Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Windhoek, Namibia. It is named after Siegfried Groth's book Namibia – Breaking the Wall of Silence, and was formed at the occasion of the book's release in 1996.
BWS advocates for the rights of those detained by SWAPO during the Namibian War of Independence. Kalla Gertze was the first president of this organisation. Pauline Dempers became the organisation's coordinator in 1999 and, as of 2008, was still in that position.
Famous quotes containing the words breaking the, breaking, wall and/or silence:
“Freedom is poetry, taking liberties with words, breaking the rules of normal speech, violating common sense. Freedom is violence.”
—Norman O. Brown (b. 1913)
“Is whispering nothing?
Is leaning cheek to cheek? Is meeting noses?
Kissing with inside lip? Stopping the career
Of laughter with a sigh?—a note infallible
Of breaking honesty.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“What a troublesome thing a wall is! I thought it was to defend me, and not I it! Of course, if they had no wall, they would not need to have any sentinels.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Through open doors, the dining-room declares
A larger loneliness of knives and glass
And silence laid like carpet.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)