Within the frame work of the concept “Living Cultures” the Living Culture Foundation Namibia will not provide people in the developing areas with solutions, solely with ideas. The program of the LCFN concentrates on the only marginally focused principals of cultural development as a basis for its functional development cooperation. The fashionable parole of “helping others to help themselves”, which in this case plays an important role, will not be used for the development work of the LCFN, due to the fact that it has so often been used already in connection with all kinds of different development projects.

The finacial means available to the LCFN will be invested directly into projects, according to the principles of low financial input, and will not be at the disposal of gouvernment budgets. The problem concerning the restricted area of impact of the individual projects will be met by the establishment of a ccomprehansive network of traditional projetcs in several areas of Namibia.

Through the involvement of project groups and special authorities within these groups a real development cooperation is achieved. Another advantage concerning the cooperation style of the LCFN is that most of the members of the LCFN are in fact Namibians or lived a long time in Namibia and got in contact with almost every Namibian ethnic group. So an awareness of the cultural values and assumptions of the Namibians is the basis of a successful development cooperation of the LCFN. Finally it’s left to say that the demand of the LCFN is to fight the cause of poverty directly and not its multiple consequences.

The concept of the „Living Cultures" directly and indirectly supports the aims 1, 3, 4,5 and 7 of the United Nations Millenium Project and its MDG’s:

Support for the realisation of the following MDG’s by the LCFN

Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (1):
This is reached through the creation of new sources of income. This strengthens local resources and the local economy. Through this development the realisation of the following MDG’s are indirectly supported:

Promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women (3):
Women are carriers of traditional cultures and mediate between generations. Through the understanding of the cultural origin the role of the women gains a bigger importance. Through the strengthening of local, self-managed economy equality of genders can be reached more easily than through the present labour policies in Namibia, like for example by sending male work forces from rural areas into towns. 

Reduction of child mortality (4) & Improvement of maternal health  (5):
Through a higher income and an improved supply of water, nourishment and medication the general support for mothers increases. This also applies to rural areas, which usually don’t profit from economic developments. This leads to a decrease in child mortality for infants. Due to the better possibilities of resource use, especially with regards to nourishment and water, the child mortality in general will be reduced.

Ensuring environmental sustainability (7):
The authentic presentation of traditional cultures creates an awareness that a project and a finacially successful undertaking can be established by using exlusively natural resources. With the occupation with the cultural traditions and the understanding of the cultural origin an awareness for the importance of natural resources is created. This contributes to the understanding of importance environmental sustainability.

As a non-profit  organisation we are thankful for every donation that supports our work...

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