WIMSA's Heritage and Culture Achievements 1994 - 2004
The San and WIMSA have been involved in a number of interesting and productive initiatives during the Decade. Prominent achievements include:
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- First Regional Cultural Centre for San:
WIMSA establishes a San Cultural Centre near Cape Town, South Africa named ‘! Khwattu' (meaning ‘water pan' in the extinct |Xam language) (1998). Training in various vocations (including heritage) for San from throughout the region begins in 1998 and the Centre prepares to open its campsite, hiking trails, museum and restaurant to the public in 2005.
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- Oral Testimony's published:
WIMSA's Oral Testimony Collection Project begins and San individuals are trained in order to conduct and transcribe interviews undertaken within their own communities (1998). The first book of the project - ‘The Khwe of the Okavango Panhandle' is produced (2002) and is followed by ‘The Voices of the San' covering the whole southern Africa region and ‘Undiscovered or Overlooked?' which focuses on the identity of the Hai||om of Namibia (2004).
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- Intellectual Property Rights protected:
WIMSA's lawyer drafts a ‘Media and Research Contract' at the request of the San and by 2004, it is honoured by the majority of researchers and media workers. A ‘Handbook on Intellectual Property Rights' is also produced and distributed to San communities (2003).
- Hoodia rights and benefit successes:
WIMSA is informed that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research ( CSIR) in South Africa has obtained a license to test the Hoodia plant's appetite-suppressing qualities. WIMSA's lawyer and the South African San Council (SASC) begin negotiations with CSIR in relation to the San's intellectual property rights (2001). A Memo of Understanding is signed by both the CSIR and the SASC and a benefit-sharing agreement for the San is produced (2002).
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- Rock Art exhibitions include San:
The new Didima Rock Art Centre based in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa fails to include the San in its initial plans, but apologises and later involves them in planning its contents and includes a permanent display about the San, designed by WIMSA (2002-2003). The Iziko Museums (national museums) of South Africa also consult WIMSA and the San in relation to their new rock art displays in Cape Town (2003).
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- San crafts successes:
‘Annual Regional Craft Workshops' - a group of partners who work with San-produced crafts begin to meet and develop a framework on joint-working (2002). Mickael Kra, a jewellery designer from Paris visits Namibia and holds his first workshop on craft innovations with the San (2002). A San jewellery fashion show ‘The Pearls of the Kalahari' is held in Windhoek , Namibia, with Mickael's assistance (2003). Mickael returns to Namibia in 2004 and holds workshops to develop the range, quality and production methods and to plan international marketing. The Omaheke San Trust constructs a new craft shop in Gobabis, Namibia, which opens for business (2004).
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