Culture Digitally Documented - by Jonathan Sam
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WINDHOEK - The Polytechnic of Namibia and the Utah Valley University (US) recently signed an agreement in terms of which the Digital Namibian Archive (DNA) was established in Windhoek.
The DNA is an innovative project, which will develop a rich digital resource that reflects the diversity of voices and cultural stories of Namibian people.
The two institutions, in conjunction with the Namibian National Archives, will digitise images, documents and voices of the Namibian people.
The digital archive will make a rich resource accessible on the Internet that reflects the diversity of voices and cultural stories of the Namibian people to individuals throughout the country, the United States and the world.
During the signing ceremony, Rector of the Polytechnic Dr Tjama Tjivikua said the project was one of the most important development projects.
According to him, widespread access to information, especially through the media, has always been associated with human development and democracies across the globe because education enhances public participation.
"The DNA project is extremely important when one considers that Namibia, like many countries in the region and the continent as a whole, still subscribes to the oral tradition with respect to culture and history," Dr Tjivikua said.
He said although storytelling was one of the common ways of preserving the values and ethos of Namibia's culture, this was a diminishing fact in the society and it was therefore imperative that African societies rethought their position on their heritage and history.
"There is nothing like the DNA Project in Namibia, not even in Southern Africa. Namibia's cultural heritage needs to be protected and, therefore, stored in a manner that would facilitate easy access and retrieval of such information.
"We would be failing in our duty if we do not create or support such an essential resource. We should also think about the future of this project so that one day students, researchers or just ordinary people can walk into our library, step into the DNA heritage centre and gain access to a digital historic record," the Rector said.
He said it was envisaged that the centre would eventually house digitised photographic images, documents, oral histories and folklore of Namibia
Dr Loretta Palmer, Vice President: Academic Affairs of the Utah Valley University, said at the same ceremony that student researchers from both institutions had come together to share their skills and knowledge to solve a problem identified by the Polytechnic as important to Namibian national interests.
"The product of the DNA will not leave when the Utah Valley University team leaves. Namibian students are producing this research. The digitised images, documents and voices will remain here in Namibia. The DNA Project will serve as a portal for the world to understand Namibia's story," she said.
According to her, it was easy to identify issues, challenges and problems that affect multi-cultural groups, but it was more fulfilling to watch as people work together to take those same issues and participate jointly in a shared outcome that benefits all.
"The true work of this project is in the lives of the Polytechnic and Utah Valley University students, who are changed by working, exploring and solving the issues that such shared experience and research bring," she concluded.
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The DNA is an innovative project, which will develop a rich digital resource that reflects the diversity of voices and cultural stories of Namibian people.
The two institutions, in conjunction with the Namibian National Archives, will digitise images, documents and voices of the Namibian people.
The digital archive will make a rich resource accessible on the Internet that reflects the diversity of voices and cultural stories of the Namibian people to individuals throughout the country, the United States and the world.
During the signing ceremony, Rector of the Polytechnic Dr Tjama Tjivikua said the project was one of the most important development projects.
According to him, widespread access to information, especially through the media, has always been associated with human development and democracies across the globe because education enhances public participation.
"The DNA project is extremely important when one considers that Namibia, like many countries in the region and the continent as a whole, still subscribes to the oral tradition with respect to culture and history," Dr Tjivikua said.
He said although storytelling was one of the common ways of preserving the values and ethos of Namibia's culture, this was a diminishing fact in the society and it was therefore imperative that African societies rethought their position on their heritage and history.
"There is nothing like the DNA Project in Namibia, not even in Southern Africa. Namibia's cultural heritage needs to be protected and, therefore, stored in a manner that would facilitate easy access and retrieval of such information.
"We would be failing in our duty if we do not create or support such an essential resource. We should also think about the future of this project so that one day students, researchers or just ordinary people can walk into our library, step into the DNA heritage centre and gain access to a digital historic record," the Rector said.
He said it was envisaged that the centre would eventually house digitised photographic images, documents, oral histories and folklore of Namibia
Dr Loretta Palmer, Vice President: Academic Affairs of the Utah Valley University, said at the same ceremony that student researchers from both institutions had come together to share their skills and knowledge to solve a problem identified by the Polytechnic as important to Namibian national interests.
"The product of the DNA will not leave when the Utah Valley University team leaves. Namibian students are producing this research. The digitised images, documents and voices will remain here in Namibia. The DNA Project will serve as a portal for the world to understand Namibia's story," she said.
According to her, it was easy to identify issues, challenges and problems that affect multi-cultural groups, but it was more fulfilling to watch as people work together to take those same issues and participate jointly in a shared outcome that benefits all.
"The true work of this project is in the lives of the Polytechnic and Utah Valley University students, who are changed by working, exploring and solving the issues that such shared experience and research bring," she concluded.
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