Protocol
Workshop aims to strengthen HSF and partners' skills

"Protocol is important because it helps us create the order of predictability and regulate the way we interact with dignitaries on a daily perspective," said Dr. André September.

The facilitator, Dr. André September has a wealth of experience as a diplomat who served Namibia in various capacities abroad, most notably in New Delhi (India), Geneva and New York. In 1999, he was seconded to the United Nations in New York, by President Sam Nujoma, to serve as Political Advisor to the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

The training discussed everything from how to deal with issues concerning general etiquette, in what manner to properly seat people at a conference to how to interact with people from different cultures. The workshop also brought to light the importance of good manners especially when it comes to office culture, and on how to receive dignitaries.

Participants were able to reflect on the essence of diplomacy and its role in everyday life; appreciate the Namibian, African and global context, which forms the backdrop of diplomacy; and affirms the factors that impact diplomacy today.

The workshop was a result of combined inputs from the House of Democracy “house partners” including HSF, who expressed the need for a capacity building intervention in “Protocol and Intercultural Communication”. This was motivated by the realisation that all HSF partners frequently interact with government officials and need to know the local set of rules, the order of precedence, and how to receive dignitaries.