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Western Cape Nama Conference |
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Written by Bradlox
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Wednesday, 20 May 2009 |
Western Cape Nama Conference A delegation of the KSAAG executive attended the Western Cape Nama Conference on 28 Feb. 2009 at the Ritz Hotel in Seapoint. The Conference on the Nama awareness campaign is the product of a process that started in 2000 with a consultative workshop held in Oudtshoorn with representatives of cultural organizations who were eager to rediscover and promote their linguistic heritage.
Read more about the background to the Conference hosted by the PANSALB in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport in the Western Cape
The workshop proposed that research be done on Khoe and San languages in the Western Cape and South Africa and that basic lessons in the Nama language be offered to interested organizations and individuals in the Western Cape. The Nama language was chosen as it is the only Khoi language still spoken in the country and has limited resources that could be used in an awareness campaign.
The final research report was submitted in March 2003 and was done by individuals from the Khoi community in the Western Cape. In the same year the first Nama workshops were presented in the province. These workshops were presented in Vredendal, Mitchell’s Plain, Hawston, Oudtshoorn, Montagu, Great Brak River, Kranshoek and the Crags. A certificate ceremony was held on 4 June 2005 to hand over certificates to 178 individuals who had attended 3 or more of the 4 workshops of the course.
The workshop also produced literacy material in the Nama language in the form of a booklet called “Basic Introduction to the Nama language” and a CD that can be used to learn the language at home. This is the only such material available in South Africa and is directed at people who have no knowledge of the language but would like to get acquainted with it to enable them to have basic communication skills in the language.
At a follow-up consultative workshop held in November 2005 it was decided that the third aspect of the process would focus on giving people practical examples of Nama. As the participants were all religious it was decided that participants would be taught selected hymns in the Nama language. The four hymns selected by the representatives were: Dank God, dank almal God; Holy, Holy, Holy; Silent Night; Nader my God by U. Choral workshops were then offered in Crags, Kranshoek, Oudtshoorn, Great Brak River, Hawston and Vredendal in 2006 and 2007.
As a climax to these workshops the first ever Nama massed choir festival and competition in South Africa was held in Plettenberg Bay on 1 September 2007. Seven choirs participated in the event that was attended by approximately 330 people including the MEC for Cultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation, the CEO of PanSALB and the Mayor of Bitou Municipality.
As a result of the success of the first choir festival and the ever expanding nature of the awareness campaign further requests were received for the Basic introduction workshops. Resultantly 10 workshops were offered between February and July 2008 to more than 130 people from Darling, Paarl, Mitchell’s Plain, Welcome Estate, Bonteheuwel, Eerste Rivier, Elsies Rivier, Kuils River, Cape Town, Botrivier, Caledon, Genadendal and Riviersonderend.
Achievements of the awareness campaign:
In the eight years that the campaign has been running several milestones were reached. These are:
- A research report on Khoi and San Languages written by members of the Khoi community in the Western Cape
- The development of a Basic introduction to the Nama language course, the first in South Africa
- The development of a Basic introduction to the Nama Language booklet and CD that enables individuals to learn basic Nama at home
- The recording of CD’s containing the words of 4 hymns in the Nama language
- The first ever Nama mass Choir festival and competition in South Africa with seven choirs
- 4 dramas written by participating communities in the Nama language
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Procedure for the conference:
The aim of the conference is three-fold, namely;
- to work on a three year strategic plan for the further development and expansion of the awareness campaign, including dealing with different communities at different stages of the campaign and how to manage such a situation with the limited resources available to the process
- to create a strong inter-community network that will enable participating communities to take the process further on their own and thereby ensure that resources are utilised optimally and that the process is sustainable without the direct intervention of PanSALB or the Department
- to investigate ways of co-operating with the Northern Cape in the development and promotion of the Nama language
Each participating community has been asked to send two representatives to the conference. The decision to concentrate on communities rather than organizations is backed by the fact that the scope and nature of activities of the process requires specific input from people who are in touch with the relevant communities and can provide direct feedback to their respective communities at grass-roots level.
During the break-away sessions delegates will be required to discuss the three aims mentioned above and to give feedback to the Pan South African Language Board and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport on the matters. Such input will then form the background to the development of a three year strategic plan aimed at practical activities to develop and promote the Nama language in the Western Cape.
It is hoped that the conference will give an opportunity for delegates to get to know one another better and build bridges between the various Khoi communities in the Western Cape and eventually contribute to building communities and sharing knowledge and experiences. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 June 2009 )
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