President Hage Geingob displayed great leadership and commitment when he made a surprise appearance at the launch in Windhoek to sign the campaign’s anti-violence pledge.
This pledge is the first step in which the public is encouraged to internalise violence and make the commitment to bring about change which will be beneficial for society and future generations.
The Office of the First Lady seeks to obtain 100 000 signatures to the pledge before the end of 2018.
People who sign the 12-point pledge commit to among others support those who have experienced any form of violence; encourage a culture of reporting violence to stop violence; care for others, including themselves, physically, emotionally and mentally; refrain from self-destructive behaviour and seek help; socialise non-violently; strive to raise wholesome children by instilling strong values and confidence.
Speaking at the launch, First Lady Monica Geingos said her office will engage the public to ensure that the campaign is interactive, while seeking practical and relevant solutions.
Geingos said they will work with frontline service providers and other stakeholders to influence policy that will promote help-seeking behaviour and support perpetrators as well as survivors of violence.
The campaign also seeks to mobilise 10 ideas, propose 100 interventions, tell 1 000 stories, have 10 000 interactions between campaign organisers and the community.
The campaign follows research done by the Office of the First Lady within the Windhoek Correctional Facility, and the findings “prompted a deeper analysis into the high levels of violence in general in Namibia”.
Guest speaker, Dr Chandre Gould, an expert from South Africa with extensive experience in evidence-based violence prevention programmes, shared her insights into research she had conducted in South African correctional facilities.
Gould displayed great admiration for the initiative of the First Lady with the campaign.
The Office of the First Lady will release a new campaign theme every month to unpack through the direct and active engagement of stakeholders.
The launch was preceded by an anti-violence walk in the capital on Saturday organised by the One Economy Foundation, of which Geingos is the executive chairperson, and Namibia Health Plan medical aid service provider. The foundation, established in May last year, aims to contribute to ensuring that Namibians fully utilise their talents in one economy.