Bill Lindeke Resource Centre opened

The IPPR opened the Bill Lindeke Resource Centre at the House of Democracy in Windhoek last week. The new collection in the House of Democracy is in recognition of former Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Research Associate and Board Member Bill Lindeke’s passing away two years ago.

Prof. William Bill Lindeke’s personal collection of 2,000 books, papers and documents mostly deals with Namibia, Africa and international politics affairs.

Prof. Andre du Pisani at the opening said that Bill’s impressive library tells us that he was widely read and traveled. “To him his publications and books never really belonged to him; they were gifts to time, gifts to friends, affinities and students,” Du Pisani said.

Du Pisani said the resource centre is an inspiration and dedication to the enquiring spirit and mind and that allows its users to weave through contested ideas, philosophies, politics, economics, history of countries, and regions.

“As such it formed an integral part of Bill’s journey of exploration and helps those of us who knew him and worked with him to heal and to marvel at his sound scholarship,” he added.

As a teacher of Political Science, Du Pisani said that there is a tendency to devalue and disregard the importance of libraries, books, works of art and heritage more generally. “This is yet another reason why I am delighted that the IPPR provided a home where the library belongs – right here in Windhoek, Namibia,” he added.

For the IPPR as one of the few independent social science research institutions in this country, the Bill Lindeke Resource Centre gives local and visiting researchers ready access to this trove.

There is another aspect to this Resource Centre, and that is its location in the “House of Democracy”.
Since democracy is very much about ideas and their contestation, Du Pisani said that this collection uniquely adds value to the very construct of the “House of Democracy”- a deliberative space for advocating for a democratic society.