'Re-examining Liberation in Namibia', Henning Melber (ed.)
This volume takes stock of emerging trends in Namibia's political culture since Independence and highlights the question of political liberation and tolerance - or lack thereof. The book examines in an introductory chapter the consolidation of political power and control by the former liberation movement, SWAPO. The chapters include case studies on the SWAPO ideology prior to Independence, a comparison of constitutional developments in Namibia and Zimbabwe, an overview on minority rights and policies concerning indigenous people and a case study on cultural policy with regard to music. Analyses also cover the issue of the SWAPO "ex-detainees", a critical reading of the Namibian President's biography and an exploration of the institutionalised public memory. The book ends with an essay challenging the limited tolerance currently existing in post-colonial Namibia.
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THE NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE'S BOOK LAUNCH
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Henning Melber (ed.)
Re-examining Liberation in Namibia
Political Culture Since Independence
Published October 2003
(paper back, 187 pp, ISBN 91-7106-516-4)
This volume takes stock of emerging trends in Namibias's political culture since Independence and highlights the question of political liberation and tolerance - or lack thereof. The book examines in an introductory chapter the consolidation of political power and control by the former liberation movement, SWAPO.
The chapters include case studies on the SWAPO ideology prior to Independence, a comparison of constitutional developments in Namibia and Zimbabwe, an overview on minority rights and policies concerning indigenous people and a case study on cultural policy with regard to music. Analyses also cover the issue of the SWAPO "ex-detainees", a critical reading of the Namibian President's biography and an exploration of the institutionalised public memory. The book ends with an essay challenging the limited tolerance currently existing in post-colonial Namibia.
The contributors are mainly from Namibia or Southern Africa and all of them have a long-term commitment to the struggle for national liberation and democracy. The editor, Henning Melber, had joined SWAPO in 1974. He was Director of the Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU) in Windhoek between
1992 and 2000 and has been Research Director at The Nordic Africa Institute since then.
This book was presented to a Namibian public on 18th September in Windhoek and launched at the Gothenburg Book Fair, Sweden, on 26th September. It will also be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The book launch in Frankfurt is organised jointly by The Nordic Africa Institute, The Human Science Research Council (HSRC) from South Africa (presenting another volume by the same editor on "Limits to Liberation in Southern Africa") and Brandes & Apsel Verlag from Germany (who published a German version of the volume entitled "Namibia -
Grenzen nachkolonialer Emanzipation").
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You are cordially invited to our reception on Friday 10th October at 15.00 at The Nordic Africa Institute's stand
8.0 L 984 at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
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The Nordic Africa Institute P O Box 1703 SE-751 47 Uppsala, Sweden Phone +46-(0) 18 56 22 00 Fax +46-(0) 18 56 22 90 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.nai.uu.se/ Order the Nordic Africa Institute's publications online!
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