On 17 July, the AFRICA 2009 course on Rock Art Conservation was officially opened by Dr Peingeondjabi Shipo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Service, Youth, Sport and Culture of Namibia.

The one-month course is organized in collaboration with the two host institutions, the National Museums of Namibia and the National Heritage Council of Namibia, thanks to generous support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the National Heritage Board of Sweden, UNESCO World Heritage Center, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy.

Seventeen participants from sixteen sub-Saharan African countries are attending the hands-on course which is aimed at developing competence in inventorying and documentation of rock art sites, as well as their presentation to the general public. Activities will take place primarily at Twyfelfontein, a site being proposed for the World Heritage List, and at Brandberg. The final week will focus on issues related to the process of nominating sites to the World Heritage List.

Participants

• Omina AHMED, Sudan
• Remigius CHAMI, Tanzania
• Gabriel GEIGUB, Namibia
• Mosianne Veronica JEREMIE, Seychelles
• Albino JOPELA, Mozambique
• Puni MODISANE, Botswana
• Macmillan MUDENDA, Zambia
• Erika Martha P. NDALIKOKULE, Namibia
• Linda NERUBA, Uganda
• Thifuniwi Victor NETSHIAVHA, South Africa
• Clison NANKARA, Chad
• Dudu Temahimbi NKAMBULE, Swaziland
• Wycliffe Oloo OMONDI, Kenya
• Amaha SEGID, Eritrea
• Mamasila NKHETHOA, Lesotho
• David SIAME, Malawi
• Donald Chokuda ZHOU, Zimbabwe

Member States represented: Botswana, Chad, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

updated on: 6 November, 2008