Pauline Dempers
Our host, Jenni Prisk, interviews Pauline Dempers, a human rights activist who championed rights of those affected by imprisonment, torture and enforced disappearances during the Namibian war of independence.
Excerpt from Interview
“Namibia belongs to all of us. I am very proud to be the first Woman Peacemaker in San Diego from Namibia. I want to invite all our women to be active peacemakers.”
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Biography of Pauline Dempers
Pauline Dempers of Namibia survived three years of imprisonment and torture in underground “dungeons” operated by South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), the liberation movement she had joined to fight for Namibian independence. She is a human rights activist and co-founder of Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS), a grassroots group that advocates for the rights of those affected by imprisonment, torture and enforced disappearances during the Namibian war of independence.
The interview takes place at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies (IPJ) at the University of San Diego while Pauline was in residence as a Women PeaceMaker in the Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ).
More About The IPJ Women PeaceMakers Program
Since 2003, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ) at the University of San Diego has welcomed four women peacemakers each year from around the world.
The women reside at the University of San Diego for two months and share their stories which are documented by four Peace Writers. While the women are in residence, “they have opportunities to exchange ideas and approaches to peacemaking and justice, which helps increase their capacity to participate in conflict resolution and peace building efforts.”