Events - Legal Assistance Centre-Namibia

Join the Discussion: Water As a Human Right

18h30, Monday, 13 October 2008
Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, 118 Robert Mugabe Ave
Speakers: Norman Tjombe, director of the Legal Assistance Centre,
Viviane Kinyaga, water desk coordinator, Desert Research Foundation,
Ana Matros-?,

ACCORDING to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, 98 per cent of urban residents have access to clean drinking water in Namibia. Equally, 90 per cent of rural residents have access to clean water or have a water access point within one and a half kilometres from their home.

However, what’s not clear is how many people can afford to access clean water.

In recent months, local newspapers reported that some pensioners were being evicted from their homes because they could not repay their municipal bills, including their water fees.

At a local chapter of the Shack Dwellers Association, members report that monthly water fees can be a major financial obstacle each month.

“At times, you get paid N$600 a month from your job,” says Mara Hukununa. “We suffer.”
Is it time for Namibia to provide free access to water to all citizens?

In a 2004 Labour Resource and Research Institute report, unemployment levels and low income wages were cited as reasons people could not afford to pay for prepaid water meter cards.

Shouldn’t this essential ingredient to life be free to all, regardless of economic status?

Declaring water as a human right is a growing movement around the world.

Learn more about this issue during a human rights discussion about water as a human right on Monday, October 13.

For more information please call Mark Nonkes at the Legal Assistance Centre at 061-22-3356.

*This event is part of a human-rights discussion series in celebration of the Legal Assistance Centre’s 20th anniversary.

Further anniversary activities include:

Discussion: Mr. & Mrs. Gender Equality
6 Nov. 2008, 18h00 to 20h00
Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue

What does it mean to be in an equal relationship? Does the concept 'the man is always the head of the household' still exist, and if it does, what does it entail?

In the debate led by the Gender Research and Advocacy Project, three couples will present their argument on why they should receive the title of 'Mr and Mrs Gender Equality' by telling the audience what gender equality means in their relationship. Using this competition as a basis, with the winning couple being crowned Mr and Mrs Gender Equality, the discussion will be opened to everyone present to explore, what it gender equality in relationships really means on a practical level.

Discussion: Mining and the Environment
2 December. 2008, 18h00 to 20h00
Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre, 118 Robert Mugabe Avenue

And does Namibia have the necessary laws, rules/regulations and guidelines in place to ensure that precious and non-renewable resources of this country are exploited for the benefit of all her citizenry and itself? Join a panel of environmental experts as they explore the current flurry of activity in the mining sector of our economy.

Namibia and its great resource of Uranium come into play. The proliferation of under-regulated mining activities in Namibia can have devastating and irreversible effects on our environment. However, many argue that the increase in mines bodes well for the economy of the country and that it will bring in much needed capital and employment for the citizens of Namibia.

This discussion poses the following questions:

What are the opportunity costs that Namibian nation is willing to pay in terms of environmental degradation that invariably comes along with mining versus its economic gains.
Are such gains sustainable?
Does Namibia need to strengthen its environmental legislation?

The LAC is planning to celebrate its anniversary through a Cocktail Party, a Fun Day for Orphans & Vulnerable Children and a National Secondary School Essay Competition on Human Rights. More details on these events will follow in the weeks to come.

Read about the past events.
Discussion: Should people who want to enlist in the Namibian Defence Force and other uniformed undergo mandatory HIV testing? Read the report