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Psalm 126When the day comes on which our victory

will shine like a torch in the night,it will be like a dream.

We will laugh and sing for joy.Then the other nations will say about us,

"The Lord did great things for them ."Indeed, he is doing great things for us;that is why we are happy in our suffering.

Lord, break the chains of humiliation and death.just as on that glorious morningwhen you were raised.

Let those who weep as they sow the seedsof justice and freedom,

gather the harvest of peace and reconciliation.

Those who weep as they go out as instrumentsof your lovewill come back singing with joy,as they will witness the disappearance of hate

and the manifestation of your love in your world.Paraphrased by Rev. Zephania Kameeta, Deputy Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in SWA/Namibia

NAMIBIAN INDEPENDENCE:DREAM OR REALITYWith the announcement on November 22, 1988, thatSouth Africa had accepted the Geneva plan for thewithdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola and the im-plementation of UNSC Resolution 435, hope was againraieea that independence for Namibia will become areality in 1989.

We rejoice in that hope! We are thankful for anymovement toward freedom for Namibia . At the sametime, we must sound a note of caution to those whowould believe that the struggle is over. Namibianscontinue to be skeptical . They have heard SouthAfrican promises of independence before, as longago as 1978, and 1980, in 1984, and 1987.

Continued on page 3

Kairos Committee Poster

This Issue:• Children of Namibia

Tell Horrors of War• Fall Conference Report• Detainee Action Alert

• Network News

• CCN Elections

EDITORIAL

NAZISM IN NAMIBIAExactly fifty years ago, on the night of November 9,1938, uniformed Nazis moved through German cities,burning synagogues, vandalizing Jewish homes andshops, assaulting and killing Jews. The night came tobe called "Kristallnacht," the night of broken glass.Scores of people died that night; twenty thousandwere sent to concentration camps.

That night, Kristallnacht, is held to be the moment afterwhich no one in Germany could claim ignorance ofthe persecution of the Jews . Indeed, Kristallnachtshould have roused the whole world to the realities ofNazism. But the German people, and the rest of theworld turned their eyes away.

And we know what followed: death camps likeTreblinka, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Auchwitz, andDachau. Millions of people died - gypsies, retardedand handicapped, gay persons, and most of all,Jewish people.

After the war, the question was asked, "How could thishappen? Why didn't people put a stop to it?" And theanswer that was given was, "We didn't know . Wedidn't see what was happening ."

Now, fifty years later, we know of massacres at Kass-inga, at Uitenhenge, at Sharpeville and at 0shakati.We hear of children being detained, tortured, killed.We see pictures of the new swastika on shoulderpatches and posters advertising the AWB (neo-Nazis)in Namibia and South Africa . Uniformed troops drivetheir casspirs through the homesteads and shops ofnorthern Namibia, leaving behind not just brokenglass, but broken bodies.

From church leaders in Namibia we hear warnings of"genocide ." The connection with Kristallnacht seemsclear. The ideology is the same.

Will we also turn our eyes away? Will we also remainsilent? Will we, too, pretend that "we didn't know"?

Advent, Christmas, the New Year - seasons that speakof promise and hope and new beginnings . May God

grant that we find the courage and commitment tojoin the struggle for justice in southern Africa.

" If murders, atrocities, and brutal repression in-flicted on the people of northern Namibia con-tinues at its present rate, the results coulddrastically reduce that population in a processequivalent to genocide ."

Dr. Soloma Amandhila, 0shakati Hospital

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Speaking at a UN conference in Toronto

Solveig Kjeseth, NNC Director, thanks Dr . Bernt Carlsson forthe support of the U.N. Council for Namibia which providedfunding for this Newsletter as well as for the fall conferences.

ARSON ATTACK FAILS TOSTOP THE NAMIBIANIn the early hours of October 11, 1988, arsonists struckthe offices of the Namibian newspaper, destroyingcomputers, telex machines and other equipment . Fur-ther damage was caused by a heavy layer of soot,since the fire smouldered for several hours before itwas discovered.

An anonymous caller claimed that a group called the"White Wolves" was responsible and threatenedEditor Gwen Lister that "they will hit again ."

Attacks of this kind are nothing new to the Namibian.This is the second arson attack in three years, andbullets fired on several occasions have shattered thebomb-proof windows of the front office.

Despite the damage, staff of the Namibian converteda gutted corner of the newsroom into workspace, andhas continued to meet their printing deadlines . "Peo-ple might as well realize that it is going to take a lotmore than burning down our offices to prevent usfrom getting a newspaper into the streets, said Lister,who recently received an International Award for Ex-cellence in Third World Journalism.

NAMIBIA NEWSLETTER is published quarterly by NationalNamibia Concerns (NNC),

015 East 9th AvenueDenver, Colorado 80218

(303) 830-2774with funding from the United Nations Council for Namibia.

National Namibia Concerns is an education/advocacynetwork working with the Namibian churches for a justindependence for the people of Namibia.

Executjve Director :

Solveig Kjeseth, Denver, COproject Director:

Susan Burchfield, Denver, COMidwest Coordinator :

Ilah Weiblen, Dubuque, IANNC Board President :

Barbara Fullerton, Columbus, OH

Continued from front page

Roman Catholic Bishop Bontifatius Haushiku hasstated: "Namibians have been longing for peace forso many years that when it finally comes there will begreat rejoicing . But it is not yet time for celebration.Hope, yes, but not rejoicing."

Does South Africa's willingness to sign this peaceaccord indicate a change of heart? No, say mostanalysts, it is rather a recognition of hard economicrealities, and part of a public relations effort to im-prove South Africa's image abroad.

Sanctions, an international debt amounting to $22billion dollars, threatened cutoffs of foreign loans, andcertainly the heavy cost of waging war in Namibiaand Angola have forced South Africa to thenegotiating table.

"Even if South Africa allows theNamibian peace plan to proceed,there are many pitfalls on the road tofreedom."

—John Evenson

Within South Africa, President Botha is feeling pressureboth from the moderates and from the far right.Parents don't want their 18 year olds to be drafted forthe war in Angola . Pressure that there be no moredeaths among "the boys on the border" has beengrowing for some time. Militarily, the tide had turnedagainst South Africa in the early months of 1988; theywere experiencing increasing losses among whitesoldiers . (The deaths of black members of the SouthAfrican Defence Forces are not even reported, butwhite deaths are unacceptable .)

And so South Africa appears to be agreeing toimplementation of United Nations Security CouncilResolution 435, insisting however on the illegitimatelinking of free elections in Namibia with the withdrawalof Cuban troops from Angola.

"Even if South Africa allows the Namibian peace planto proceed, there are many pitfalls on the road tofreedom" according to Pastor John Evenson of theNamibia Communications Centre in London . Indeed,Resolution 435 is a "watered down" version of anearlier Resolution (385) and represents compromise inseveral crucial areas.

For example, Resolution 385 called for the withdrawalof South Africa prior to the elections . The UnitedNations was to administer the country and organizethe elections. Resolution 435 allows South Africa to re-main in the country during the elections . In fact, theSouth African Administrator General will run the elec-tion, count the votes, and rule on irregularities with theUN role being only supervisory .

Another example : Resolution 385 had spoken of the"territorial integrity and unity of Namibia," and made itclear that in the harbour of Walvis Bay was part of thatterritory . (In 1977, South Africa "annexed" Walvis Bay,even though it lies hundreds of miles from their border,on the grounds that it had once been a British posses-sion.

Resolution 435 did not mention Walvis Bay, apparentlyleaving Namibia's only port in the hands of SouthAfrica, and permitting South Africa's huge militarybase at Walvis to remain as a permanent threat to thesecurity of a free Namibia.

A final example: According to Resolution 435, SouthAfrican soldiers are to be confined to base, or re-turned to South Africa during the election process . ButSouth Africa has created a paramilitary force, knownas Koevoet, which they have classified as "police,"although its terrorist activities against civilians havemade it feared throughout the country.

Unless this force of 3000 black Namibians, officeredby white South Africans, is confined to base ordismantled, it will continue to intimidate and terrorize."Free and fair elections" will be impossible as long asKoevoet thugs are allowed to move freely in Namibia.(In an alarming development, the U .S. State Depart-ment appears to be accepting Koevoet as a part ofthe "police force" that will be operative during theelection process!!)

According to Dr . Elizabeth Landis, New York-based in-ternational lawyer, these and other factors need tobe addressed as the implementation of 435 begins.

Again, we are thankful for the progress of the peacetalks. But we must monitor the implementation ofUNSCR 435 carefully. An unrepentant South Africa iscertain to take advantage of the many flaws in thisblueprint for independence.

SHEJAVALI RE-ELECTEDCCN GENERAL SECRETARYMeeting in the north of Namibia, in the heart of thewar zone, only a few yards from the mass grave of thevictims of the 0shakati bombing, the Council of Chur-ches in Namibia reaffirmed its intent to address theeducational, social, and theological issues in their oc-cupied country.

Bishop Hendrik Frederik, of the Evangelical LutheranChurch in SWA/Namibia, was elected president of thecouncil, while Dr. Abisai Shejavali was re-electedGeneral Secretary. Elected as vice-presidents wereSister Irmgart, OSB, a Roman Catholic teaching sister,and Rev. Matti Amadhila, of the ELC in Namibia . Alsoserving on the executive committee are leaders ofthe Anglican, African Methodist Episcopal, Methodistand Congregational churches.

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CHILDREN OF NAMIBIATELL OF HORRORS OF WAR"They are always hunting us down like hungry wolvestracking lost sheep . These soldiers, whether drunk orsober, come into our school from their bases to beat,detain, harass and torture schoolboys because theydo not want to join (the South African army) . Somecome as bogus SWAPO fighters to rape girls and forcethem to leave the school to be prostitutes ."

Sixteen-year-old Erastus Haitengela was speaking atthe October 29 London conference on the plight ofchildren in the Namibian war. He and other teenagers,the latest wave of refugees to flee Namibia, providedgraphic evidence of how the young are in the front-line of South Africa's war of oppression.

Only a few months ago, Erastus and other boy and girlwitnesses at the conference were pupils in Namibia.Then three schools in the northern war zone went onstrike in protest against the intimidating presence ofSouth African defence force bases close by. Dozensof schools across the colony closed in sympathy . Thebrutal reaction of the authorities forced many childrento cross the border into Angola.

Erastus lived in Ondangwa near several South Africanbases. "I have lost two close friends who were cold-bloodedly killed ." One, aged 19, was stabbed by apoliceman from the Koevoet counter-insurgency unit,the other run over by a Casspir armoured personnelvehicle.

Then, on 8 July, 1988, while walking along the roadbehind three boys from the Oluno primary school,"there was a loud bang and a lot of smoke whichmade us fall down . When the smoke began to clear Isaw one of the boys with blood flowing from his openmouth and his intestines protruding out . The otherboy's legs were completely torn off ." Two ten-year-olds died on the spot, while the third, aged nine, wasseriously injured.

The road ran through two military bases, and one ofthe boys had stepped on a live shell from the nearbyfiring range. "The sight of the victims," says Erastus,"was so sickening that I could not eat that day and Iwas afraid to go to school using the same dangerousroad. But we had no choice and had to continue usingthis mine field ."

A school girl of 17, Ipawa Jacquiline Haipinge,described how one of her best friends was shot in thestomach and left to die after refusing the sexual ad-vances of a Koevoet group. On another occasion,Ipawa's dormitory at Ongwediva High School wasraided by "makakunyas" (literally "scavengers,"blacks fighting for South Africa) . They locked the doorsbut the unwelcome visitors caught and raped a girl

4

coming out of the toilet . "She was screaming for help,but we were afraid . The makakunyas then left to raidother hostels, where other girls were caught andeither severely beaten or raped ."

Like others who testified, the experience of beingbeaten up by Koevoet or soldiers was a major factorin the decision to leave Namibia . Aune Shilongo, aged15 when she fled Oshigambo Lutheran High School inJune, explained, "We youngsters are the main victimsbecause the South African troops believe we aremore radical than our parents and are potential guer-rilla recruits, so we suffer more from this terror cam-paign." As if in a self fulfilling wish of the South Africans,many youth have fled and joined the liberation strug-gle. Ipawa is now in Angola with SWAPO, "so that I canfight for the liberation of my country ."

Namibia Communications Centre, London

Police special task force unit stands guard outside KatuturaSchool during boycotts - Quirt (rubber whip) and rubber bulletgun in hand.

Photo by John Liebenberg

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Justice In My Tearsby Tshenuwani FarisaniAfrica World Press, 1988(Available from NNC for

$8.00 postpaid)

Justice inMy Tears

T.S. Farisani

Many of you have heard South African Lutheranpastor Tshenuwani Farisani speak during his recent so-journ in the United States following his 86-87 detentionand torture in South Africa . Rev. Farisani has also toldhis story through the 1987 book Diary From A SouthAfrican Prison. Now just published is Farisani's first bookof poetry, Justice In My Tears.

Ralston Deffenbaugh, Director of the Lutheran Officefor World Community, writes: "God has grantedTshenuwani Farisani a remarkable insight, an eloquentvoice, strong courage, an earthy humanity, a goodsense of humor, an unshakable commitment tojustice, and a deeply rooted faith . All of these traitscome through in these poems . The Reverend Farisanihas challenged and suffered under apartheid. He haswrestled with God, but never lost hope . These poemsopen a window into the heart of one of South Africa'sleading churchmen and opponents of apartheid ."

Children On The Front LineA Report From Unicef, 1988(Available from NNC for

$5.00 postpaid)

Children On The Front Line addresses the impact ofapartheid, destabilization and warfare on children insouthern and South Africa.

Apartheid within South Africa has been almost univer-sally condemned. However, the extent to which SouthAfrican apartheid, economic destabilization andmilitary incursions and involvements into its neighbor-ing states have seriously affected the lives, health andwelfare of children in the other countries of southernAfrica has been hardly reported upon.

Children On The Front Line reports on the effects ofSouth Africa's war against southern Africa in the livesof its children through description, case studies, mapsand graphs . The booklet also contains proposals iden-tifying some of the actions which are urgently need-ed. It is an excellent resource .

Although Children On The Front Line is not specificwith respect to Namibia, it details the picture ofdestabilization which South Africa will also attempt toperpetrate against Namibia after its independence.Strategizing for the time after Namibia's in-dependence and the welfare of its children needs tobegin now with careful studies such as this.

Theology and Violence,The South African DebateEdited by Charles Villa-VicencioSkotaville/Eerdmans, 1987/1988

The essays in this volume contribute to a quest forresponsible Christianity in a violent society . Those of usinterested in advocacy on behalf of the oppressedmajorities of Namibia and South Africa will want topay particular attention to the main affirmationswhich run through the essays.

1. The "social location" of the church more than itsbiblical faithfulness or its theological tradition ex-plains why a particular church body will condemnrevolutionary violence, and, in the same moment,wink at the more lethal structural violence or statetyranny which inevitably produces revolutionaryviolence.

2. South Africa is in a state of war, not, as the govern-ment claims, against outside enemies, but againstits own people . In this situation, any reflection on thebasis of the just war theory will locate justice on theside of the uprising in the townships.

3. The South African government has lost anylegitimacy it might have had and insures the spiralof violence by its practice of state tyranny . It is notreformable and must be replaced . As FrankChikane argues in the final essay of the book,"Beyond Debate," the majority population, par-ticularly in the townships, has been engulfed in lifeand death violence for years . Any violence/non-violence debate is beside the point for them, a lux-ury that only others can afford . For them the point isbrutally clear . The government which oppressesand kills them is illegitimate . It must be replaced bya legitimate government-by whatever meanspossible .

Peter Kjeseth

CHILDRENON/THEFRONTSINE

Y w .Mn .rf.e AMn

l~l

THEOLOGYWIOLENCEThe South African Debate

Edited by Charles Villa-Vicencio

5

FALL CONFERENCE

"We know for certain that freedom will come . Thewinds of change are on our side. The currents ofpeace are reaching the banks of freedom . We do notdespair!" said Pastor Shekutaamba Nambala in theopening address at the Namibia Conference inDubuque, Iowa, November 11-12th.

Nearly two hundred persons, including thirtyNamibians, met under the theme : NamibianIndependence - A Torch in the Night . For two daysthey listened to Namibians tell their story, and learnedfrom U .S. activists how to relate what they were hear-ing to advocacy work in this country.

2

3

1 Dr. Peter Katjavivi, in exile since 1962 and cur-rently with the Southern Africa Research Pro-gram at Yale, reviewed the long history ofresistance on the part of the Namibian people.

2 A panel of experts, Ralston Deffenbaugh of theLutheran Office on World Community,Diescho, Katjavivi, Cherniaysky and Johnston,responded to questions on the topic,"Implementation of 435 : How close are we?"

3

Nambala,

a

graduate

student

at

Luther 6Northwestern Seminary explained the crucial 5 Frederika (Babsy) Uahengo, student at Augsburg College, led arole of the church in the Namibian quest for discussion of the role of women in the struggle.

independence .6 Speaking on behalf of the U.N. Commissioner for Namibia was

4 Adam Murangi, Namibian student at Gustavus AdolphusCollege, and William Johnston, of Episcopal Churchpeople fora Free South Africa (ECSA) discussed prospects for theimplementation of Resolution 435.

6

Dr. Sergei Cherniayski, who stated that Namibia'sindependence is twenty-two years overdue . The "continuedoccupation of Namibia by a minority regime in South Africa isan affront to the whole world community ."

PHOTO ALBUM

Participants in the PortlandConference (November 18 and 19)were honored by the presence of Dr.Bernt Carlsson, United NationsCommissioner for Namibia . Carlssonpointed out that among the issuesthat still need to be addressed is SouthAfrica's claim that it is owed millions ofdollars for costs incurred in"administrating" the colony.

"It is unacceptable," said Carlsson,"that after depletion of the country'sresources, a heavy debt burdenshould be thrown at the people ofNamibia. Whatever demands aremade by South Africa on the questionof debt are unjustified to both theinternational community and to theNamibian people ." A country that hasbeen illegally occupied should nothave to pay for its own suffering.

Pastor Susan Burchfield ended theopening worship in Portland with aservice of freedom songs and scrip-ture readings and candlelight . Herclosing litany:

"The lighted candles before us,midst the darkness of the night

speak eloquently ofNamibia's hope for freedom,

a hope that will not be extinguished. .

The candles cry out with our voices forthe dark and evil oppression in

Namibia to be endedand be replaced by the bright light of

God's justice.

May it be so."

7 Dr. Joseph Diescho, Namibian author studying at ColumbiaUniversity, referred to more than a century of occupation andspoke of the "painful odyssey of the Namibian people whosehistory for a hundred years has been written in blood andtears ."

8 Conference participants enjoyed informal conversation overlunch with Namibians, such as PLU student Louisa Mupetami .

9 Mike Foss, member of the Portland planning committee visitedwith U.N . guests, Francois Bungaroo and Bernt Carlsson.

10 Longtime Namibia advocate, Pastor Edward May led aworkshop on U.S. policy toward Namibia.

11 Namibian student, Kuuva Kongeli from Pacific LutheranUniversity, listened intently to conference proceedings .

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ACTION ALERT

POLITICAL DETAINEES IN NAMIBIAMany people in Namibia are detained (held in prison) for political reasons -often without charge or access to lawyer, family or pastor - and oftentortured. Here's what you can do:

1. Pray for them.

Pray for the detainees (prisoners) and their families - for release, for courageand for hope. Include them by name in your congregation's prayers eachSunday.

2. Write letters/organize a letter writing campaign in your parish ororganization.

A. Write letters of support to the detainees and to their families to letthem know of your concern, prayerful support and action.

Send the letters to: Council of Churches in NamibiaP.O. Box 41Windhoek 9000NAMIBIA

The Council of Churches will deliver your letters.

Letters to detainees can literally save someone's life . Even if they are intercepted and never reach thedetainee, the S.A. government will know that there are many of us concerned and watching out for thedetainee's well being . Letters put pressure on the government, and are a source of hope and couragefor the detainees and their families.

B. Write letters to South African authorities, asking for the release by name of detainees:

President P .W. Botha Mr. Pietr Koornhof Mr. Louis PinaarUnion Building Embassy of South Africa Administrator GeneralPretoria 0001 3051 Massachusetts Ave . N .W . P/B 13278South Africa Washington, D.C. 20008 Windhoek 9000

(202) 232-4400 NAMIBIA264/61/36630

C. Write letters to the U .S. government asking them to persist in requesting the release of politicaldetainees.

The Honorable George Shultz Senator RepresentativeSecretary of State U .S . Senate U .S . House of RepresentativesDepartment of State Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515Washington, D.C. 20520 202/224-3121 202/224-3121202/634-3600

For current lists of political detainees, write to : National Namibia Concerns . Please duplicate thisAction Alert for distribution.

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JASON ANGULAFIRST ANNIVERSARY OF DETENTIONOn October 7 of 1988 Jason Angula, 33 year-old staffmember of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CON)completed his first year in prison, in solitary confine-ment and without any prospect of being charged orreleased. Mr. Angula is being held under Section 6 ofthe Terrorism Act, which allows for imprisonmentwithout limit . Access to lawyer, family or pastor is for-bidden.

Amnesty International has called for Mr . Angula'srelease as a political prisoner . Mr. Angula is alsosecretary for labour in the internal organization of theSWAPO liberation movement.

The lot of Jason Angula, a Lutheran with a school leav-ing senior certificate, is not unusual for an educated-man with a social conscience in the dying days of col-onial rule. Completing his studies at the Martin LutherHigh School, he had the choice of further education.Dan Tjongarero, director of communications at theCCN, said that his colleague "had all the chances ofgetting into academic study but I think he, like somany others, felt that education will come later . As faras he is concerned, he would rather work for the uplift-ment of his people . So that at the age when otherstudents were going to university he opted tobecome a labourer himself."

While working as a factory worker, Mr . Angulabecame involved in political and union work . In August1985, Mr. Angula became personal assistant to theCCN general secretary, Dr . Abisai Shejavali . Thegeneral secretary has written to Louis Pienaar, SouthAfrica's colonial governor, asking for reasons for thedetention and demanding that he "be brought tocourt ."

December 17, 1988, Mr . Joseph Dumeni, employee ofthe Lutheran Church at Engela Hospital, will also com-plete his first year as a political detainee in Namibia.

Namibia Communications Centre

We suggest you also write regardingdetainees and implementation of UNSCR 435to President Elect George Bush and Secretaryof State Designate James Baker. During thistransition time, many policy decisions arebeing made. Write to Bush or Baker at theTransition Team address:

President Elect George Bushor

Secretary of State Designate James Baker733 15 Street N .W., Suite 800

Washington, D.C. 20005

Jason AngulaPhoto courtesy of Namibia Communications Centre

NEWS BULLETIN: After 14 months in solitary confine-ment, Mr. Jason Angula, staff member of the Councilof Churches in Namibia and secretary of labor forSWAPO, was released from custody on December 5,1988. Angula had been kept in an isolated 4 by 8 footmetal hut for the entire detention . He was not allowedto see anyone except his guards and interrogators.

"The conditions were bad . In winter I thought I was go-ing to die . I felt the freezing cold in my feet coming upin my body, and was surprised the next morning to findthat I had survived ." In the summer, Angula sufferedfrom intense heat in the cramped quarters. "They didnot even allow me exercise, just kept me there like ananimal ."

Initial reports are that Angula suffers from weight lossand severe recurring headaches.

We rejoice that he is free!

PARTIAL LISTING OF PERSONS INDETENTION FOR POLITICAL REASONSIN NAMIBIA

Mr. Matteus MudjanimaMr. Mwahafa MukaweMr. Sadrath MupaandiMr. Shipandeni MupoloMr. Johannes NekongaMr. Elifas NghalaMr. Henry NghedeMr. Paulas NghipunyaMr. Simon NghipunyaMr. Petrus PaulusMr. Silvanus PetrusMr. Titus ShalimbaMr. Daniel David ShannikaMr. Jesaya SheefeniMr. Paulus ShiluleMr. Armas ShinanaMr. Sheeetekela ShiningeniMr. Salomo Uusiku

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Mr. Jason AngulaMr. Titus AenemaMs. Aina AmunyelaMr. Pendukeni AmenyelaMr. Joseph DumeniMr. Haitwa FikameniMr. Ndilimeke HaluleniMr. Aaron HaulofuMr. Erasmus HenjabaMr. Joseph HendriksMr. Deon HiskiaMr. Nason lilekaMr. Silas liyamboMr. Simeon liyamboMr. Gideon KamhuluMr. Hilja KaulumaMr. Johannes KomeyaMr. Ella Lucas

N E T W O R KPACIFIC LUTHERAN STUDENTSRAISE NAMIBIAN ISSUEDuring the week of October 24-28, the Southern AfricaAwareness Committee of Pacific Lutheran Universityhosted an "awareness day" as part of "Peace withJustice Week." A shanty town was built in PLU's RedSquare, where t-shirts, buttons, earrings and postersfrom SWAPO, ANC, and National Namibia Concernswere sold. The committee at PLU has increased totwenty members, four of which are Namibianstudents, who led a student forum on "awarenessday." Videos from NNC were shown throughout theday, along with the movie "Cry Freedom ."

SHELL BOYCOTT SPREADSThe National Council ofChurches (NCC) hasunanimously endorsed theinternational Shell BoycottCampaign, a boycott whichis already supported by anumber of its memberdenominations, includingthe United Church of Christ,the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church,and the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Shell International has been targeted because of itsflagrant violation of the oil embargo against SouthAfrica.

The NNC has launched a pledge campaign as oneway for individuals to take action in the effort to puteconomic pressure on South Africa . "Boycott Shell"pledge brochures are available from : The NationalCouncil of Churches, Africa Office, 475 Riverside Drive,Room 612, New York, NY 10115.

HONOR ROLL OF CONGREGATIONSESTABLISHEDThe Task Force on Southern Africa of the ChurchCouncil of Greater Seattle has thought of a novel wayto encourage congregations to divest : In a mailingto a thousand congregations the Task Force has an-nounced an "Honor Roll" of all churches andsynagogues which have divested from banks or com-panies doing business in or with South Africa orNamibia . The names of qualifying congregations willbe printed in the newspaper of the Council .

To assist congregations, the Task Force sent out the"Guidelines for Divestment" prepared by the InterfaithCenter on Corporate Responsibility, as well as a listingof banks in the Seattle area with a statement of theirpolicies toward South Africa.

For further information on this project, contact the RevClarence Solberg, c/o Church Council of GreaterSeattle, 4759 Fifteenth Ave. N .E ., Seattle, WA 98105.

MUJORO VISIT IS A "COMING HOME"For Namibian pastor, Z . Kapi Mujoro, his recent trip tothis country was a reunion with former classmatesfrom Wartburg Seminary . Mujoro made several stops,in Chicago, Madison, Dubuque, Minneapolis, andWashington, D.C., meeting with Namibians and U .S.church leaders along the way.

Mujoro, currently serving as principal of PaulinumSeminary in Namibia, spoke strongly against the beliefthat the United States must support South Africa'spolicies in order to avoid Marxism in Namibia.Although Soviet bloc nations provide military supportfor SWAPO, Mujoro is clear that this does not meanthat Namibians who seek freedom from South Africaare aligned with communism. "The issue is justice andfreedom, and the right of people to decide whichform of government they want ."

Mujoro, pictured here with Dr. Bill and Ilah Weiblen ofWartburg Seminary and NNC, repeated the need fordivestment and sanctions. "Namibia will continue tobe occupied unless the world isolates South Africa.Sometimes I get the impression that many in the U .S.do not know how much their government policiesaffect the lives of people in Namibia.

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N E W SSANCTIONS CAN BE EFFECTIVESAYS STUDYSanctions against South Africa are possible, can in-deed be implemented, and will produce a politicaleffect, according to a study entitled "The EconomicImpact of Sanctions against South Africa.

The study, commissioned by the Evangelical Church inGermany, reports that the key to effective sanctions isheld by a small group of countries (the U .S ., Great Bri-tain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Franceand Switzerland) who together manage 90% ofSouth Africa's international economic and financialactivities.

Even the implementation of just one of the variousmeans of sanctions (non-renewal of loans, for exam-ple) would place Pretoria under great pressure ac-cording to this research.

BISHOP CHILSTROM IN NAMIBIAFor excellent reports from ELCA Bishop Chilstrom'sSeptember visit to Namibia, read the November 2,1988 issue of The Lutheran . Bishop Chilstrom's own verymoving article is entitled "Bells for Namibia's Peace ."

DID YOU KNOW:

* that half of the Namibian population died duringGerman occupation of Namibia, 1914 to 1984.

* that hangings in South Africa have reached unpre-cedented numbers in 1987 and 1988, with one exe-cution every 2 .2 days.

* South African supported terrorists in Mozambiqueand Angola killed 500,000 children between1980 and 1986, according to a UNICEF report . "Everyfour minutes a small Mozambican child was lost ."

PLEASE NOTE

National Namibia Concerns has a newmailing address:

National Namibia Concerns915 East 9th Avenue

Denver, Colorado 80218

Our phone number remains the same(303) 830-2774.

FEBRUARY CONFERENCE IN BERKELEYFLASH! A Conference on South Africa and Namibia willbe held at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary inBerkeley, California, February 23 - 25 . Guest speakersto include Beyers Naude, Nevhutale, representativesof SWAPO and the ANC . For information call PLTS- at415/524-5264.

UNITED NATIONSINSTITUTE FOR NAMIBIAPREPARES FOR THE FUTUREWith the "peace talks" again raising the possibility ofindependence for Namibia, questions are raisedabout the future: What will happen in a post-colonialNamibia to mining, agriculture and commerce, to theeducational system, health delivery structures, and tothe shape of government itself? How will a free,democratic, non-racial society in Namibia find andtrain the civil servants to manage the governmentalsystem?

Since its founding in 1976, the United Nations Institutefor Namibia (UNIN) in Lusaka, Zambia, has addresseditself to these issues, both through research and train-ing programs. The staff has produced a dozen clearlyreasoned studies which lay out options for "nation-building" in Namibia . Wide ranging and practical, thestudies critically evaluate the nation-building suc-cesses and failures of the last decades, and recom-mend alternative patterns best suited for the Nami-bian situation.

For example, a 1979 study, Constitutional Options forNamibia, weighs the alternatives that "the 435 pro-cess" will have to deal with : What type of govern-ment should be adopted? What powers will the ex-ecutive have? What kind of legislative arrangementmight be best?

The teaching role of the staff is to prepare civil ser-vants for the new Namibia, a cadre of young men andwomen who have developed administrative skills inspecific areas. For example, the magistrate programhas, in the last six years, trained 37 potentialmagistrates, under a five year course, the last twoyears of which involve practical experience in thecourts of Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

UNIN was initially established as a five year "crash pro-gram" to prepare the Namibian independence whichwas expected in the early 1980's . With a student bodyof five hundred UNIN is poised to serve-either in a freeNamibia or in its present location if the peace talksshould break down yet again .

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