaking out on issues affecting them.”Good advocacy must be a dialogue.We expect this comprehensive manual to transform the ability of community groups to use advocacy to influence decisions made at local, regional and national levels,” Hubbard said.Director of the LAC Norman Tjombe, referring to very marginalised communities in Namibia, said it was the organisation’s aim to increase legal services in remote areas to protect people’s human rights.The book explains the law-making process in Namibia and how to influence it.It contains real-life examples of advocacy as well as examples of activities to raise awareness and set in motion an advocacy campaign.