The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga, has called on Namibians to harmonise their culture as this is the only way to connect people of different backgrounds.

Mushelenga made this call during the three-day conference at Swakopmund, aimed at reviewing the 12 commandments of the nationhood and national pride program.

Dr Mushelenga undertakes the peer review process on nationhood and national pride with various stakeholders.

"Besides giving strategic direction to our collective actions, this review conference provides a behavioural map to consolidate our national identity, support Vision 2030, and continuously cultivate national pride."

The Ministry, Mushelenga says, is faced with a challenge such as funding to implement approaches to ensure that regions take ownership of this national initiative.

"The holding of this review conference serves as a testimony that, as a custodian Ministry, MICT is taking stock and assessing progress made following the Cabinet approval of these two documents, the Nationhood and National Pride Strategic Framework and its implementation."

Also speaking at the event was the Governor of the Erongo Region, Neville Andre. 

"We need to identify ways that will bring us much closer to national pride, be it a language, a symbol, a greeting or just a way that will identify us as true Namibians, but we should also start in our schools to educate our children on how to stand when we sing the National Anthem, what we should do when the flag is hoisted, the etiquette and behaviours of us as leaders." 

The campaign aims to reduce incidences of vandalism of public property, violence against women and children, drug and alcohol abuse, degradation of the environment and other social evils.