2/25/10
Waypoint Namibia Speaking Tour Coming to WMS on April 5th
Can
climbing give you access to understanding outside of the vertical? What
if you have to go to Namibia to find out? In May, 2009, Majka Burhardt
led a small team of explorers into a landscape of translucent
scorpions, laser sharp granite cracks, 1.7 meter-long cobra tracks, and
the Himba people--one of the last great Southern African pastoral
tribes, all in the name of first ascents and cultural connection.
Namibia
is Africa’s newest independent country and was the first country in the
world to mandate conservation in its constitution. As one of the least
populated countries in the world, and one of the most progressive in
Africa, Namibia combines peace, stability, and accessibility with
rugged wildness and remoteness. In the past decade, Namibia has also
developed a globally renowned system for resource management that pairs
the conservation of natural lands with the economic stability of rural
communities. How does adventure complement, and conflict with,
environmental understanding? Majka Burhardt shares her story of
connection with a country in Africa that impacts policy and economics
from Mongolia to the United States.
Presentations Include:
- Footage
from “WayPoint Namibia,” official selection of the 2009 Adventure Film
Festival Boulder, the 2010 Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival,
and the 2010 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.
- Images from renown photographer Gabe Rogel.
Praise for the 2009 Vertical Ethiopia Speaking Tour,:
“Majka
Burhardt spoke to a rapt audience about what she had learned as a
writer, a climber, and a human being in Ethiopia. Burhardt’s
extraordinary personal honesty drew the audience into her story and
provided a context for much of the information she presented. Her
connection with this place is profound."
Meredith Holmes, Cleveland Council on World Affairs
As a speaker, Majka has worked with a diverse group of clients, from the Seattle IMAX theatre, to New York City’s 92nd Street Y, to the Cleveland Council on World Affairs. Majka has addressed audiences large and small and been featured on news programs, radio shows, magazines and newspapers throughout the US.
Author of Vertical Ethiopia: Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa (Shama
2008), Majka has an MFA in Creative Writing from the Warren Wilson
Program for Writers, and an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from
Princeton University. Her work has appeared in a variety of magazines including Men's Journal, Patagonia, Climbing, and the Explorer's Journal.
To view a trailer or purchasethe WayPoint Namibia DVD
click here.
from the
