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Class of ’17, April 28 Update

We are ecstatic at the progress our class has made in this past year.  Yes, we may have had a period where things were not getting done, but we are back and better than ever!  This past class, we had Dr. Moore speak to about Ecology Action and all things biointensive.   He has been farming and working with Ecology Action for a long time and is also the Vice President of the Ecology Action Board.  He was able to give us reasons on why biointensive is good: designed to develop organic matter, for diet based on water efficiency, for better water infiltration using deep soil preparation (x4 water stored in ground), for multicropping.

The fact that Namibia gets about 25+ inches of rain annually was brought up, but we have options.  We can educate, and find people to take on the project in Namibia.  There are many roles that go into the project, so even if some of us can’t be trained as an educator there will still be things to do.

After, we took a tentative vote, and it was vastly shown throughout our class that this would be our focus in Namibia. What do we do now as a class? We will work to make the end of this semester a fun but productive discussion on how we go about the next two years and beyond!!!

Peace, Love, Periclean

Maria & Devon

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Gay and Transgender Rights in Namibia

Yesterday, during class, I was speaking to Carol about the video, How Namibia’s Leader Turned into it’s oppressor, and just the shock that I was in because of it.  Of course I have heard of the homophobic views and even laws in African countries but for some reason, when I found out that a lot of Namibians in government had homophobic views, I was disappointed.  I didn’t mean to be disappointed, I just thought that things may be different for a country that fought so long for their freedom. What shocked me the most was the blatancy of the president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma’s, hatred for homosexuals in his speeches. One thing that did intrigue my attention is that, in 2001, during the most oppressive times for those who considered themselves homosexuals, Namibia had their first gay pride parade. And nobody was arrested or injured which made this parade even more of a success! It took one person to speak out on the hate speeches for an army of supporters to come out and march along with them. Now, in 2014, there is still tension when talking about gay rights in Namibia.

Often times politics try and put gay rights in the same umbrella as transgender right. An article in the The Namibian titled, Transgender individuals struggle to access health facilities, discusses the trials and tribulations citizens who identify as transgender endure on a consistent basis. The author noted that, “Transgender people are not well received in the public health sector. There is still a lot of prejudice going on,” says Eiseb, who was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 30” (Tjihenuna). In addition, identification as transgender or gay is very much so frowned upon in Namibia. There are no laws to protect the rights of gays, lesbians, and transgender people. Not only do these individuals experience maltreatment they also are actively destructed by the Namibian government. The author stated, “Director of Rights not Rescue, Nicodemus Aochamub, who has been very vocal about the rights of the transgender community in Namibia says that Lesbian, Gay Bi-sexual and Transsexual (LGBT) people will continue to be persecuted in Namibia, unless the anti-homosexuality laws are revisited” (Tjihununa). Both LGBT and transgender rights are important sects of modern day societies which makes it even more important for political figures and citizens to respect. Now, reflecting on this, I ask the question, what can we, as Periclean Scholars, do to help this situation from escalating? Gay and transgender rights must be discussed. That is why Devon and I chose to bring up this topic to get everyone who is reading this thinking about it.

                                             Works Cited

Tjihenuna, Theresia T. “Transgender Individuals Struggle to Access Health Facilities.” The Namibian. CEIT Development Namibia, 11 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.

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CLASS OF 2017: NAMIBIA

Hello everyone! My name is Maria Idalia Gant. I’m from New Haven, Connecticut. I am an International Studies and Political Science double major with a minor in Asian Studies. Fingers crossed, by the time I graduate, they will have a Mandarin (Chinese) minor. At Elon, I am a member of the Asian Studies Club, which is a fairly new club. I hold the title of Publicity Chair to make sure that everyone is aware of our meetings and the events we hold on campus. I also have a job in Student Life as a Customer Service Representative under Dr. Jackson!

I first heard of the Periclean Scholars Program through my Global teacher, Dr. Carpenter, last year. He spoke very highly of the program and thought that I should apply. After learning more about the program I knew it was something that I would put my all into. I have always felt the need and want to help others; not only where I live but internationally as well (Hence my major J). I am very passionate in helping others, but also learning about different cultures.

 

I hope to learn all I can about Namibia. At the moment, I do not know much about the country but I am eager to learn with my peers! We have been told that being a Periclean Scholar is a lot of hard work, but I believe at the end, it will all be worth it. Africa, itself as a continent, has so many different people and cultures’. I am very excited to learn specifically about Namibia’s. During these next three years, I am confident that the Periclean Scholar’s Class of 2017 will accomplish the goals we will soon set for ourselves. We will grow as a group, sharing our thoughts and ideas with one another, and bond over this country we, at first, knew nothing about. I know we, as a unit, will make a difference!

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