When the devastating COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, universities had to pragmatically deal with change and adaptation in order to survive. Up to now, our universities are still adapting to the change in every respect because of the pandemic which is still amongst us. We have witnessed remarkable ways in which students, staff and stakeholders have adapted to the complexities brought by the pandemic. It has been established that in organisations, there is a strong relationship between evolution, adaptation and survival. Keith Morrison in the ‘School Leadership and Complexity Theory’ discussion (2002) suggests ‘Complexity to be a theory of change and adaptation detailing how change occurs in systems as well as the principles and mindsets needed to flourish in turbulent environments’ that has not changed since 2002. Morrison’s theory is applicable to the situations our higher education institutions are in, especially now during the troubled time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The themes of colonisation and decolonisation dominate in this issue of JoALLS. The colonisation of African communities by European forces was so inhuman and brutal that it left skeletons of African people littered in affected areas on the continent. The trails of murder, massacre, plunder and displacement of defenceless and innocent Africans by marauding, bloodthirsty colonialists are unsavory, heart-rending and disgusting. The crucial role literature plays in documenting the trials and tribulations of Africans cannot be overemphasized. The historical novel and (auto) biography have always become handy in this regard, although caution should be taken on which perspective they are framed. As you read this issue, you will realise that the words 'Germans' and 'genocide' are what linguists call 'collocates'; in other words, you cannot talk of one of these two words without the other as the Germans' heinous crimes were meant to decimate the Herero and Nama populations of Germany South West Africa, now Namibia. The violence against the indigenous African people was not only frightening but also sickening.
This issue of the Journal starts volume 3, an occasion to pause, give thanks, and reflect on the past year or so. Two major events in recent times have shed a true meaning to the saying "think globally, act locally". The Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war underscored that we exist in a globalizing and “boundaryless” economy. There has been no escaping of the ripple-effects of these two events. The result has been heightened unemployment across all industrial sectors, particularly worsened in vulnerable sectors such as tourism and hospitality. The informal sector has also particularly been hit. Food insecurity has increased, and inflation has picked across the globe. Economic growth has stalled, and standards of living have plummeted in the past three years. Countries have acted differently - a true realization of acting locally - to tame the effects on the economy and population. Developed countries acted much faster, while developing countries acted laggards. In laggard countries, policies have lacked evidence. Attributed to Scots town planner and social activist Patrick Geddes (1915), and popularized in the 1970s (Heaps, 2010), the catch term think global-act local has evolved. It has been used in various contexts, including planning, environment, education, and towards business strategies. Thinking globally and acting locally, in its simplest form, is a commitment to personal change. It is a liberating journey of small, deliberate changes to dismantle inconsistencies that exist (Barash, 2002; Groom 2012). This acting is not only at country level, but also applies at a community sphere. For example, geographic proximity and local networks influence diverse practices at a local level, and it not uncommon for organizations to act differently in different settings. Having a long-term vision to offset the impacts of globalization is important for a country. But how much of these locally tailored solutions can be informed by research and science? This call for local action is increasing been made in the case of mitigating for the impacts of climate change. The emphasis has been that global warming requires local solutions. The options are many: Make buildings tighter, maximize passive solar applications, substitute higher-efficiency appliances and motors, encourage telecommunications instead of physical meeting, among others. This problem can be eradicated easily through the introduction of many county-wide regulations, such as tax breaks on households that recycle, readily-available recycling bins and trashcans among many. Africa too needs local solutions for global challenges. One can not overemphasize the power of local solutions to address global challenges. And so, in the Namibian context, we argue that local solutions should be informed through active research and scientific inquiry. However, just like everywhere around the world, local efforts to protect our planet are too often underfunded and overlooked. Nevertheless, we must not tire. There is need to develop a knowledge hub, we require a critical mass of experts, there is need to get others inspired by reaching out, that knowledge must be shared or disseminated through civic participation in advancing scientific and research discovery to support the country's development.
The purpose of this study was to explore the role of drama in teaching English to enhance students’ communicative skills at the University of Namibia. The discussions of the research focused on assessing the benefits of using drama in the teaching of English to increase students’ motivation and self-confidence, as well as to enhance their communicative skills. Research findings revealed the effectiveness of drama oriented English lessons to the benefits of students’ speaking skills, motivation, self-esteem and confidence in their abilities to communicate in English. In addition, the findings revealed that drama activities aided students develop a community and foster group cohesiveness, which helped in building students’ confidence when speaking English in front of their classmates. Moreover, the study results revealed that motivation is linked to self-confidence as the drama activities accorded students the opportunity to use the target language in real life situations.
Reviewed by: The Rhetoric of Sir Garfield Todd: Christian Imagination and the Dream of an African Democracy Jairos Kangira The Rhetoric of Sir Garfield Todd: Christian Imagination and the Dream of an African Democracy. By Michael W. Casey. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2007; pp xii + 389. $49.95 cloth. Michael Casey's latest book, The Rhetoric of Sir Garfield Todd: Christian Imagination and the Dream of an African Democracy, is a timely publication. It has come out at a time when Zimbabwe, called Southern Rhodesia or simply Rhodesia before the attainment of independence in 1980, is reeling in a political and economic crisis mainly due to the undemocratic principles of the ruling regime. Thus the current situation is more or less the same as the one Sir Garfield Todd's prophetic rhetoric so fiercely attacked when he became a radical advocate of African democracy. Juxtaposing Todd's heroic fight for African rights through his rhetoric and actions with the current situation in Zimbabwe, one can come to the conclusion that surely history repeats itself, with the main difference between the two epochs being the dramatis personae in the violation of human rights. One also gets the feeling that had whites swallowed their pride and given majority rule to Africans at an earlier stage as Todd advocated, the civil war that claimed thousands of lives in Rhodesia could have been avoided. In this book, Casey explores the legacy of Alexander Campbell's teachings to Todd's oratory. The Campbellian tradition was grounded upon beliefs that included "the priesthood of all believers, the right of an individual to think for oneself, the importance of education and reason, and the impulse to reform society or the spreading of liberty and liberation across all society" (16). We see Todd's ethos as growing out of the democratic rhetorical tradition of the Disciples of Christ, thus as providing an example of "how religion can serve as a basis for political rhetoric" (121). Casey also corrects the view that Todd's democratic ethos was grounded in the British liberal political tradition. The author provides undisputed evidence that plainly shows that Todd's democratic ethos emanated from his religious heritage within the Churches of Christ. The author also illustrates how early training in public speaking established the foundation of Todd's future oratorical success as both preacher and politician. Casey does not shower Todd with praises for being the champion of the African cause throughout the book. The writer identifies Todd as a limited democrat who "did not want universal franchise in the 1940s and 1950s, believing that it would lead to universal chaos" (49). But the reader's disillusionment at this realization changes as Casey traces Todd's gradual transformation into a radical fighter for democracy, leading to the chagrin of the white Rhodesians who felt betrayed by Todd's actions and his rhetoric. We see a Todd whose "rhetorical trajectory . . . naturally led him away from paternalism as Africans saw him as a Moses and a Savior who was crucified by whites on a cross of racism" (40). Sowing the seeds of [End Page 350] African nationalism was unacceptable to the whites who believed in segregationist policies, denying the Africans basic rights in their native land. This led to the whites' ouster of Todd as prime minister, making him a sacrificial lamb in their quest to perpetuate white supremacy in Southern Rhodesia. Casey expertly documents Todd's spellbinding oratory. As a preacher of democratic values, Todd condemned the discriminatory laws of the white government by attacking them as anachronistic. We are shown Todd's radical democratic ethos through his sermon texts, political speeches, and prophetic speeches. For instance, after becoming the first missionary prime minister, Todd "cultivated a rhetorical premiership paralleling the American rhetorical presidency and an eloquence paralleling American presidential rhetoric" (118). As a preacher, former MP, and prime minister, Todd's prophetic rhetoric about the situation in Rhodesia was so compelling that, in 1962 and 1964, the UN Committee on Colonialism supported Todd's proposal "to give majority rule to Southern Rhodesian Africans and to restrain the white extremists" (82). Such addresses in local and international venues attracted the wrath of Ian Smith...
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