UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

06/11/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2021 03:29

African World Heritage Day celebrated across Africa

Lalibela, Ethiopia © AWHF

'With the instruments of culture and heritage, we can better address the security, health and climate crisis that some countries of our continent are going through'.

Lassana Cissé, Expert in heritage and local development, Mali

In addition, the UNESCO Nairobi Office launched a call for proposals for young people in East Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) to enhance youth engagement in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage.

May 5 also marked the inauguration of the Pan-African World Heritage Museum in Ghana. The UNESCO Accra Office participated in this event and highlighted the richness and diversity of heritage shared by the African populations of the continent and the diaspora. The museum will share with the world the history of Africa's heroes and civilizations.

Inauguration of the Pan-African World Heritage Museum in Ghana ©UNESCO Accra©UNESCO Accra

The Regional Office in Dakar and Cheick Anta Diop University (UCAD) celebrated African World Heritage Day with an expert round table entitled 'Contribution of UCAD in the inscription and management process of the seven sites in Senegal inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List' on 22 May in Dakar. In addition to this round table, a photo exhibition of 40 panels highlighting the exceptional value of the seven World Heritage sites in Senegal was presented. This exhibition, developed by the UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar, aims to promote Senegalese heritage and is already available online at HERE.

The 2021 edition of the African World Heritage Youth Forum, held online under the theme 'Youth, Entrepreneurship and Heritage Sustainability: Building the Africa We Want' and organised by the AWHFin May 2021 aimed, among other things, to empower young Africans and equip them with innovative and creative entrepreneurial skills in the heritage field.

Engaging young people, communities, heritage experts and national authorities in the safeguarding, promotion and protection of the continent's cultural and natural heritage was the motif of this day, launching the Africa celebrations that will continue throughout the month of May.

My people Seems to have sprouted

From this scorched land

Sprouted from the volcanoes

Born of a shell

Brought by the sea to the sand.

My people

Has wrinkles from looking afar

Wrinkles from laughing

From suffering

And from dying

Those of dying are the most beautiful

For they prove that we reborn

Each day.

Mme Eileen Almeida Barbosa, Cabo-Verde

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