Bience Gawanas Quotes

It should also bring into focus the rights that the constitution has bestowed on Namibian people. I would want to see a debate, let us discuss and let us not kill the messenger but listen to the message,

I would like to grow within our organisation, expand into the world of politics and be part of the change I wish to see. I don't think that the decision I have taken should be seen as quitting, but should rather [be seen] as moving into another dimension of greater possibilities and challenges. It should be understood as an opportunity to serve,”

The ADS is just one of several activities being organized throughout 2019 to raise global awareness of the challenge of forced displacement: “Africa is home to over 24 million forcibly displaced persons, representing one-third of the world’s total. Forced displacement is not only a tale of human tragedy, it also poses a real threat to achieving peace, prosperity and development.”

Bringing to fruition some of the programmes and plans that we developed. Repositioning OSAA, working closely with our member states and making a difference. To continue being an advocate for Africa’s development, peace and security agenda. I look forward to having a successful Africa Dialogue Series in May 2020. I am optimistic.

I sympathize with young people that choose to leave. Job procurement is not very transparent,"

It was like a dream, that in my lifetime we are going back to Namibia. My eldest daughter was born in a refugee camp,

I see myself as the voice of Africa within the UN. My office, the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, assists the Secretary General in bringing greater coherence to the UN’s support to Africa’s development. We also support the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) programme, which is now transitioning to the African Union Development Agency (AUDA).

I was appointed to this office a year ago when the UN was going through major reforms in the peace and security pillar, development pillar, as well as in management. At the same time, the AU was also going through institutional reforms. So it is quite obvious that we had to reposition ourselves. My priority is to make sure that the office remains relevant, effective, efficient and impactful in our role and mandate. I am the first woman to occupy the position of special adviser on Africa, I see myself as a groundbreaker in the UN system, and therefore I must ensure that the concerns of women and youth are also my priorities.

The challenge women face is the same everywhere when getting into a male-dominated structure that never had women before. We have to basically rewrite the script and start with a new narrative that takes into account who we are as women. I’ve always said that the fact that women occupy leadership positions does not turn them into men. I bring my qualities and perspective as a woman to enrich the workplace. We should always be objective. I tell women, when you move up the ladder, don’t kick off the ladder. Hold on to that ladder so that other women can climb the same way you did.

“It is not just about abortion and I want people to understand that. It is about young girls that we want to keep in school, while we don’t want teenage pregnancies,

I would rather talk about the opportunities in Africa. I want to create a positive narrative of Africa. However, we know that we still face challenges of conflicts, disease, poverty and hunger. That is why we must implement the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063, the African Union’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa.

I said to her: 'You might think this country is dry, but under the earth we have all the riches.'"

I, myself, am a product of African solidarity. Having left home in my teens during the war of liberation against apartheid in Namibia, I spent years in refugee camps in Angola and Zambia and benefitted immensely from the generosity of the Angolan and Zambian people. I want to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your big heart.

Obviously, the Eritrea-Ethiopia peace agreement that led to Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize this year. Also the peace efforts in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Sudan. The Nobel Peace Prize was really a vote of confidence in Africa’s ability to resolve conflicts within itself. But I also love how we excelled in sports and culture — South Africa’s Springbok team won the Rugby World Cup and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya broke the two-hour marathon barrier. These are the good stories I want to tell.

We should be asking what role women are already playing and what role they have played in the past. We would not be here without the contribution of women, that is for sure. What is it that women want for Africa? We want a world that recognises everyone first and foremost as a human being. I believe that by asking the right questions and making our contributions in the different fields that we occupy, we are creating a different society. We have come a long way. The resilience and strength of African women will make a difference.