Otse Mbaka: Ovambo Cultural Resilience in Namibia

Culture changes at a dizzying pace. To investigate§how cultural change takes place, it is important to§address issues of agency in the process and look at§both historical and contemporary agents of change to§determine who and what impacts cultural dynamism, and§the implications of this for a newly independent§country like Namibia. Traditionally, Ovambo people§have felt excluded from decisions regarding cultural§change, which has resulted in a sense of cultural loss - of practices, activities, traditions and§customs. Contemporary Ovamboland, however, represents§a dynamic cultural mélange of traditional and modern§life co-existing. By investigating the cultural§shortfall in traditional development theory and§viewing culture as an important aspect of§development, cultural resilience becomes clearer, and§cultural futures are determined more democratically.§Using case studies and interviews and presenting the§differing agendas of international engagement in§development work and cultural projects, this book§highlights the complexities of development,§particularly where capital is involved, reflecting§the wider issue of cultural preservation versus§cultural change.