Partners

• AFRICA 2009 Programme
• Ecole du Patrimoine Africain (EPA)
• Direction Générale de la Culture de Sao Tomé et Principe

Financial partners

• Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)
• National Heritage Board, Sweden
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland
• DGCS Directorate General of Development Co-operation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy
• Africa World Heritage Fund (AWHF)

Duration: 2 - 6 March 2009

Place: Sao Tome, Sao Tome e Principe

Participants
Twenty professionals from the following seveteen countries: Botswana, Burkina-Faso, Burundi, Central Africa, Comores, Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Sao Tome et Principe, Senegal, South Africa, Togo,Uganda, Zambia, Benin and Norway.

Aim
This seminar sought to highlight how preserving and promoting cultural heritage is fundamental to the eradication of extreme poverty in Africa and how local communities in these countries can harness cultural heritage to stimulate sustainable economic growth and, thus, help meet some of their country’s Millennium Development Goals. This exchange forum also aimed to identify mechanisms and possible partnerships for a better use of heritage as a development tool.

Content
The seminar programme allowed for the sharing of information, experiences and ideas on how preserving and promoting cultural heritage is fundamental to the eradication of extreme poverty, safeguarding of human rights and sustainable development by examining the relationship between heritage and:

• economic development;
• access to shelter;
• use of knowledge and know how;
• reinforcing identity, dignity and respect for oneself and others;
• globalization.
  

Main achievements
The seminar participants concluded that:

• when heritage is exploited/used by different sectors has potential to generate income;
• it is important for local communities to be involved with projects relating to the conservation and promotion of heritage;
• a synergy must be created between all the important parties that impact on heritage at a local and national level;
• there is a need for all African countries to adopt a political vision to serve as a catalyst for heritage to be included in development strategies;
• there is a need to bring to the attention of decision and policy makers the fact that heritage can play an important role in economic development and generally contributes to the sustainable development.

updated on: 28 December, 2009