Growing up I have always wondered why Black* people face poverty and suffering, and why they have to work hard to please white people. Why are Black communities underdeveloped in their own lands? I have come to understand that this stems from the colonial system designed to control and exploit people for their land, resources, culture, and knowledge. This critical understanding of global history needs to be taught current and future generations to ensure awareness and understanding of colonial continuities.

Today we are witnessing the ongoing genocide against the people of Palestine, a stark reminder of humanity`s failure to learn from history. My goal is to find ways to address these injustices and bring about meaningful change. However, efforts toward agreement have faced harsh criticism, as the representatives of the Ovaherero and Nama were excluded from the talk. Moreover, the governments of Namibia and Germany have yet to sign the joint declaration acknowledging the Ovaherero and Nama genocide that occurred from 1904-1908.

In addition to acknowledge historical atrocities, it is crucial to focus on reparation and healing. Educational initiatives must be implemented to teach the complete history connected to the genocide and its lasting impacts. Efforts should be directed towards fostering dialogue and understanding among affected communities and nations, ensuring that their voices are heard and respected. By doing so we can work towards a future where justice and equality prevail.

Growing up as a white person in a German school in South Africa with my parents active in development work, even as a child, neocolonial continuities were always very visible to me. Global inequalities are a result of colonialism and are being upheld and reproduced by present structures and institutions. Often these inequalities seem impossible to overcome. I applied for this project because I have a lot of experience with and knowledge about the topic and want to at least try to use it to change the world for better. It is inevitable to do this work both in Germany and Namibia and to include different perspectives. Germany and other former colonizers finally have to take responsibility for the past and present continuities!

Growing up I did not realize all the privileges I had in this world as a white German girl. I knew that people were facing different living conditions and that some are better off than others, but as a child I did call this into question. My environment showed me that it was normal and to be honest I simply felt lucky to have grown up in Germany. At some point in my studies, I stumbled upon the massive colonial legacy that underpins European and German society as it is today. This history, which is barely and not at all critically taught as common knowledge in German schools, is not going to become obsolete or irrelevant any time soon. We must not only open our eyes to the cruel, destructive and ruthless part of our past, but also see its traces to this day. Europe benefits from former colonized communities and countries and perpetuates exploitative, unequal, global power relations. Its global strength comes from its man-made system of capitalism, which benefits those with money and power and undermines those who actually have the valuable resources. Symbolically helping less industrialized, less digitalized, less capitalized countries, while at the same time keeping the upper hand to ensure that these countries remain dependent and economically weak, is something that needs to be exposed as a double standard on a grand scale. It’s time for Europe to step back and apologize for the damage done until today.