From 25 to 27 September, experts and interested groups and individuals gathered at ICCROM for a strategic planning workshop about the future of capacity building for African heritage.
The workshop includes 15 participants from 12 African countries representing universities, NGOs, government ministries and more, working in fields as varied as climate activism to cultural entrepreneurship and agronomy. We are proud to count ICCROM-affiliated individuals among the group, including a participant of the Rwanda Heritage Hub and an ICCROM intern.
This powerful group gathered each day at ICCROM headquarters to fully immerse themselves in sharing needs and visions and working together for a better future for African heritage.
The opening ceremony included inspiring words from ICCROM Director-General Webber Ndoro and our honoured guests, including the Ambassador of Egypt in Rome, Bassam Rady; Ms Emanuela Del Re, EU representative for Sahel; Mr Rodney Hunter, Chargé d’Affaires, US Mission to UN Agencies in Rome; Ms Daniela Talamo, Head of International Unit, Fondazione Scuola; and Mr Marco Ricci, Minister Plenipotentiary, Directorate of Development Cooperation (MAECI).
ICCROM Director-General Dr Webber Ndoro remarked: "Capacity building for heritage is not just about the past; it's very much about the future. It's about ensuring that our children and their children have access to the rich tapestry of human experience, that they can draw wisdom from it, take pride in it, and contribute their own threads to its ever-evolving design."
The Ambassador of Egypt in Rome, Bassam Rady, stated that this workshop is “an opportunity to reiterate our support for the work and mandate of ICCROM to promote the conservation of all forms of cultural heritage in every region of the world, especially in Africa."
"This meeting is a fruitful occasion to start working on the planning and development of a dedicated training programme with long-term goals for heritage professionals from diverse countries," noted Ms Daniela Talamo, who heads the International Unit of Fondazione Scuola, which was created by the Ministry of Culture of Italy in 2020 to promote the professional development of cultural heritage managers and curators.
Mr Rodney Hunter, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome (USUN), encouraged the participants with his remarks: "We’re only going to succeed if we break out of our silos if we work together if we recognize these global challenges can only be met with global solutions. And we know that everyone gathered in this room today is the first step toward making that happen. So, let’s get this youthful energy that’s bursting out of Africa out into the rest of the world."
We were happy to hear from our Host country, represented by Mr Marco Ricci, Minister Plenipotentiary of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), who detailed Italy's worldwide commitment to cultural heritage. "The Italian Cooperation is committed to continue to support sustainable development pathways that integrate the cultural dimension and the empowerment of youth. This is particularly true in the African countries, rich in cultural heritage - both material and intangible - and with the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world," he stated.
Throughout the course of the workshop, many of ICCROM’s regional partners and long-time collaborators lectured participants on the vital areas that require capacity building. Dr. Franck Ogou, Director of Ecole du Patrimoine Africa (EPA), presented an overview of capacity-building needs for museum professionals in Africa, followed by Dr Naomi Harouna, Coordinator of the SDG School at the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria, who gave her assessment of primary training needs.
Dr Elizabeth Kyazike, Associate Professor in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at the University of Uganda, used her country as a case study to show a collaborative approach to formal heritage and cultural studies.
The workshop pulled in expertise from ICCROM staff, calling on Eugene Jo to speak about World Heritage Leadership’s capacity-building strategy on Rohit Jigyasu to address preparedness to confront climate change and disaster risk, among others.
Participants worked on mapping the way forward and joined Jennifer Copithorne, ICCROM’s Unit Manager of Partnership and Communication, in preparing for the Forum of Gran Sasso in Teramo, Italy (28-30 September), which gathers education actors and youth from Europe and Africa for an annual conference on Euro-African academic partnerships. The workshop participants and ICCROM staff members headed to the conference bolstered by the findings reached at the strategic workshop.