Porte du non-retour - Ouidah
Porte du non-retour - Ouidah

Youth.Heritage.Africa. is a new ICCROM long-term regional initiative. The goal is to create economic value, invest in social and human capital, and foster innovation and creativity within the heritage sector in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

There is good reason to focus on African youth. Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population; those between the ages of 14 and 35 years constitute over 40%. They are also the most affected by unemployment and poverty. At the same time, the context is evolving fast: there is a growing network of African universities, of active civil society, and of vibrant tech ecosystems around the continent. Africa’s youth combined with its rich heritage hold a great potential for social and economic development.

Building upon the experience and know-how of the African World Heritage Fund, the École du Patrimoine African and other African institutional partners, the new ICCROM programme will have the following objectives:

  • Engage Africa's youth in caring for heritage – its conservation, resilience, management and promotion.
  • Mainstream sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities within the heritage sector.
  • Develop sustainable, resilient and innovative use of heritage for education, development and peace.

In the next 3 years, we will engage youth through:

  • The creation of six pilot “heritage hubs” that will bring them together around heritage activities and heritage assets.  
  • A yearly Africa-wide Youth & Heritage Competition to discover talent and support them technically and financially so they can build their business.  
  • Leadership in heritage management and entrepreneurship training in order to strengthen current and future heritage institutions.

At the global level, ICCROM and its partners will strive to raise the profile of heritage, especially among politicians and high-level decision makers.

By 2022, we expect that over 1500 young Africans will have been involved in the programme, supported by an active network of heritage institutions across the continent.

Featured

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On 31 January, a culture-focused “Heritage Hub” will officially open its doors, creating opportunities for cultural heritage to be a sustainable source of economic and social benefit to youth in Rwanda.
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Sharjah hosts a workshop on the Western Sudan Community Museums Project 

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, the Regional Office for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in the Arab Region (ICCROM - Sharjah) in cooperation with the National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums in Sudan (NCAM) and The Africa Institute, organizes a workshop on the Western Sudan Community Museums (WSCM) project on 8 December 2022 at The Africa Institute in Sharjah.  
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Western Sudan Community Museums Project Workshop

We invite you to livestream the Western Sudan Community Museums (WSCM) Project workshop on 8 December 2022 at 9:00 (GST) via Zoom or YouTube. This workshop is part of a larger event that will include a musical and folkloric performance at the Africa Hall theatre on 8 December and an exhibition from 8 to 12 December at the Africa Institute in Sharjah.

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ICCROM welcomes Ambassador of South Africa to Italy

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Strengthening Euro-African collaboration through Youth.Heritage.Africa.

Our belief in the potential of heritage to be a source of social and economic opportunity for young people led to the creation of our flagship programme, Youth.Heritage.Africa. In a short time, this programme has brought together hundreds of young professionals from across the African continent for training on best practices in heritage management and conservation while seeking to inspire youth to...