Culture News Archives
The Fifth Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 15 to 19 November
2010. The meeting which attracted over 450 delagates from all over the world was the
first to be held in sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya is taking an active role in the safeguarding
of the intangible cultural heritage of its people.

5th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage
Website
1 November 2009
Tigrinya version available!: the 2003 Convention
The text of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
is now available in Tigrinya, one of the national languages of Eritrea.
The translation was prepared in 2009 by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the National
Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO, with the financial assistance from UNESCO
Nairobi.
For further information about the 2003 Convention, see the website:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00102
National consultation meeting on the 2003 Convention
8 April 2009
Eritrea: National consultation meeting on the 2003 Convention and the
establishment of a legal framework for the protection of heritage with reference to
the 1972 Convention (8 -10 April 2009)
The National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO and UNESCO Nairobi office will
jointly convene a three day national consultation meeting - from 8 to10 April 2009 in
Asmara, Eritrea – in order to discuss issues related to the safeguarding of cultural
heritage of Eritrea. The participants include representatives from the line ministries
responsible for cultural and natural heritage, universities, religious institutions, the
National Museum, Research and Documentation Centre, and Regional and District
administrations. Two resource persons from outside Eritrea will also contribute to the
meeting.
The first half of the meeting will focus on the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage, covering its scope and objectives, safeguarding
measures and the obligations of the states parties. Since Eritrea is not yet party, the
participants will discuss steps towards ratifying this legal instrument.
The establishment of a legal framework for the protection of tangible heritage is the
subject of the second part of the meeting. The participants will review the draft
framework prepared by a group of Eritrean experts and discuss further steps. Although it
ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2001, Eritrea has not yet nominated any sites
for inscription on the World Heritage List and its Tentative List so far contains only one
site. The meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the 1972
Convention in Eritrea.
Further information:
National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO:
E-mail: natcomeri@yahoo.com
10 October 2009
Luganda version available!: the 2003 Convention
The text of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
(Endagaano Y’Okukuuma Obuwanga N’ENNONO) is now available in Luganda, one of
the national languages of Uganda.
The translation was prepared between 2008 and 2009 by the Department of Culture and
Family Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda, with the
financial assistance from UNESCO Nairobi.
For further information about the 2003 Convention see the website:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00102
New project launched to safeguard traditional foodways of two communities in Kenya
7 October 2009
Traditional foodways involve
practices transmitted within a
community concerning the
preparation and consumption of
food, including the provision of
ingredients and the roles of all
people involved. Traditional
foodways, both those related to everyday life as well as those associated with special
occasions (such as rituals, social practices and festive events) constitute an important part
of the intangible heritage of communities everywhere in the world. In Kenya, as in many
other countries, there is an ongoing tendency due to the pressure of modernization and
urbanization to abandon traditional foodways and to eat more and more western style
food. Many young people are no longer aware of the traditional foodways of their
communities. In other words, the diversity of foodways and related knowledge about
nature in Kenya is at risk.
With the financial assistance from the Government of Japan, UNESCO Nairobi has
launched a project “Safeguarding traditional foodways of two communities in Kenya”
which aims to:
(1) Identify and inventory traditional foodways in two communities in Kenya (Eastern
Pokot in the Rift Valley Province and Isukha of the Western Province),
(2) Encourage these communities to appreciate traditional food practices;
(3) Raising awareness in Kenya about the endangered diversity of its traditional
foodways and related knowledge about nature.
The core activities of the project include (a) the preparation of a questionnaire and
general protocol to be used for fieldwork and training of two coordinators who will
supervise the actual fieldwork, (b) fieldwork among their communities with the
involvement of students (e.g. age 13 to 15) to identify traditional foodways, (c) the
preparation, on the basis of the collected information, of practical inventories (including
recipes) of the traditional foodways of the two selected communities, (d) adjustment of
the questionnaire with general protocol, and preparation of an introduction to it on the
basis of the obtained field experiences, for possible future use in other communities, (e)
dissemination of information about the project once it will have been terminated
successfully.
The project, with a budget of USD 68,930, will be implemented through a project
management team involving the Department of Culture, the National Museums of Kenya,
Bioversity International – Kenya and the Provincial administration of the Rift Valley and
the Western Provinces.
The launch of this project took place on 7 October 2009 at the National Museums of
Kenya in Nairobi, as part of the traditional food fairs organised by the National Museums
of Kenya.
Luganda text 2003 convention 14th October
1st October 2009
Inscribed! - Traditions and practices of Kenya's Mijikenda people recognized under the
2003 Convention
On 1 October 2009, the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Heritage inscribed for the first time heritage elements on the List of Intangible
Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding that was established under the 2003
UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Among
the twelve elements inscribed on that date figure “the Traditions and practices associated
to the Kayas in the sacred forests of the Mijikenda”.
The identity of the Mijikenda, nine Bantu-speaking ethnic groups living in coastal Kenya,
is expressed, among other things, through oral traditions and performing arts related to
their sacred forests. Kayas are fortified settlements in these sacred forests that are
indispensable for the enactment of a set of living traditions that underscore the continuity
and cohesion of the Mijikenda communities. These traditions and practices enshrine the
Mijikenda’s codes of ethics and governance systems, and include prayers, oath-taking,
burial rites and charms, naming of the newly born, initiations, reconciliations, marriages
and coronations.
The use of natural resources within the Kayas, which are sources of valuable medicinal
plants, is regulated by practices that have contributed to the conservation of their
biodiversity. The Kambi (Councils of Elders) acts as the custodians of the Kayas and of
the related cultural expressions. Today, Mijikenda communities are gradually abandoning
the Kayas in favour of informal urban settlements. Due to pressure on land resources,
urbanization and other social transformations, the traditions and cultural practices
associated to the Kaya settlements are fast diminishing. This poses serious threats to the
social fabric and cohesion of the Mijikenda communities and to Kenya’s cultural
diversity.
The Intergovernmental Committee, which met in Abu Dhabi from 28 September to 2
October 2009, did not only recognize the value of the traditions and practices of
Mijikenda people that are associated to their Kayas and the threats to their viability. It
also took the decision to grant to the Government of Kenya international assistance to an
amount of USD 126,580 to undertake, with the full participation of the Mijikenda,
activities aiming to safeguard these practices and expressions.
It is worth while noting that eleven out of the about fifty Kayas of the Mijikenda people
were already protected under UNESCO’s 1972 World Heritage Convention, under the
name “Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests”; from now on the heritage of the Mijikenda
people of Kenya is inscribed and protected under two UNESCO Conventions. It is to be
hoped that many more elements of the intangible heritage of Kenyan communities and
groups may be inscribed and safeguarded.
The next, fifth, session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage will be organized in Kenya, in November 2010. That will be
the first time that an African country will host a session of this Committee.
Dance at Kaya Giriama, ©
UNESCO
Koma or memorial stakes at
Kaya Giriama, © UNESCO
1 June 2009
The Runyankore Rukiga Dictionary is available!
The Institute of Languages of Makerere University in Kampala completed in June 2009
the electronic version of a bilingual Runyankore Rukiga dictionary.
Runyankore Rukiga is spoken by some 1.6 million people in Uganda. In spite of this high
number of native speakers, its viability is questioned since more and more young people
tend to speak English instead of their ancestral language. It is hoped that this dictionary which features over 15,000 lexical items - will contribute to the preservation of the
language and thus to the linguistic and cultural diversity of Uganda.
This project, which started in 2005, was financed by the Government of Japan through
the UNESCO/Japanese Funds in Trust cooperation project "Writing a Runyankore
Rukiga - English dictionary for the preservation of language". (Runyankore dictionary)
1 June 2009
The guidebook "Discovering the Kenyan Coast" is available!
The guidebook “Discovering the Kenyan Coast” is available!
While the Kenyan coast is widely known for its beautiful beaches, it is also home to the
rich matarial and living heritage of the various communities living there. That heritage is
remarkably diverse, since the Kenyan coast for many centuries has been an economic and
a cultural hub between the interior and, the Arabic speaking world, the islands in the
Indian Ocean and beyond. Oversea contacts have been formative in particular for Swahili
cultural traditions and the Swahili language.
Recently a guidebook "Discovering the Kenyan Coast" was published in June 2009,
presenting heritage of the Kenyan coast area - such as architectural heritage,
archaeological sites and Swahili traditions, and suggesting itineraries for visiting
remnants of the past and witnessing present-day living traditions.
The publication was prepared by the National Museums of Kenya and the Institute of
Research for Development. Financial assistance was provided by the Embassy of France
in Kenya, the European Union (through the Tourism Trust Fund) and UNESCO Nairobi.
It is available for 900 Ksh at the bookshops of the National Museums of Kenya in
Nairobi and in Mombasa.
18 May 2009
Rwanda celebrates the International Museum Day
The photo exhibition « Fashions in Rwanda from 1920 to 1980s » will be opened on 18
May 2009 at the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda at Huye for two months.
The exhibition will then travel to Kigali and to Nyanza. Traditions concerning clothing
and hair styles are the subject of the exhibition, which was put together in cooperation
with the Museum at Kabgayi, the archive of Mgr Kagame Alexis, and the Office of
Information (l’OEINFOR).
The opening of the exhibition coincides with the International Museum Day on 18 May
2009, which was established by the International Council of Museums in 1977 and is
celebrated in partnership with UNESCO.
Further information
www.museum.gov.rw/
http://icom.museum/2009_contents.html
18 May 2009
Eritrea celebrates the International Museum Day
This year, the National Museums of Eritrea celebrated the International Museum Day
with orphans, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism. Orphanages around the
countries were invited to visit the National Museum of Eritrea and various archaeological
sites.
In the past, the International Museum Day in Eritrea targeted handicapped people (2008),
war disabled ex-fighters for the independence war (2007), and high school students in
Asmara to discuss human evolution (2006).
13 May 2009
Uganda ratifies the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage On 13 May 2009, Uganda deposited with the UNESCO’s Director-General its
instrument of ratification of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
In accordance with the terms of its Article 34, the aforementioned Convention will enter
into force with respect to Uganda three months after the date of the deposit of this
instrument, that is to say on 13 August 2009.
Further information about the States Parties to the 2003 Convention:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00024
8 April 2009
Eritrea: National consultation meeting on the 2003 Convention and the
establishment of a legal framework for the protection of heritage with reference to
the 1972 Convention (8 -10 April 2009)
The National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO and UNESCO Nairobi office will
jointly convene a three day national consultation meeting - from 8 to10 April 2009 in
Asmara, Eritrea – in order to discuss issues related to the safeguarding of cultural
heritage of Eritrea. The participants include representatives from the line ministries
responsible for cultural and natural heritage, universities, religious institutions, the
National Museum, Research and Documentation Centre, and Regional and District
administrations. Two resource persons from outside Eritrea will also contribute to the
meeting.
The first half of the meeting will focus on the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage, covering its scope and objectives, safeguarding
measures and the obligations of the states parties. Since Eritrea is not yet party, the
participants will discuss steps towards ratifying this legal instrument.
The establishment of a legal framework for the protection of tangible heritage is the
subject of the second part of the meeting. The participants will review the draft
framework prepared by a group of Eritrean experts and discuss further steps. Although it
ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2001, Eritrea has not yet nominated any sites
for inscription on the World Heritage List and its Tentative List so far contains only one
site. The meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the 1972
Convention in Eritrea.
Further information:
National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO:
E-mail: natcomeri@yahoo.com
27 February 2009
Kiswahili version: The 2003 Convention
The text of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
(Maafikiano Ya Kulinda Turathi za Tamaduni Zisizogusika) is now available in
Kiswahili. The translation was prepared in 2008 by the panel of Kiswahili experts
convened - with the financial assistance from UNESCO Nairobi - by the Department of
Culture under the Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, Republic of Kenya
See: pdf text on the convention
Further information:
The website of the 2003 Convention link:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00102
27 February 2009
Kiswahili version: Messenger for Intangible Heritage
The Intangible Heritage Messenger (Toleo La Messenger La Turathi Zisizogusika) is
now available in Kiswahili (issues 1-9). The translation was prepared in 2008 and 2009
by the panel of Kiswahili experts convened - with the financial assistance from UNESCO
Nairobi - by the Department of Culture under the Ministry of State for National Heritage
and Culture, Republic of Kenya.
Messenger 02
Kiswahili
Messe
nger
01
Kiswa
hili
Messe
nger
03
Kiswa
hili
Messe
nger
04
Kiswa
hili
Messenger 05
Kiswahili
Messe
nger
06
Kiswa
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Messenger 07 Kiswahili
Further information:
The website of the 2003 Convention link:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00102