Making A Better World - Milton Louw

  Introduction Namibia’s youth are the heartbeat of our nation, the driving force that will propel us into a future filled with promise and possibility. As we stand on the brink of transformative change, it is you — our young people — who will lead the way. This manifesto is a commitment to you, recognising your challenges, your dreams, and your undeniable potential to shape the future of Namibia. 1.  Economic Empowerment: Building Wealth Together We understand that financial security and independence are crucial to your future. To achieve this, we will: Promote Youth Entrepreneurship : Establish a Youth Innovation Fund to provide grants and low-interest loans for young entrepreneurs. We will simplify the process for starting and registering businesses, ensuring that your ideas can quickly turn into reality. Support Cooperative Initiatives: Encourage the formation of youth-led cooperatives that focus on shared economic goals, such as savings and credit cooperatives, which allo...

 Facebook is the most popular social media platform in Namibia, significantly outpacing its competitors in terms of user engagement and reach. Here’s how Facebook compares to other platforms: Popularity and User Base Facebook : As of early 2023, there were approximately 78,000 Facebook users in Namibia, representing about 22.4% of the total population and 32.9% of the eligible audience aged 13 and above. Despite a slight decline in ad reach, Facebook remains the leading platform for social media interaction among Namibians. Instagram : The platform has around 230,000 users in Namibia, showing growth in advertising audience but still far behind Facebook.  Twitter : With only about 46,000 users, Twitter has a much smaller audience compared to Facebook and Instagram, making it less influential in the Namibian social media landscape. LinkedIn : This platform has about 200,000 users, primarily targeting professionals, but it does not match the general engagement levels seen on Face...

A Basic Income Grant (BIG) is a form of social security in which all citizens or residents of a country regularly receive an unconditional sum of money from the government, regardless of their income, resources or employment status. The main goals of a BIG are to provide a basic standard of living for all citizens and to alleviate poverty and income inequality[1][2]. Pros of a Basic Income Grant Alleviating poverty and income inequality A BIG would provide a steady income to all citizens, which would significantly reduce poverty and income inequality. The regular payments would help ensure that everyone can meet their basic needs[1][2]. Improving health and wellbeing By reducing poverty and providing financial security, a BIG would have positive impacts on physical and mental health. It would reduce stress and allow people to better afford healthcare, food, housing and other necessities[2][4]. Reducing administrative costs Compared to traditional welfare programs, a BIG would be simple...

Vision for Namibia My vision is to establish Namibia as a prosperous, equitable, and sustainable nation where every citizen enjoys economic empowerment, social justice, and access to critical services and opportunities. This vision is grounded in the principles of cooperative economics, digital inclusivity, and participatory governance, all aimed at fostering national development and social cohesion. Purpose This manifesto outlines the work programme for myself, as Executive President, and my team (Executive Cabinet) of ministers, ten chosen with practical business experience, and a further five chosen from elected parliamentarians. Core Values The Executive Cabinet of Namibia shall prioritise government employees by motivating them to excel at their tasks, empowering them with financial and political support, monitoring implementation and providing continuous feedback to Namibia's citizens. Economic Empowerment through Cooperative Models The foundation of my economic policy will b...

  In 1994, I was offered the job as the Namibian Delegate to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s Investment Promotion Service in Paris, France. The Delegate of each country represented is responsible for:   investment promotion campaigns; project development; preparation of feasibility studies; management of programme budgets; and joint-venture project development. During this period, I had an opportunity to study and learn about the investment strategies of amongst others, Mauritius, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Algeria, Madagascar, Vietnam and Chile. Most of my colleagues were highly educated economists and were attached by their governments from planning or trade and industry ministries. Their experience and willingness to share were invaluable to me coming from a newly liberated country, and me personally having no qualifications in this field! They encouraged me to study Namibia's history and specifically the business strategies of...

  I bought my first M-net decoder in 1992 when my first born Mikaila was about a year old. The live broadcast was a Michael Jackson show from Romania. The aerial was not quite right so we would lose the signal and her mother would say, "Michael, Michael" while snapping her fingers until the picture would focus. Mikaila started copying her and whenever she wanted to watch tv (naturally a Michael Jackson movie) she would try and snap her fingers and say something that sounded like ""Michael, Michael". As Daddy's do - I promised to take her to meet Michael Jacskon. A few years later I was the MD for Hazy Investments and part of the World Economic Forum held in Windhoek. As the first Secretary of the EPZ Committee and knowing Barden International, I was part of the inviting committee - for Michael Jackson. The best part was that he would not attend unless he got the Presidential Suite - and guess who had booked that for his own guest - ME. So I convinced my bos...

Privacy laws are supposed to protect our personal information, but in reality, they often end up helping the rich more than the poor. This is especially true in countries like Namibia, where these laws can unintentionally create barriers that make it harder for poorer people to access opportunities for growth and development. Privacy in Namibia In Namibia, the Constitution protects your physical privacy, but protecting your personal data, like your name or address, needs specific laws. These include the Data Protection Act, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, and the Freedom of Access to Information Act. While these laws are important, they mostly benefit people who already have access to the internet and digital services. For those who are less fortunate, these laws can actually make life harder. Information Access and Development Being able to access information is key to development. Public places like libraries and telecentres provide access to information an...