The specific aim of the Namibia-project will be to describe the way the Omatjete community, i.e. the Agricultural Extension Officers and other experts, the Community Development and Water Committees and the communities themselves negotiate sustainable development on a communicative and discursive level. This locates the project within the field of development studies with special reference to language, communication and social change:

• It will show how development is communicatively negotiated.
• It will show the resources preferred in Herero-society in negotiating a socially sensitive topic such as development.
• It will show in which ways social change leads to communicative change.
• It will highlight the role of women in development from the perspective of communicative behaviour.