Editor's Preface
The World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF)
The World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) is a global NGO that was founded in the 1960s to
encourage and promote the development of futures studies as a transdisciplinary academic and
professional field in all parts of the world. WFSF operates as a global network of practicing futurists researchers, teachers, scholars, policy analysts, activists and others from approximately 60 countries
WFSF provides a forum where the stimulation, exchange, and examination of ideas, visions, and plans for
alternative, long-term thinking can take place, both face-to-face and virtually. Using foresight the founders
chose a name with long-term currency:

WORLD: Since its inception WFSF has been a transnational organization that encourages and
celebrates cultural diversity. Previous conferences have been held in many parts of the world.

FUTURES: In contrast to many future-oriented organizations that think of "the future" in a
singular way as determined by present trends, WFSF encourages and promotes "plural futures" through
exploration of alternative and preferred futures.

STUDIES: WFSF has a strong history of scholarly research, professional development and futures
pedagogy. Through the work of its Fellows WFSF is the foremost futures organization responsible for the
development of the knowledge base of the futures studies field.

FEDERATION: As a non-profit federation WFSF is a freely gathered association of individuals
and institutions who come together around a special interest in long-term thinking as expressed by terms
such as foresight and futures studies. As such WFSF is an open system, not bound by particular
ideologies.

How it emerged?
The WFSF emerged from the ideas and pioneering work of such persons as Igor Bestuzhev-Lada,
Bertrand de Jouvenel, Johan Galtung, Robert Jungk, Eleonora Masini, John and Magda McHale and
others who in the 1960s conceived of the concept of futures studies at the global level. This resulted in the
organization of the first International Futures Research Conference in Oslo, Norway, in September 1967,
for which Mankind 2000 was responsible in cooperation with the International Peace Research Institute,
Oslo, and the Institut für Zukunftsfragen. A Continuing Committee was created, with headquarters in
Paris.
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Futures Studies for Tomorrow
The WFSF since its inception has encouraged and supported a pluralistic approach to futures studies. This
pluralism will be reflected in the diversity of resources developed within this project.
WFSF vision and mission
WFSF vision (short version): The WFSF is the world's foremost global community of scholarly,
cooperative and reflexive persons and organizations - those who are committed to using futures research
and strategic foresight as a powerful orientation to shaping a human future.
WFSF mission (short version, there was also a long version): To create a sense of the Federation as a
global host of the whole global family of all with a scholarly and professional interest in futures and
foresight.
What is Futures Studies?
Although thinking about the future has always been a part of human culture (e.g., soothsayers, prophets,
and later 'utopians') it has only been in the past four to five decades that it has produced the academic
research field known as Future Studies.
The WFSF uses the plural term “futures” studies rather than the singular “future” studies to counter the
notion of only one future, the latter having both conceptual limitations and political implications. This
pluralisation of futures opens up the territory for envisioning and creating alternative and preferred
futures. While it is commonly thought that futures studies is an attempt to predict the future based on
extrapolation from present day trends, this is only one of at least five approaches to futures research
described below.
A Pluralistic Approach to Understanding Futures Studies
There are many ways that the development of the futures studies field could be characterized. One broad
contextual approach is to identify five traditions currently operating within the field, each of which
represents different epistemological, or even ideological, underpinnings.

the empirical tradition, which focuses on trend analysis and prediction, originated in the USA. It
was supported by the formation of the World Future Society in the 1960s;
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
the critical tradition originated in Europe and grew out of a critique of what was perceived as an
overly empirical approach to futures in the USA. This led to the foundation of the World Futures
Studies Federation in the early 1970s;

the cultural tradition arose in large measure from the work of those WFSF members who sought to
include non-Western cultures and to invoke a deeper consideration of civilizational and planetary
futures;

the empowerment-oriented, prospective, action research approach began in Europe in the nineties
and has been taken up by some Australian researchers;

the integral/transdisciplinary futures approach is newly emerging and appears to have potential for
authentic multiperspectival and planetary inclusion, providing it remains open.
These are not mutually exclusive approaches, nor should this contextualization imply a linear
developmental model. These are all suitable pathways to futures research and pedagogy depending on the
context. Well-informed futures researchers and educators may utilize any or all of these traditions
depending on their operational context.
Why this Conference on the Future of African World Heritage?
As of late, African (and Arab) World Heritage has been exposed to unprecedented factors of damage, but
the most damaging is deliberate destruction. Thus the will of both WFSF and Institute of African Research
& Studies (IARS), Cairo University, combined to hold a Conference (November 2013) at IARS, under the
Auspices of HE the President of Cairo University, and a Workshop (December 2013) at the Egyptian
National UNESCO Commission, under the auspices of HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Higher Education, the Commission, members of WFSF, and the UNESCO Participation Programme.
These two events are part of the World Futures Learning Lab (LEALA) project which is part of the WFSF
application for UNESCO Participation Project 2012-2013 funding. This tri-regional project (Malaysia,
Congo and Egypt), aims to develop and deliver blended (live and on-line) courses in world futures
thinking and practice, focusing especially on the needs of youth, Africa and other developing countries.
The Egyptian event coincided with the launch of the new Professional Master Programme at IARS on the
Management of African World Heritage.
EXPECTED RESULTS, OUTCOME, FOLLOW-UP
Like any other Diploma of the sort given here, there are results of Primary Order and of Secondary
Order. There are also Key Points to consider, as follows:
Primary Order
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The aims of the Primary Level Expected Results of the Diploma are to succeed in providing:
·
advanced studies to students with an undergraduate degree who would like to broaden their
expertise or specialize in the field of World Heritage in Arab and African countries,
Secondary Order
The expected learning outcomes for the Secondary Order results of the Diploma include:
·
detailed knowledge of the extent of Arab and African World Heritage and a critical
awareness of the threats to World Heritage posed by unrestrained human activities and current levels of
extinction and cultural erosion;
Key Points
·
Students will gain a broad understanding of biological diversity at species, genetic and
ecosystem levels (or cultural diversity at the individual, community and country levels) in Arab and African
countries, and the ability and confidence to formulate effective management policies and conservation strategies
for natural and cultural diversity.
·
They will gain management skills for in situ and ex situ animal and plant conservation
projects, or community social engineering in Arab and African countries.
·
They will typically find work as World Heritage specialists with NGOs, government
ministries, within research institutions, consultancies and other national and international organizations working
within the arena of World Heritage or sustainable agriculture and rural development in Arab and African
countries.
Start of the Courses: 1st October 2012, End of the Courses: 30 May 2013
Duration: 8 months
Fees: 3,000 Sterling (UK) pounds
What Benefit for Students:
1.
Find work in a WH site or any other type of protected areas.
2.
Improve your efficiency if you already work in a WH site or any other type of protected areas.
3.
If you are a tourist guide, your capacities will be distinguished and your public will really admire
you.
How to get more information about the courses:
Please contact the Course Coordinator: Prof. Samir I. Ghabbour, Dept. of Natural Resources IARS
on: ghabbour_samir@hotmail.com
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The Proceedings of these two events are given in this Special Issue of the Egypt MAB Bulletin. We hope
they will be of benefit to our readers.
Prof. Samir GHABBOUR
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THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION
HOW IT ALL STARTED
The Nubian Campaign
By Samir I. Ghabbour
THE ROLE OF Dr. Tharwat Okasha
by Dr. Fathi Saleh, Former Director of CultNat Egypt
http://www.cultnat.org/General/Articles/Pages/Articles_details.aspx?id=58&i=62
http://www.cultnat.org/General/Articles/Pages/Articles_details.aspx?id=58&i=63
The very important story in the history of the Egyptian heritage was the Nubian monuments salvation
campaign. We cannot talk about Nubia and the famous temple of Abu Simbel without mentioning Dr.
Tharwat Okasha and his contribution with UNESCO in safeguarding this worldwide valuable monument.
The story started in the 1950s when Egypt decided to build the High Dam in Aswan. One of the
consequences of that High Dam was the formation of a 300 km long lake behind it. This lake was
essentially going to cover scores of important Nubian monuments among which were the great two
temples of Abu Simbel. Dr. Tharwat Okasha was one of these revolutionaries but shortly after the 1952
events he asked Nasser not to include him in political life, so he was posted Ambassador of Egypt in Italy.
In 1958 Dr. Okasha was appointed as Minister of Culture. A few weeks after his appointment, he received
a visit by the American Ambassador in Egypt, accompanied by the Director of the New York
Metropolitan Museum. They proposed to buy one or two of the Nubian temples, since they were going to
drown anyway, and move them to New York. Dr. Okasha spontaneously answered that the Egyptian
temples were not for sale, and a few days later, after consideration with President Nasser, he flew to Wadi
Halfa on the Egyptian-Sudan border, with Dr. Ahmed Badawi, Director of the Antiquities Documentation
Center, to visit the concerned temples. Understandably, the man became emotionally attached to this great
heritage that was about to come to definite annihilation.
At that time, UNESCO had started in Egypt a center for documentation of Nubian monuments. This center
had among its consultants Mme Derouches Noblecourt who advised Dr. Okasha to contact UNESCO for
this matter, especially that Mr. Réné Maheu, the Deputy Director of UNESCO for Culture, was passing by
Cairo on his way to Africa. Dr. Okasha took the opportunity and invited Mr. Maheu to visit a black and
white photography exhibition showing the seventeen Nubian temples at Abdeen Palace during his transit
hours in Cairo.
Mr. Maheu, impressed by the exhibition, was stirred by the story and promised that when he returns to
Paris, he will immediately discuss the matter with the General Director of UNESCO, Mr. Vittorino
Veronese. A Few days later the General Director of UNESCO was on the phone with Dr. Okasha asking
him to write an official letter to the Executive Board of UNESCO with the initiative asking that UNESCO
should take action to safeguard the Nubian temples. With this letter a new era and way of thinking towards
the creation of the world heritage concept started at the UNESCO.
As a result of this letter, Dr. Okasha was invited to the UNESCO Executive Board meeting to present the
case. The presentation was genuine and persuading enough to gain the support of seven members of the
Board. Consequently, a decision was taken to in view the General Director to contact the Egyptian
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Government and ask them to propose a comprehensive plan for an international campaign for
safeguarding the Nubian monuments, within six months.
For that purpose, a joint committee between the Egyptian authorities and UNESCO convened and decided
the following four points:
- UNESCO will issue an international appeal for safeguarding the Nubian monuments.
- Egypt has to declare the facilities that will be offered to the participants.
- A call for an international conference of experts within three months.
- UNESCO would send a mission for aerial photography of the Nubian monuments.
We should not forget that this campaign was racing in time with the construction plan of the High Dam
that had already started, also, that this was the first international campaign of this type and size. UNESCO
made its declaration on March 1960 and formed a Board of Trustees having an honorary president, King
Gustav VI of Sweden. At the same time, UNESCO had arranged a trip for a group of journalists and other
media associates to visit Nubian to see the different temples and sites. Parallel to this, Egypt organized a
special exhibition entitled “Egyptian art in five thousand years” to tour the different possible donating
countries in order to introduce Egyptian civilization. This exhibition toured, over three years period,
Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom. It was followed by another exhibition
entitled “The Treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amun” that toured the United States, Japan, Paris and London.
The General Conference of UNESCO convened in May with one hot item on its agenda, the Nubian
campaign. After many debates around the presentations of the different expert reports, the General
Conference of UNESCO adopted the recommendations that the Director-General should continue efforts
to safeguard the Nubian monuments, urging the member countries to contribute to the cost of this
campaign. The cost was estimated to amount to 87 million dollars out of which Egypt was going to
contribute with 20 million dollars.
With these steps, the real march of the safeguarding of the Nubian monuments and the notion that a
monument can have universal value had started. This campaign has lead in 1972 to the launch of the
UNESCO World Heritage Convention, and later the formation of the World Heritage Center within
UNESCO.
===
THE ROLE OF Mme. Christiane Desroches Noblecourt
(from Wikipedia)
The construction of the new Aswan High Dam led to Noblecourt’s greatest accomplishment: the
preservation of ancient Nubian temples from flooding caused by the dam. In 1954 President Gamal Abdel
Nasser decided to build a new dam with a capacity of 157 billion cubic meters, provided by a lake 500
kilometers long, which would extend into Sudan. It has been described as a project worthy of the
pharaohs. The monuments of ancient Nubia would have been flooded and lost forever if the project had
gone ahead as planned, among them the temples of Abu Simbel. In the words of writer Pierre Loti, who
visited the area shortly after the first dam was completed: “The greater part of the ancient temples of
Nubia will be underwater, but the cotton fields will be so productive!”
UNESCO immediately asked Noblecourt, who was then curator of Egyptian antiquities at the Louvre, to
create an inventory of all the threatened historical sites. It then undertook the colossal task of finding the
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funding necessary to save them. On March 8, 1960, Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, along with Tharwat
Okasha, the Egyptian Minister of Culture, made a formal appeal for international support.
Not only would more than fourteen temples have to be moved, but urgent excavations would need to take
place at sites that would soon be under several dozen meters of water. André Malraux, then the French
Minister of Cultural Affairs, added his voice to the appeal: “The power that created the colossal
monuments threatened today speaks to us in a voice as exalted as that of the architects of Chartres, as that
of Rembrandt. Your appeal is historic, not because it proposes to save the temples of Nubia, but because
through it the first global civilization publicly claims the world’s art as its indivisible heritage. There is
only one action over which the indifference of stars and the eternal murmuring of rivers have no sway - it
is the act by which man snatches something from death.”
Fifty countries, in the middle of the Cold War, contributed funds to save the monuments now considered
part of the heritage of all humanity. Philae, Kalabsha, Wadi al-Seboua, Dakka, Derr and other sites
were moved, with the temples of Abu Simbel receiving the most media attention. The temple of Amada
was a difficult case, because of its small, beautifully painted reliefs. Chopping it into blocks, as was being
done with the other temples, was not an option; the paintings would not have survived. Seeing that all
seemed resigned to see the temple flooded by the silty waters of Lake Nasser, Christiane Desroches
Noblecourt announced that France would save it. She asked two architects to propose a method for
moving the temple in one piece. Their idea was to put the temple on rails and transport it hydraulically to a
site a few kilometers away that was more than 60 meters higher.
More funds were needed for this ambitious project. To this end Christiane Desroches Noblecourt
requested an interview with French President Charles de Gaulle, who had no idea of the commitment she
had made in the name of her country.
Reportedly on learning of it, he demanded, “Madame, how dare you say that France will save the temple,
without authorization from my government?” Noblecourt replied: “My General, how did you dare make
an appeal on the radio without authorization from Pétain?” De Gaulle immediately agreed to honour
Noblecourt's promise.
Ultimately the rescue project, including the transportation and reconstruction of the temples on their new
sites, took twenty years. The preservation of the Nubian monuments was to have unexpected
consequences. The first was an improvement in Franco-Egyptian relations, which had been poor since the
Suez Canal crisis of 1956.
This in turn led to the organization of a Tutankhamon exhibition at the Louvre in 1967, which attracted a
record number of visitors, followed by the exhibitions of Ramses II in 1976, and Amenophis III in 1993.
===
The temples of Abu Simbel in their new position attract so many tourists that a town with an airport grew
nearby.
8
Conference on the Future of African World
Heritage
On Thursday 28 November 2013, Cairo University and the Institute of African Research & Studies
(IARS) are organizing a “Conference on the Future of African World Heritage” in collaboration with the
World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) and support from the UNESCO Participation Programme.
The one-day conference, which will take place at the Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo
University, Giza (Cairo, Egypt), is being held on the occasion of the launching of a new Masters
Programme on the Management of African World Heritage by e-learning.
For more information, please contact Prof. Samir GHABBOUR, World Heritage Coordinator at IARS,
ghabbour_samir@hotmail.com
Documents


UNESCO WFSF IARS Nov 2013.docx
WH Courses Master Mgt African En.doc
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Wildlife crime is robbing the future of Africa –
By Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
and John Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES.
Jeune Afrique
© Andréa Turkalo / Andréa Turkalo
Jul 30, 2013
Given the current rate of poaching, children from West or Central Africa will one day speak of
elephants and rhinoceros as we speak of mammoths: as magnificent creatures belonging to the past.
Over recent years, the massacre of wild species has reached an industrial scale, in particular the poaching
of animals for their ivory. In Gabon alone, some 11,000 elephants have been killed illegally since 2004. In
2012, almost 700 rhinoceros were poached in South Africa. Just this past April, an armed militia went into
the Sangha Trinational transboundary World Heritage site (Cameroon, Central African Republic, and
Congo) and slaughtered at least 26 elephants in Central African Republic in the space of a few days.
Throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, elephants are now being killed faster than they can reproduce,
with 2012 the bloodiest year in decades. This unprecedented increase reflects a change of scale in the way
poaching is conducted: it is now no longer done in a ‘traditional way’ but is conducted by heavily armed
groups with a lot of equipment, determined to sell their spoils to the highest bidder in the global market-which is fueled by soaring prices and demand for ivory and rhino horn, primarily in Asia.
Why we need to act rapidly, and what can be done
We are not just talking about animals. This is about the kind of relationship we want to build with the
environment we all depend upon. Violations against nature ultimately weaken the foundations upon which
communities are built and hope to prosper. This is the reality for thousands of men and women who live
from the resources of the Congolese Basin, and depend directly on these forests for their livelihoods –
whether for sustenance or for activities linked with the preservation of fauna and flora such as tourism. It
is the case for Africa in general and for humankind as a whole: the forests of Central Africa are the richest
resources of the continent and are, after the Amazon, the second lung of the planet. This heritage cannot
be damaged without far-reaching consequences.
Elephants play a vital role in the preservation of this environment: they enable the reproduction of many
tropical tree species, and are the “gardeners” of the ecosystems in which they live in harmony with local
communities. Biodiversity is as vital for nature as cultural diversity is for humankind. By emptying forests
of the animals that inhabit them, poaching is transforming vibrant, living forests into deserted spaces
which, in turn, causes immeasurable damage.
To protect these large mammals, the first step is to protect durably their habitats. UNESCO’s World
Heritage sites and biosphere reserves were created for this reason. At present, they are the highest level of
protection and management available for natural sites.
This of course is not enough. The Sangha Trinational site is one of the best preserved sites in the world. It
was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2012 as the result of many years of remarkable work, the first
of its kind to put in place a system of joint conservation involving three countries but also many other
10
international cooperation agencies and NGOs. Only one year after this landmark inscription, the area was
attacked by a small group of armed rebels intent upon pillaging resources.
To fight against the rise of poaching, the international community must increase its efforts on
several levels.
First, we need to support the national and local agencies that are on the front line by giving them financial
support and the appropriate training. Some rangers are sometimes only a handful of men in pick-up trucks,
not sufficiently prepared or armed against poachers hunting in helicopters. Strengthening local means is an
absolute priority that must be included in all cooperation and financial agreements; otherwise the efforts
made towards biological preservation will go to waste.
Secondly, these efforts can only be made at an international level. Animals have no consideration for
international borders and neither do poachers. Countries need to cooperate in order to fight this illegal
ivory trade; to protect these animals, to maintain borders and to sanction criminals and unscrupulous
intermediaries. Awareness also needs to be raised in the countries to which the ivory is destined, countries
where clients often do not realize the provenance of their purchases.
It is a daunting task, considering the global scale of the ivory market. Initiatives do exist, and there are
numerous tools to improve the supervision of fauna and to insure that the law is applied, but these
initiatives are often dispersed. We must make sure we integrate them; even more so when the resources
are limited.
For the past few years, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna
and Flora) and UNESCO have been working together to publish joint data and to share their respective
experiences in interrelated domains such as the trafficking of cultural assets and ivory. This cooperation
makes the fight against illegal trafficking and the protection of these zones of resources possible.
The concerned stakeholders, whether members of government, customs services, the police force,
scientists or NGOs must strengthen their ties, because joining forces is the only way to fight this rise in
organized crime against great mammals. The sustainable management of the resources of the African
continent is at stake, as well as the future of the world’s heritage.
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Cairo University
Institute of African Research & Studies (IARS)
Conference on Future of African World Heritage – 28 Nov. 2013
Activity
Registration
Opening Session
Holy Qur'an
Prof. Dr. El-Sayed Ibrahim Gaber, Dean of IARS
Prof. Dr. Bechir Lamine, Director, UNESCO Cairo Office
Prof. Dr. M. Hamza El-Haddad, Dean, Faculty of Archaeology,
Cairo University
Break
First Scientific Session
Prof. Dr. Samir I. Ghabbour, Futures studies in African World
Heritage – 15 min
Prof. Dr. Wafaa M. Amer, Director, Scientific Heritage Center,
Cairo Univ., Scientific Heritage at Cairo University – 15 min
Discussions – 20 min
Second Scientific Session
Dr. Enas Abdel-Hady, Univ. of Mansoura, African fossil
heritage and its future – 30 min
Dr. Saeed Abdel-Hamid, State Ministry for Antiquities,
Technologies of artefact restoration – 30 min
Dr. Iman El-Bastawisy, IARS, Future management of African
WH sites – 30 min
General discussion, recommendations and closure – 30 min
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Time
9.00-10.00
10.00-10.30
10.30-11.00
11.00-12.30
12.30-15.00
13
Conference on the Future of the African World Heritage
Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo University
Thursday, November 28th, 2013
Opening Statement
Dr Bechir Lamine
Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau
for Science and Technology in Arab States
Prof. El-Sayed Ibrahim Gaber, Dean of the Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo University
Prof. Mohammad Hamza Al-Haddad, Dean, Faculty of Archaeology,
Prof. Samir Ibrahim Ghabbour, World Heritage Coordinator, Institute of African Research and Studies,
Cairo University
Respectful Professors
Ladies and Gentlemen
On my behalf and on behalf of UNESCO, I am pleased and honoured to salute the attendees of the
Conference on the Future of African World Heritage, which coincides with the launch of the program of
study for Master's degree in African World Heritage by the Institute.
The sponsors of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of World Heritage in 1972 aimed to support
and assist Member States of UNESCO for the implementation of the Convention through advocacy and
facilitating accession to the Convention and the continued capacity building of institutions associated with
the work of this Convention.
In this regard, UNESCO encourages and supports initiatives designed to enhance the academic courses
that contribute to the strengthening of national capacities in the field of heritage preservation in the
Member States of UNESCO.
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The UNESCO strategy for capacity building in the field of World Heritage, approved in 2011, examined
the current requirements concerning the protection of World Heritage and identified a range of issues to be
addressed:
• reduce the risk of disasters
• sustainable tourism
• assessment of the impact of heritage
• management effectiveness
• integration of community and non-governmental organizations and other interested parties in the
management process
• consolidate and strengthen legal and administrative frameworks at the national level
• Increase public awareness about the Convention of Protection of World Heritage
• Improve the integration of World Heritage in planning mechanisms that are in place
It is understood that you cannot address any of the issues mentioned above without carrying out adequate
academic research and the development of academic educational programmes at both national and
regional levels.
And so UNESCO would like to congratulate Cairo University and the Institute of African Research and
Studies for the preparation and launch of the online Master's program in African World Heritage which
will contribute to capacity building related to World Heritage in general.
UNESCO Office in Cairo also congratulates the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO for their
support of this initiative through the UNESCO Participation Program.
At the end of this opening speech I would like to suggest to Cairo University to consider establishing a
UNESCO World Heritage Chair at the Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo University, which
will contribute to the connectivity and networking with similar academic programs in the rest of the world,
through the UNESCO Universities Twinning Program.
Sincere wishes for success of this initiative and thanks for your kind attention.
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Conference on the
FUTURE OF AFRICAN WORLD HERITAGE
Institute of African Research and Studies
Under the Auspices of
HE President of Cairo University
Thursday 28 November 2013
Speech by Prof. Dr. El-Sayyed Ibrahim Gaber
Dean of the Institute
In the name of God the Merciful
HE Dr. Bechir Lamine, UNESCO Regional Representative, Director of UNESCO Cairo Office
Prof. Mohamed Hamza El-Haddad, Dean of Faculty of Archaeology,
Prof. Samir Ghabbour, IARS WH Coordinator,
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests of our Institute,
An Arab poet once said: These monuments tell about who we are, so look at them after we leave. But now
I say (with apologies to the poet): These monuments tell about who we are, so look what you have done to
them!
The creation of God Almighty of the earth and what it has of the many species of plants and animals and
the budding to life of the human species, singled out with the advantage of the mind, allowing humans to
live in peace and to deal with creatures with wisdom and knowledge, and to know how to take advantage
of them for sustained procurement of food, clothing, medicine and construction materials.
Throughout successive ages and eras, established human civilizations and nations constructed buildings
and enacted laws, developed economic systems, and political governance of individuals and groups,
within peace and security and the growth of civilizations in their diversity, despite wars and conflicts
which marred and continue to spoil human life.
Thus accumulated the experience of humans and grew achievements of civilizations, which remain a
witness to his genius and his rise and his history. The interaction of communities with each other and with
their environment and what resulted from these interactions of material changes in the shape of the land of
buildings and farms, factories, and memories of immateriality of proverbs and stories that pass from one
generation to another.
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God created animals to eat and grow and breed, but Man was not created for this. He is the maker of
successive civilizations. He knows that he has a recorded past, he has goals and he learns from it, he fears
his future and tries to unfathom it and hopes to be in it in the best of his life. Every civilization leaves after
it artefacts indicating what it rightly acquired, lessons to be learned by the successors, hoping not to repeat
its mistakes.
The material and immaterial human heritage is the accumulation of experiences in dealing with human
nature and with living and inanimate nature, affecting them and being affected by them.
Heritage means every concept related to human experiences in the past and the present: history and in
future hopes. Heritage is natural and material as well as civilizational and cultural and oral. It is the sum of
properties and treasures left by ancestors. It is the bond that connects individuals and peoples with times
past and with people who had already lived there, so society draws from it its roots and originality, to add
new blocks in the march of civilization, and thus maintains the originality and its identity .
Heritage sites are not just symbols filled with meanings and connotations; they also have an important
developmental dimension. There are many examples boosted by new approaches to manage it so as to
support economic growth, not only by pride in the work of the ancestors, but also by providing
opportunities for innovative work in the local population, both in the field of handicrafts or in activating
cultural and scientific tourism, or the emergence of new patterns of equitable trade, or through new forms
of creativity.
The management of heritage sites on scientific bases is of major importance to support sustainable
development and poverty eradication, training of experts and the participation of local communities and
indigenous populations associated with and around heritage sites, and putting an emphasis on their
interests and needs.
The celebration of national heritage, and especially its internationally recognized part, is a manifestation
of the pride felt towards previous generations and rendering homage to them, and at the same time saving
the rights of future generations.
World Heritage sites are cultural monuments of heritage or natural landmarks of a special Outstanding
Universal Value with possess those features that States single out for candidacy to be included on the socalled "World Heritage List", according to the criteria laid down by the World Heritage Convention that
put forward by UNESCO in 1972, at the request of Member States of the Organization.
This agreement arose as a result of the appeal by Egypt in the late 1950s - in conjunction with Sudan - for
the international community to cooperate in saving the monuments of Nubia, which were to be inundated
after the construction of the High Dam. Egypt asked UNESCO to coordinate the operation financially and
technically, that involved fifty State Members. These monuments were rescued with great success. The
miraculous lifting of the famous temple of Abu Simbel, made the site an integrated touristic city. The
countries concerned agreed that the organization of such rescue operations in the future should be carried
out within the framework of an international agreement, which is the World Heritage Convention. It
stipulates that the site remains under the sovereignty of its owner State, but nominally belongs to all
humanity. And it was natural that Egypt joined in the Convention from its inception.
World Heritage Sites have been exposed to many dangers over time, but their exposure to risks today calls
for grave concern. We see this in particular in many Arab and African countries. Besides the natural
factors of weathering, erosion, climate change, earthquakes, ground water, and fire, new human factors
began recently to emerge through indirect or intended destruction, haphazard urban sprawl, wars and
conflicts and also looting and destruction for the sake of destruction!
This Institute of African Research and Studies (IARS) therefore decided, with the support and help of the
Directorate of Cairo University and of UNESCO, to establish a Professional Master's Degree for the
Management of African World Heritage, entirely by the distance learning system, to serve African
17
countries in the preparation of young Arab and African countries and the emergence of a new generation
of scholars and qualified specialists in management of World Heritage in the Continent, who are able to
manage existing sites and prepare nomination files for the inscription of new sites and for the preparation
of management plans, as well their implementation on the ground .
When we say African World Heritage there is not the least contradiction; it means it is in Africa, but its
value is up to the global level. The Institute held several meetings to study this issue since 2007, which
resulted in choosing the best way for his contribution to resolve that situation. When the e-Learning
Center was established within Cairo University, it is now possible for the Institute to choose the distance
education system. Its advantages are obvious, in that the student does not have to leave home or family
and leave a job, and not be forced to search for funding for travel and stay in another country for two
years. And all that is needed for the learner is to own a computer and the necessary software, which we
can provide. The learner has to well study the lessons of eight courses, and to pass the exams in the first
year. The learner has then to prepare a dissertation in an appropriate subject for the learner's own country,
in the second year of the study.
The Institute seeks to hold cooperation protocols - with the support of the University of Cairo and of
UNESCO - with universities that offer such courses in Europe, and with other relevant institutions - noting
that the Master Degree we offer now is the first of its kind in Africa and in Arab countries.
I would like on this occasion to extend to the State institutions three suggestions, hoping that they be
implemented expeditiously:
The first: Promulgation of a law to safeguard the cultural and natural heritage, taking into account Egypt's
obligations in the World Heritage Convention, to replace the currently separate laws for the protection of
monuments and nature reserves.
And the second: Establishment of a special National World Heritage Convention Committee, within the
framework of the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission, to deal with UNESCO regarding the
implementation of the World Heritage Convention (i.e., a national focal point), comprising representatives
from the Ministries of Antiquities, Culture, Tourism and the Environment, and from universities and other
bodies of relevant jurisdiction, such as the Chamber of Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce, and the
tourist agencies.
The third: creation of a legal system for rapid intervention to save the monuments and natural attractions
for registration, examination, and salvation, prior to the granting of building permits on the land, so that
land owners do not quickly destroy them as is currently happening. Such laws are in place in many of
developed and developing countries.
And now I am pleased to extend my cordial greetings and thanks to the honourable guests who kindly
accepted to come. And I especially thank the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission, which allowed us
to hold this important Conference, through the UNESCO participation program), with the collaboration of
the World Futures Studies Federation (member of UNESCO within the International Social Sciences
Council, as a not-for-profit INGO), for their cooperation with us in this program and the implementation
of our conference today.
Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.
18
Science Heritage Center
Cairo University
By
Prof. Wafaa Amer,
Director, Science Heritage Center, Cairo University
Science Heritage Center: the past and present
By the end of 1996, the board of Cairo University, under the presidency of Professor Mofid
Shehab, decided to establish a center for the history of Science named as Science Heritage
Center (SHC) in the Faculty of Science, and appointed Prof. Hamed Ead , Prof. of Chemistry
Faculty of Science to be the 1.st director and the founder of the center. In March 2002 the board
of Cairo University, under the presidency of Prof. Naguib Gohar decided that SHC should be
independent and related directly to the university presidency, and appointed Prof. Rifaat Hilal
as Director of the Center.
In 2007 Prof. Hussam Kamel, the president of Cairo University appointed Prof. Hamed
Ead Director of the center; and Prof. Wafaa Amer still as a vice Director. In August 2009, Prof.
Hussam Kamel, the president of Cairo University appointed Prof. Wafaa Amer Director of the
center.
In spite of the interest in history that is characteristic of Egypt, teaching history of science
is not included in the University and general education curricula. So, the Science Heritage
Center represents the first step for the initiation and revival of the scientific history and
achievements in the Ancient Egyptian and Islamic era.
The Science Heritage Center is devoted to the study of the history of science. The
process of scientific thinking and knowledge acquisition and their interrelations with cultural,
technical, and social contexts will be central points for investigation. Even though, natural
science might be considered the principal objective of research and studies at the center, the
methodologies applied are rooted in the humanities, and in particular in studies of human
culture.
The Centre objectives
1- Reviving and documentation of the ancient Egyptian scientific issues.
2- Reviving and documentation of the ancient Egyptian heritage sites.
19
3- Exhibits mobile roaming in and outside Egypt on the history of science.
4- Establishing and writing the science pioneers profile .
5- Establishing a library specialized in science in ancient Egypt.
6-Organizing of lectures and symposia, about local and international history of science.
7- Establishing museum traces the development of science throughout history.
8- Arrangement of training programmes and workshops about the science heritage.
9- Exchange of experts who are specialized in this area with universities and centers.
10- More research and studies on the heritage sites around the world .
11- Documentation of the Scientific, Cultural, and Heritage sites allover the world.
12-Provide scientific advice to policy makers and practitioners in this field.
Example Projects carried out by the of Scientific Heritage Center
1-Environmental and touristic planning of Wadi El-Hitan (World Heritage site)
2-Documentation and development of touristic planning for El Farma, area North Sinai.
3- Environmental and touristic planning of El Qanater area ( area at which the Nile Branches
originate).
4- Development of touristic planning for the Tripe of the Holy Family in the Sites linked to
the Nile .
Activities for the Science Heritage Center as organizer / a co-organizer
1- 1st International Conference in Ancient Egyptian Science April, 24-26 2010
2- A seminar around "Elections and the political future of Egypt"
3- Seminar " the role of the Cairo University in the revival of scientific heritage in Egypt"
4- Seminar " Arab scientific heritage values of renewable"
5-Workshop entitled "Strategic Evaluation of the impact of tourism development on the Valley of
the Whales"
6- Workshop entitled " Property rights in of the Ancient Scientific issues"
Current Activities
20
1.
Translation of the documentary book about the Ancient Egyptian Astronomy, from Italian to
Arabic language in cooperation with the Italian Embassy in Egypt. The book entitled " "Egyptian
Astronomy: Introduction to Astronomy in Ancient Egypt" written by the Italian author:
Massimiliano Franci, published in March 2010.
2.
Documentation of the scientific history of Cairo University, including its museums.
Dr. Wafaa M. Amer
Botany Dept.-Faculty of Science
Manager of Science Heritage Center
Cairo University - Giza12613- Egypt
Email: wafaa_amer@hotmail.com
http://shc.cu.edu.eg
21
Fossils' heritage in Africa and its future
Enas A. Ahmed; EMRA
The Earth is the third planet from the Sun is the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the
Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets.
The Earth Planet is a little over 4.5 billion years old, approximately one-third of the age of the
universe. Its earliest times were geologically violent, and it suffered constant shelling from meteorites.
When this ended, the Earth cooled and its surface solidified to a crust “the first solid rocks”.
There
were no continents as yet, just a global ocean peppered with small islands. Erosion, sedimentation and
volcanic activity, possibly assisted by more meteor impacts, eventually created small proto-continents
which grew until they reached roughly their current size 2.5 billion years ago. The continents have since
repeatedly collided and been torn apart, so maps of Earth in the distant past are quite different to today's.
The history of the Earth concerns the development of the planet Earth from its formation to the
present day. Over time, the planet cooled and formed a solid crust, allowing liquid water to exist on the
surface. An immense amount of biological and geological change has occurred in that time span. The first
life forms appeared between 3.8 and 3.5 billion years ago. Photosynthetic life appeared around 2 billion
years ago, enriching the atmosphere with oxygen. Life remained mostly small and microscopic until about
580 million years ago, when complex multicellular life arose.
Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras,
forming approximately 300 million years ago. It began to break apart around 200 million years ago. The
single global ocean which surrounded Pangaea is accordingly named Panthalassa.
Gondwanaland was part of the Pangaea supercontinent that existed from approximately 510 to 180
million years ago. Gondwana included most of the landmasses in today's Southern Hemisphere, including
Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar and the Australian continent.
Africa was one of the minor supercontinent of Gondwana which separated when Gondwana began
to break up in the early Jurassic (about 184 Mya) accompanied by massive eruptions of basalt lava, as East
Gondwana, comprising Antarctica, Madagascar, India and Australia, began to separate from Africa .
The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and
the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic
Ocean to the west, the continent include Madagascar and various archipelagoes.
Fossils' heritage
in Africa paleontology and palaeoanthropology have a long history in the
African continent which it boasts by having perhaps the world's largest combination of density of
prehistoric life forms through the geologic times, diversified among plant, animal fossils and humankind.
22
Since life began on Earth and during its dramatic 4.5 billion years history, Earth has passed
through a series of major geological and biological changes showing by notable prehistoric events and
geological periods as it exposed to several major mass extinctions, which have significantly exceeded the
background extinction rate. Sea-level fall are associated with most of the mass extinctions, including all of
the "Big Five"—End-Ordovician, Late Devonian, End-Permian, End-Triassic, and End-Cretaceous as the
big five mass extinction events accompanied with many smaller scale mass extinctions; mostly if not all
are representing in the African continent. During the Cambrian period it experienced a rapid
diversification into most major phyla. Geological change has been constantly occurring on our planet
since the time of its formation and biological change since the first appearance of life.
But the most severe occurred at the end of the Permian period when 96% of all species perished.
Then the most famous extinction event was Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction - also known as
the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) extinction - is famed for the death of the dinosaurs. However, many other
organisms perished at the end of the Cretaceous including the ammonites, many flowering plants and the
last of the pterosaurs. Some groups had been in decline for several million years before the final event that
destroyed them all. It's suggested that the decline was due to flood basalt eruptions affecting the world's
climate; combined with drastic fall in the sea level. Then a huge asteroid or comet struck the seabed near
the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Although the K-T extinction event is the most well-known for the death of the dinosaurs and many
other organisms which perished at the end of the Cretaceous, at least half of all species; a series of other
mass extinction events has occurred throughout the history of the Earth, were even more devastating than
K-T.
Like Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction which was the third largest extinction in the Earth's history;
the extinction had two peak dying times separated by hundreds of thousands of years. During the
Ordovician, most life was in the sea, so it was sea creatures such as trilobites, brachiopods and graptolites
that were drastically reduced in number.
Through the Late Devonian mass extinction, three quarters of all species on Earth died out,
though it may have been a series of extinctions over several million years, rather than a single event. Life
in the shallow seas were the worst affected, and reefs took a hammering, not returning to their former
glory until new types of coral evolved over 100 million years later.
The Great Dying was in the Permian mass extinction, since a staggering 96% of species died out.
All life on Earth today is descended from the 4% of species that survived.
Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction during the final 18 million years of the Triassic period, there
were two or three phases of extinction whose combined effects created the Triassic-Jurassic mass
extinction event. Climate change, flood basalt eruptions and an asteroid impact have all been blamed for
this loss of life.
23
Holocene extinction given to the widespread ongoing extinction of species during the Holocene
epoch which sometimes called the sixth extinction, the extinctions vary from mammoths to Dodos, to
countless species in the rainforest dying every year.
Mammals have existed since the late Triassic, but prior to the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event
they remained small. During the Cenozoic, mammals rapidly diversified to fill some of the niches that the
dinosaurs and other extinct animals had left behind, branching out into many of the modern orders.
The drier global climate of the Cenozoic led to the expansion of grasslands and the evolution of
grazing and hoofed mammals such as equids and bovids. Some arboreal mammals became the primates;
some other began living in the oceans and became cetaceans.
History of African hominid the continent of Africa has the longest record of human activity of
any part of the world and along with its geographical extent; it contains an enormous archaeological
resource. Africa is considered by most paleoanthropologists to be the oldest inhabited territory on Earth,
with the human species originating from the continent.
During the middle of the 20th century, anthropologists discovered many fossils and evidences of
human occupation perhaps as early as 7 million years ago. Fossil remains of several species of early
apelike humans thought to have evolved into modern man, such as Australopithecus afarensis dated to
approximately 3.9–3.0 million years BC), Paranthropus boisei (c. 2.3–1.4 million years BC) and Homo
ergaster (c. 1.9 million–600,000 years BC).
Have been discovered that the first known hominids evolved in Africa; according to paleontology,
the early hominids' skull anatomy was similar to that of the gorilla and chimpanzee, great apes that also
evolved in Africa, but the hominids had adopted a bipedal locomotion and freed their hands. By 3 million
years ago, several australopithecine hominid species had developed throughout southern, eastern and
central Africa. They were users and makers of tools, beside that they were omnivores scavenged for meat.
At 1.75 million years ago, Homo erectus appears and spreads throughout North Africa eventually
traveling to Eurasia; they survived for about 1.5 million years in Africa and Asia. They were active
hunters, lived in small huts and caves, mastered the use of fire and fashioned a variety of stone tools. True
Homo erectus simultaneously existed at this time only in Northern Africa and China but eventually
disappears from the fossil record 250,000 years ago leaving Homo sapiens as the only human species left
on the planet. After the evolution of Homo sapiens approximately 150,000 to 100,000 years ago in Africa,
the continent was mainly populated by groups of hunter-gatherers.
These first modern humans left Africa and populated in the rest of the globe during the out of
Africa migration dated to approximately 50,000 years ago, exiting the continent either across Bab-elMandeb over the Red Sea. The Strait of Gibraltar in Morocco, or the Suez Canal in Egypt, other
migrations of these modern humans within the African continent have been dated to that time, with
24
evidence of early human settlement found in Southern Africa, Middle Africa, North Africa Middle Africa
and the Sahara.
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent, at about 30.2 million km²,
including adjacent islands, it covers six percent of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4 percent of the
total land area. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal
and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the
Atlantic Ocean to the west. With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15% of the world's
human population. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagoes. The geological history
of Earth from Archean to Quaternary is recorded in Africa’s rocks which are very well exposed in so
fascinated geological and extremely varied landscapes.
Sustainable development and future of Africa
In spite the African continent has many sedimentological, paleontological, petrographical and
structural landscapes which stand as an exceptional unique witnesses of the history of Earth, which
deserving to be preserved and promoting to be presented to the general public in more widely accessible
way. Africa has just few several protectorate areas which represent most of its wonderful geosites which
are so attractive by its geographical, historical, architectural and traditional frames in a very exceptional
way.
Europe and Asia have several geoparks while geoconservation and geotourism still relatively new
branches in Africa, and for that Africa misses the applying of the geopark concept and unfortunately not
takes advantage of the concept of sustainable development to promote the importance of these fascinating
geosites as it should be, till now there is no geoparks.
It is very important to note that Africa is a very vulnerable continent for any conflict due to the misuse of
the Africa’s fortunes; and through applying the geopark and geotourism concepts hoping to present an
example of how to communicate and cooperate in Africa and through preserving identified potential
geosites and geoparks areas will create a whole new way of viewing geotourism in the area that will
combine the pleasure of tourism with the preservation of our distinctive places.
Geoparks, Geotourism and Geoconservation in Africa will be the items which will bring sustainable
development to the continent, which characterized with most spectacular landscapes and strategies, which
are now often used for the sustainability of specific geological sites around the world.
With fostering the multidisciplinary nature of the concept of geopark and tourism should be
promoted to present geoparks across the continent differentiates itself from other models of sustainable
tourism community-based tourism and integrated rural tourism, ecotourism, cultural heritage tourism and
etc...
So for developing the geotourism and in result increasing the sustainable development in the African
continent which is the youngest continent in terms of its population and has 50% of Africans are 19 years
25
old or younger. Geopark should be promoted as a new tool to promote the awareness, encourage easily the
fast-growing economies, promoting respect for the environment and the integrity of the landscapes aims to
sustains, and enhances the geographical character of Africa.
We are expecting to see sustainable development and geoconservation develop the African
continent; hence creating geoparks and geotourism market which will builds upon sustainability and
conservation efforts and hence offers potential for more widespread of employment opportunities for the
local communities, and for the continent focusing on creating geo-educational programs around identified
geosites and geoparks. Furthermore it should foster a broader appreciation and national pride for our
unique geological history.
The promotion of these geosites will be an exceptional attractive because of their geographical, historical,
architectural and traditional frames, will be saving for sharing these experiences, promoting these areas,
comprising geoconservation and geoparks, scientific collaboration and networking within African and
Arabian countries and the international community involved in geoparks and geoconservation. The main
outcome concerning the promotion geoparks concept for society, the creation of geoparks, developing the
geotourism, protecting the environment from continues neglection of its resources and its heritages and
from serious issues that threat the future of the continent and might cause disasters such as project of
delivering the sea water of red sea to the Dead Sea.
26
Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage
Dr.Saied Abdel Hamed
Chairman of IFCCH
Director of Conservation of Museums
Ministry of Antiquities
saiedhamed@yahoo.com
DETERIORATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
WHAT ARE THE THREATS FACING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE?
Our cultural heritage is not eternal. Its deterioration is an irreversible process that we can delay but not
avoid. People do not recognize this fact. As heritage has survived for hundreds and even thousands of
years, they think it will survive forever.
In actual fact, all materials comprising our cultural heritage, whether monuments or objects, are
deteriorating as a result of physical, biological or chemical changes that Occur over time.
The way a monument or an object deteriorates depends on the material it is made of and on the
conditions it is kept in. Granite and porphyry, for example, are hard and extremely durable rocks.
Sandstone, on the contrary, is relatively fragile and subject to wind and water erosion.
As a general rule, deterioration is slower if the environmental conditions are stable, even if they are not
ideal.
Heritage has been seriously threatened over the last hundred years not only by natural causes of decay,
but also by social and economic changes such as urban development, increasing tourism and
ethnic/religious conflicts.
The aggressors that threaten our cultural heritage may be of natural and/or human origin. They
jeopardize buildings, monuments, historic and archaeological sites as well as objects and works of art
exhibited in museums.
Natural Factors
Climate (frost, sun, rain)
27
Frequent changes of temperature between night and day cause the water present in building masonry to
evaporate and condense or freeze and thaw, when temperature cyclically changes around 0°. Stress
caused by freeze/thaw cycles deteriorates the material over time.
Pollution (industrial and exhaust emissions)
Pollutants combined with rainwater (acid rain) produce effects such as blackening and erosion.
Pollution is a major cause of deterioration in monuments, especially in the case of marble, limestone and
lime mortar. Bronzes are also seriously affected by pollution. Air inside buildings may also become
polluted by internal sources such as heating, burning candles, open fires, etc.
Natural Disasters
Earthquake", floods and volcanic eruptions.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes have destroyed major historic sites and monuments, such as the Great Mosque in Baalbeck
in Lebanon, Qaser al-Bint in Petra, Jerash, Um-Qaies and other hundreds of cultural sites.
Light
Light-Visible and ultraviolet light as well as heat from light causes fading and discoloration on objects of
organic origin (paper, wood, textiles, photos, etc.).
Humidity
Humidity, moisture and rising damp -Excess humidity can produce diverse effects depending on the
material. It can, for example, corrode metal, swell paper and expand wood.
Water is one of the main elements responsible for the deterioration of building masonry. It facilitates the
interaction of pollutants, encourages the growth of micro-organisms, moss and intrusive vegetation, and
conveys soluble salts that produce erosion phenomena.
Animals
Animals (pests, birds, rodents, etc.) -Wood, leather, wool and paper are considered delicacies by mice, rats
and a variety of insects. Bird and bat droppings contain acids that have a corrosive effect on stone or
bronze.
Human Factors
Neglect and/or abandon
28
Once a building becomes disused, its deterioration rate accelerates as nobody is interested in taking care of
it
any
longer.
Citizens’ Poor Awareness of Heritage:
Despite the abundance, variety of monuments and sites of cultural heritage in the Arab region, people’s
lack of awareness of heritage is the most important and influential factor in the non-conservation of that
heritage. This may be attributed to the unfavorable social and economic status of the population in these
areas.
War
War significantly
contributes to the damage of human heritage. Wars between states or between citizens of the same state
have destroyed many historic areas and towns which were once tourist attractions. We refer to what has
happened in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria .
CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Our heritage is all that we know of ourselves; what we preserve of it, our only record. That record is our
beacon in the darkness of time; the light that guides our steps.
Conservation is the means by which we preserve it. It is a commitment not only to the past, but also to the
future. To secure our records for the future is not an easy task.
Libraries and archives all over the world face serious preservation issues. Whatever continent we focus on,
we can find cultural heritage of many types, in many forms, each of which requires different preservation
methods. It would be very difficult, therefore, to formulate a uniform policy for preservation. However,
we cannot afford to sit on our hands.
THE DISCIPLINE OF CONSERVATION-RESTORATION
29
Over the last fifty years it has become increasingly evident that the conservation of cultural heritage poses
problems too complex to be solved within the existing systems of practice, based on craft skills supported
by related academic disciplines e.g. art history and the sciences etc.
During this time many academic study programs in conservation-restoration of cultural heritage became
established in Europe and graduates from these institutions began to enter the field of conservationrestoration. Although different in level and quality of provision, all these study programs aimed to draw
together the necessary practical and technical skills with those of related humanistic and scientific
disciplines.
They were designed to provide structured programs of study where practice was supported by a clear
underpinning of knowledge, and where research could be supported and fostered. During this time, the
dangers of commercial interests and pressures, which could result in poor quality conservation-restoration
with potentially disastrous and irreversible results, were also acknowledged.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION
The heritage is a valuable, finite, non-renewable and irreplaceable resource, which must be carefully
managed to ensure its survival.
Every generation has a moral responsibility to act as a trustee of the natural and cultural heritage for
succeeding generations.
Numerous cultures, both past and present, have contributed to that heritage and all have the right to be
protected. Conservation of the heritage is in the interest of all people.
Every person, community and institution has an obligation to ensure that significant elements of the
natural and cultural heritage are not damaged or destroyed.
SO SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTATION IS THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE OF
CONSERVATION
OF
CULTURE
HERITAGE
CONSERVATION AS DEFINED IN VENICE CHARTER
It is essential to the conservation of monuments that they be maintained on a permanent basis.
The conservation of monuments is always facilitated by making use of them for some socially useful
purpose. Such use is therefore desirable but it must not change the lay-out or decoration of the building. It
is within these limits only that modifications demanded by a change of function should be envisaged and
may be permitted.
The conservation of a monument implies preserving a setting which is not out of scale. Wherever the
traditional setting exists, it must be kept. No new construction, demolition or modification which would
alter the relations of mass and color must be allowed.
A monument is inseparable from the history to which it bears witness and from the setting in which it
occurs. The moving of all or part of a monument cannot be allowed except where the safeguarding of that
monument demands it or where it is justified by national or international interest of paramount
importance.
30
Items of sculpture, painting or decoration which form an integral part of a monument may only be
removed from it if this is the sole means of ensuring their preservation
RESTORATION
The process of restoration is a highly specialized operation. Its aim is to preserve and reveal the aesthetic
and historic value of the monument and is based on respect for original material and authentic documents.
It must stop at the point where conjecture begins, and in this case moreover any extra work which is
indispensable must be distinct from the architectural composition and must bear a contemporary stamp.
The restoration in any case must be preceded and followed by an archaeological and historical study of the
monument.
Where traditional techniques prove inadequate, the consolidation of a monument can be achieved by the
use of any modern technique for conservation and construction, the efficacy of which has been shown by
scientific data and proved by experience.
The valid contributions of all periods to the building of a monument must be respected, since unity of style
is not the aim of a restoration. When a building includes the superimposed work of different periods, the
revealing of the underlying state can only be justified in exceptional circumstances and when what is
removed is of little interest and the material which is brought to light is of great historical, archaeological
or aesthetic value, and its state of preservation good enough to justify the action. Evaluation of the
importance of the elements involved and the decision as to what may be destroyed cannot rest solely on
the individual in charge of the work.
Replacements of missing parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but at the same time must be
distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not falsify the artistic or historic evidence.
Additions cannot be allowed except in so far as they do not detract from the interesting parts of the
building, its traditional setting, the balance of its composition and its relation with its surroundings.
REUSE means using a building for a use other than that for which it was designed. means re-erecting a
structure on its original site using original components. Sometimes conservation requires dramatic,
emergency large-scale rescues of sites. For example: Abu Simbel temples of Ramesses II. This site was
saved from submersion in the Nile River. Cost 40 million, took about 4 years.
REPLICATION is the act of reproducing by new construction the exact form and detail of a vanished
building, structure, or object, or a part thereof, as it appeared at a specific period. REPLICATION is
limited to the reproduction of fabric the form of which is known from physical and/or documentary
evidence. It should be identifiable on close inspection as being new work appropriate in museum
application as an illustration of an historical period or event. REPLICATION is appropriate when
accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration
master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived.
REPLICATION is appropriate for indigenous or other non-permanent structures which it is not possible to
preserve because of the nature of the construction materials, and where traditional building techniques
themselves merit conservation. Replica of the tomb of king tomb is a good example of replication.
These
are
basic
guidelines
Respecting all cultural values
for
natural
and
cultural
heritage
conservation.
Conservation is based on respecting all heritage values of the place without unwarranted emphasis
on any one aspect at the expense of others.
1. Accurate recording
31
Conservation requires accurate recording about decisions and changes to the place.
2. Make use of all disciplines and experience
Conservation should make use of all disciplines and experience that can contribute to the study and
safeguarding of a place.
3. Least possible physical intervention
Conservation should involve the least possible physical intervention: do as much as necessary and
as little as possible.
Conservation Process
The safeguard of our archaeological heritage is based on conservation and management principles that
take many aspects into account and require a wide range of professional skills. Site management is the
process of planning and implementing measures to protect the site and its values. In order to achieve these
objectives, the planning process must include the following steps:
1- Analyzing and assessing the characteristics of the site and its values, which may be aesthetic,
architectural, historical, natural, religious, scientific and/or social. Understanding these values
represents the first step in establishing an adequate conservation plan.
32
2. Documenting the site by taking photographs, drawing detailed plans, making inventories,
researching and recording historical information, etc.
3. Analyzing the state of conservation of the archaeological remains and identifying the causes of
deterioration in order to define priorities and schedule the necessary treatment.
4. Identifying people or institutions with an interest in the site (municipal authorities, urban
planners, local residents, etc.) and getting them to co- operate in seeking viable solutions to protect
the site.
5. Examining the financial and human resources available for daily care and maintenance of the
site and the legislation governing it. In fact, legislation, urban planning and listing are vital in
protecting our cultural heritage. Urban planners, for instance, may restrict or ban traffic from the
area surrounding an archaeological site to protect it from pollution. Listing a building or
monument ensures that it cannot be demolished, or altered without first considering the cultural
implications.
6. Devising strategies to protect the site so as to meet the requirements/demands of the authorities
and interested parties in the best possible way. Strategies may include ways of presenting the site
t9 the public, checking the flow of visitors, providing facilities such as toilets, car parks, shops and
restaurants without debasing the aesthetic value of the site.
There are two general conservation approaches:
1-Preventive Conservation
consists of indirect action to retard deterioration and prevent damage by creating conditions optimal for
the preservation of cultural heritage as far as is compatible with its social use. Preventive conservation
also encompasses correct handling, transport, use, storage and display. It may also involve issues of the
production of facsimiles for the purpose of preserving the original.
2-Active Conservation
consists mainly of direct action carried out on cultural heritage with the aim of stabilizing condition and
retarding further deterioration. This may includes adding materials to the object to be treated
(consolidants, biocides and protective coating) or remove materials from the object (salt extraction and
water removal).
Finally, The following are principles of ethical behavior for those involved in the conservation of cultural
property:
I.
It is the responsibility of the conservation professional*, acting alone or with others, to strive
constantly to maintain a balance between the need in society to use a cultural property*, and to
ensure the preservation * of that cultural property.
II.
In the conservation* of cultural property, all actions of the conservation professional must be
governed by an informed respect for the integrity of the property, including physical, conceptual,
historical and aesthetic considerations.
III.
The conservation professional shall strive to attain the highest possible standards in all aspects of
conservation , including preventive conservation, examination ,documentation*, research,
treatment* and education.
IV.
The conservation professional shall seek to prevent damage and deterioration to a cultural property
under his/her care by implementing, or by recommending to the owner, appropriate preventive
conservation measures.
V.
The conservation professional shall recognize his or her limitations and the special skills and
knowledge of others.
33
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
The conservation professional shall continue to develop knowledge and skills with the aim of
improving the quality of his/her professional work.
The conservation professional shall contribute to the evolution and growth of the profession by
sharing experience and information with colleagues.
The conservation professional shall act with honesty and integrity in all professional relationships,
recognize the rights of all colleagues and respect the profession as a whole.
The conservation professional shall seek to promote an awareness and understanding of
conservation through communication with those who have a vested interest in the cultural property,
with other professionals and with members of the public.
The conservation professional has an obligation to comply with and to promote an understanding
of this Code of Ethics.
Necessity and Extent of Treatment
The conservation professional shall only recommend or undertake treatment that is necessary to, and
appropriate for, the conservation of the cultural property.
Conversely, a conservation professional shall not intentionally omit to recommend an essential treatment.
When nonintervention best serves to promote the preservation* of the cultural property, it is appropriate
that no treatment be performed.
Documentation of Treatment
Treatment records shall include the date of the treatment, a description of the interventions and of the
materials used (with their composition, where known), observations, as well as any details of the structure,
materials, condition or relevant history of the cultural property that have been revealed during treatment.
From these records a summary shall be prepared in the form of a treatment report.
The conservation professional shall provide the owner with this report and shall stress the importance of
maintaining the rep ort as part of the history of the cultural property.
Techniques and Materials
The conservation professional shall endeavor to use only techniques and materials which, to the best of
current knowledge, meet the objectives of the treatment and have the least adverse effect on the cultural
property.
Ideally, the conservation professional shall use materials that can be most easily and most completely
removed with minimal risk to any original part. Similarly, these techniques and materials should not
impede future treatment or examination.
34
Workshop on the Future of Arab and African World Heritage
Under the Auspices of HE Prof. Dr. Hossam Issa,
Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Higher Education
Chairman of the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission
Cairo, Saturday 21 December 2013
Time
Item
9.30-10.00
Registration
10.00-11.00
Opening session Recitation from the Holy Qur'an
Prof. Dr. Samir I. Ghabbour, Chairman, Egyptian National MAB Committee,
Introduction: How it All Started
Prof. Dr. Aly Abo Leila, Secretary-General, Egyptian National UNESCO
Commission, Role of the National Commission
Prof. Dr. Boshra B. Salem, Rapporteur Egyptian National MAB Committee and
Chairperson of MAB ICC, World Heritage Sites and MAB Biosphere Reserves
11.00-11.30
Break
11.30-15.00
Prof. Dr. Eman Swelam, Director, E-Learning Center, Cairo University, ELearning for World Heritage
Prof. Dr. Ferial El-Bedewy, University of Damietta, Geoparks
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abed, University of Mansoura, Invertebrate and
Vertabrate Fossils in Egypt
35
WORKSHOP
ON FUTURE OF AFRICAN WORLD HERITAGE
Cairo, 21 December 2013
Egyptian National UNESCO Commission
Under the Auspices of
HE Dr. Hossam Issa
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education,
Chairman of the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission
Speech by
Prof. Dr. Abu Leila
Secretary General
the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO
Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests
Peace, mercy and blessings of God
At first, I am happy to welcome you all at the headquarters of the Egyptian National UNESCO
Commission. I also welcome the especially valued members of the Egyptian National MAB Committee.
I am pleased to convey to you greetings of HE Dr. Hossam Issa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Higher Education, Chairman of the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission and his best wishes for the
success of this Workshop and achieving its desired results.
Due attention to holding this Workshop on the Future of the African World Heritage and the World
Heritage Convention put forward by UNESCO, the International Convention for the Safeguarding of
Natural and Cultural World Heritage. Since its launch in 1972, countries race to promote the nomination
of sites for inscription on the World Heritage List, nearing now nearly a thousand sites nominated by
UNESCO. This race to put their heritage on the world heritage map is due to the desire of these countries
to promote their tourism industry. Recognition by UNESCO will lead them to attract the high-class tourist
36
culture. So this category is considered an attractor that helps more tourists to come, from the early ones
write and publish in the media a mechanism for the promotion of a comprehensive tourism promotion,
which about their visits. This will be regarded as a gateway towards other tourist sustainable flows.
Based on this, the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1979 recorded seven sites on the World Heritage List: Nubia
on the southern border of Egypt, Luxor, Fatimid Cairo, the Pyramids to Dahshur, and Abu Mina
Monastery archaeological site in Maryout. In 2002 and 2005, respectively, the Egyptian National
Commission for UNESCO successfully prepared nomination files for the area of St. Catherine in southern
Sinai as a Cultural Heritage site, and Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) in Fayoum, as a Natural Heritage site,
so they were successfully inserted on the world heritage map.
In 1994, the National MAB Committee undertook to confirm their positive relationship to the Convention,
not only on the Egyptian level, but also on the Arab level as well. Two of its members travelled to the
Arab world and were able to record 105 potential natural WH sites, eligible to be part of the World
Heritage List. In addition, the Committee held, in cooperation with UNESCO, four training sessions for
employees in departments of heritage conservation in Arab countries and the International WH
Convention, to take advantage of its application. Moreover, the Egyptian National Commission for
UNESCO organized in 2002, in collaboration with UNESCO, a training course for officials of nature
reserves in Arab courses for definition of their role in placements in World Heritage of eligible natural
sites in the Arab World.
Commission experts also participated in the same year in a training session held by UNESCO in Jordan
for training in preparation of nomination files of World Heritage sites, to provide their expertise in this
regard. These efforts have been completed when a meeting was held in 2005 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates to look at maximizing the benefit of Arab States of the Convention. The meeting ended with a
recommendation for inclusion in the World Heritage Topics in university courses. The participants and
experts agreed that these courses should be at Cairo University.
In the same year South Africa called for a meeting in Cape Town to discuss the establishment of a fund to
safeguard African heritage. This was effectively established there in 2006 under the name "The African
World Heritage Fund", to which Egypt contributed largely through the Egyptian National UNESCO
Commission.
The Egyptian National UNESCO Commission organized in March and May 2010, in collaboration with
the African World Heritage Fund, two twin workshops for World Heritage experts in the countries of
North and East Africa, to harmonize their Tentative Lists of natural and cultural sites in these countries,
because of the repetition of the qualities of the candidate sites, like oases, mountains, lakes, historic roads,
in order to avoid competition between them upon candidacy for UNESCO nomination.
In this context, we are pleased to extend our thanks and gratitude to the Institute of African Research and
Studies on the proposal put forward by the University in relation to the establishment of the Professional
Degree of Master of African World Heritage, to contribute to the rational management of African World
Heritage and its conservation. And we thank all the organizations which helped the Institute to move
towards this achievement, which will be a great step in strengthening ties between Egypt and the
surrounding African countries, on one hand, and in highlighting the cultural heritage of the continent of
Africa for the young people who will occupy their proper place among the continents of the contemporary
world, the other hand.
37
I would also like to extend thanks and respect for each of the august organizations which helped us to hold
our current Workshop; we single out the Rectorate of Cairo University, the Supreme Council of
Universities, the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission, the UNESCO Cairo Office, and the World
Futures Studies Federation, for their support. We thank them all for their sincere and effective cooperation
with us and we hope that we get from this Workshop a group of recommendations that we wish for the
good of the young African Continent and we repeat our hopes for our dear Egypt.
Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you all…
38
GEOPARKS
Prof. Ferial El Bedewy
Damietta University
Geoparks adopted by UNESCO in 1999 are sites on the earth having extraordinary geological
heritage like recognized geological structures, rock layers that document the history of earth, magnificent
fossils, active and non active volcanoes and sites of mines and quarries that need environmental
protection.
The aim of declaring sites as Geoparks is to throw light on the earth's history and in the same time
their environmental protection and to be an economic source to raise the standard of living for the
residents by encouraging the Geo-tourism in these areas.
They become very popular due to their combination of conservation sustainable development and
community involvement.
Today, the Geoparks which have been adopted under the umbrella of UNESCO in the world
(Global Geoparks Network) reach in 2013 ninety two Geoparks distributed in 28 countries, most of them
in Europe and China.
China alone has 27 global Geoparks. Local Geoparks are much more numerous, China declared
177 local Geoparks till now.
The European countries founded what is called European Geoparks Network (EGN).
Surprisingly, Africa and Arab countries with their many magnificent sites have non of the global
Geoparks.
In Egypt, there are many sites that deserve to be declared as Geoparks. One of these sites is Siwa
Oasis which has all the criteria needed for this declaration.
It is a natural protectorate with population about 23.000, has a magnificent geological heritage like
mountains, isolated hills, caves, sand dunes, remnants of pre-historic man, geological structures, springs,
lakes, invertebrate and vertebrate fossils beside the touristic historical places, all of this with a green
background represented by palm and olive trees. Transportation to this oasis is easy by air or land and it
has 5 eco-lodges and many touristic hotels.
Encouraging the geo-tourism will raise the standard of living in this oasis.
A set of criteria are established by UNESCO must first be met for a Geopark, nomination by the
corresponding government to be included in the Global Geoparks Network (GGN):


The existence of a management plan designed to foster socio-economic development
that is sustainable (Geo-tourism).
Demonstrate methods for conserving and enhancing geological heritage and provide
means for teaching geoscientific disciplines and broader environmental issues.
Joint – proposals submitted by public authorities, local communities and private
interests acting together, which demonstrate the best practices with respect to Earth
heritage conservation and its integration into sustainable development strategies.
39
FOSSIL HERITAGE IN EGYPT
Prof. Mohamed Abed
Mansoura University
Egypt is famous by her fossil heritage due to the presence of vast desert areas which constitute
sediments belong almost to all past geologic ages. This natural non renewed wealth has the same
importance with the cultural heritage in Egypt represented by the historical monuments from the
Pharaonic ages and the following cultures.
This fossil heritage constitutes the fossilized remains of the animals and plants that were living
from the Cambrian age (542m.y.a) till the appearance of Man.
The animal fossils may be the remains of vertebrate animals like fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, birds
and Mammals and they are called ‘’Vertebrate fossils’’ like the Dinosaurs, and ancestors of the Recent
elephants, horses, Apes……etc. These vertebrate fossils are useful for studying ‘’evolution’’ of these
animals through the past geologic ages.
Other fossil animals (Invertebrate fossils) are the remains of invertebrate animals, i.e. without back
bones like foraminifers, sponges, corals, brachiopods, mollusks, echinoderms, arthropods. Most of these
invertebrate groups are marine animals. They are either very small and can’t be seen by the eye, but they
need microscope and are called ‘’micro fossils’’ or large enough to be seen by naked eyes and are called
‘’macro fossils’’. Both micro- and macro-fossils are used in detecting the age of the sediments which they
are buried in them. They are also useful in detecting the paleoecology, paleogeography, and in exploring
oil, gas and minerals.
Egypt is well – known in the world by its fossil heritage. Vertebrate fossils are found in many
localities till now. The most important are Wadi el Hitan (declared by UNESCO in 2005 as a ‘’ World
Natural Heritage Site’’, and Gabal Qatrani north lake Quarun which constitutes a huge number of
vertebrate fossils and considered as the most important site in Africa. Paralititan the second most huge
Dinosaur in the world was discovered in Bahariya Oasis.
Other vertebrate fossils were discovered in Tabaghbagh near Siwa Oasis, in Dakhla Oasis and in
Wadi el Natrun (Gabal el Molouk).
Petrified forests are found in many localities in Egypt, one of them is the ‘’Petrified Forest
Protectorate’’ near Maadi.
The Invertebrate fossils are found in most desert areas in Egypt. One of the most important sites is
the Dabbabiya Protectorate (30 km south Luxur) which was chosen as ‘’ Global Standard Strato-type
Section and Point’’ (GSSP) due to the presence of a complete uncorrupted sequence of strata containing
fossils belonging to the Paleocene – Eocene interval (55-50m.y.a) which has been subjected to severe
climatic changes all over the world.
This fossil treasures in Egypt has also an economic value in encouragement of the so-called ‘’Geotourism’’.
40
Awareness of African World Heritage
Presented by Dr. Nirvana Khadr
Boston University (BU), African Studies Center (ASC) Alumni
and
Current Member of UN AFICS Egypt-NGO
===
1- Introduction
As you realize, my paper has an outline of four major parts ending with a part on Appendices of
References and List of Abbreviations.
2- Awareness of African Global Heritage
The presenter will look at the macro title of this paper in relationship to:
2.1 Egypt’s pivotal role, threefold (Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African, with a focus only on
the Egyptian African heritage; in addition to the Presenter’s details/Egyptian African, Anthropologist
scholar, first, an applicant at Cairo University’s (CU) IARS in 1973/74 and, second, as a PhD Alumni of
Boston University (BU), African Studies Center (ASC) in 1980. Indeed, I had presented my credentials at
Cairo University’s IARS around 1973/74 and yet had to confine to my destiny with a scholarship at
Boston University, Grad. School, Anthropology Dept. and the ASC which was conflicting with CU’s
IARS. Another incident that is not forgettable was my first reception at BU’s ASC. My presence at the
ASC (1975) seemed for most attendees, whether faculty or students, quite “awkward”. In fact, I was told
then “what was I doing in the ASC as an Egyptian???” My immediate first identity was the River
Nile/Habi. Only then, most colleagues at BU/ASC, I remember, reflected back and apologized…
2.2 Core of the Paper Topic is a summary of the presenter’s professional direct experience with five
African Egyptian heritage sites, namely:
Fayum site, midway on the Western Embankment of the River Nile Valley; Siwa Oasis site in the
Western Desert; Allaqui Valley South of Aswan City; the Red Sea Shoreline (centered in Hurghada, but a
team also from Safaga and El Kosseir towns); and finally, North-Sinai’s essentially Lake Bardawil.
When looked at in details and because of the conference shortage of time, I am telegraphically
summarizing my experience with the mentioned heritage sites.
2.1 As an Alumni of BU and ASC distance has never been a problem of communication. Online
techniques, apart from my last short visit in summer 2012, is an excellent contact. It also keeps a scholar
updated on all information. Examples are such as Papers (Paper.li<noreply@paper.li), or African Studies
Daily, mainly on politics, education, environment, social issues, world, stories, etc. with paper
contributors. Such a Paper.li I receive on weekly basis. As for the monthly online reference
(btwagira@bu.edu) is the BU African Studies Weekly Brief. It mainly deals with African events in Boston.
It contains announcements, Walter Rodney seminars, international relations, film festivals, external
funding, and African related events at Harvard, also projected on Face book and followed on Twitter.
41
2.2 Back to the core topic of the presenter “Awareness of the Global African Heritage”. Reference is first
made to definitions made by main global organizations such as UNESCO’s, IUCN, National Geographic;
Individuals and NGOs, e.g.: Mena George’s and the Nile Project or African Heritage Awareness through
the use of music (www.nileproject.org) ; IPA’s competitions (innovationprizeforafrica.org/
and
https://facebook.com/innovationPrizàeforAfrica) ; use of Anthropological methods that are
interdisciplinary with behavioral aspects, culture, geography, art as artifacts and visual art, geology,
history, and prehistory. Anthropological methods, in simplest terms, help us identify intangible (cultural,
spiritual, religious, ritual, etc.) from tangible (physical, natural) valuable heritage. Being an oldie presenter
with a long background experience both as an Anthropological scholar (research and teaching at AUC,
BU, MIU, Alexandria University, King Seoud University-Riyadh) and a responsible Environmentalist
(senior staff at the Egyptian MSEA/EEAA, Central Department of Environmental Awareness)
“awareness” whether of intangible and/or tangible African heritage can be best expressed and transmitted
in least complex simple ways and forms. Transmitted messages should not only reinforce awareness but
attitudinal change in favor of a sustained behavior for improved, respected and protected African
heritage. The main problem we, Africans, are facing nowadays is a lack of African heritage awareness
among ourselves.
Globally, Africans have international support and aid for world, regional and national African heritage
awareness leading to behavioral attitudinal change. Africa is a huge continent with over 50 African
countries (if interested at listing them geographically and by alphabetical order see
www.internetworldstats.com/list1.htm , in East Africa 19 countries, in Middle Africa other 8 countries, in
North Africa 8, in Southern Africa 5 countries, and in West Africa 16, i.e., an exact total of 58 African
countries)
and
over
129
World
Heritage
Sites
located
in
37
countries
(www.wikipaedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Africa).
In this paper, the presenter will only
- mention the African countries that are Arabic speakers and list only their tangible and intangible
heritage sites as mentioned by UNESCO; and
- then, list the 10 African Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) countries (member states, i.e., Burundi, DR Congo,
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda (Eritrea, the 11th, but not
included in the NBI) with a list of their tangible, intangible and mixed heritage sites as mentioned by
UNESCO but with a focus on the African Nile Basin Country EGYPT (www.NileBasinInitiative). In other
words, the presenter’s detailed sites will be limited only to North African Egypt, member of NBI, abiding
by the presenter’s direct professional experience which covers five national Egyptian sites.
The Arabic speaking North African countries are Algeria with its seven world heritage sites, all cultural
except for one which is mixed; then Egypt with seven world heritage sites, all cultural except for one listed
as natural (Wadi El Hitan); Mauritania with two cultural sites; Morocco with nine cultural sites; Sudan
with two cultural sites; Tunisia with eight sites one of which is natural; Libya with two main cultural sites
(file:///G:/CAIRO UNIVERSITY File World Heritage Sites Africa map-2.svg – Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.htm); Somalia; Djibouti; Guzzur El Qamar and Comorros but without any listed sites.
When going through the online search of www.internetworldstats.com/list1.htm and the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites Map of Africa (File World Heritage Sites Africa map-2.svg-Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.htm) the ten African Nile Basin countries (NBI) can be more easily identified:
East Africa’s six Nile Basin countries, i.e., Burundi; Ethiopia with its seven sites,\; Kenya with its four
sites; Rwanda with its three sites; Tanzania with its six sites; Uganda with its three, one cultural and two
natural sites.
Middle Africa’s one Nile Basin country, i.e., Congo D.R. with its three world heritage sites.
42
North Africa’s three Nile Basin countries, i.e., Egypt, South Sudan and Sudan. Egypt has seven sites, all
cultural except for one natural; Sudan has one site.
The most fascinating Egyptian heritage site mixed, natural and cultural, but not yet brought forward to
UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites is Fayum Governorate’s (on the West embankment of the Nile
Valley) Northern area and shoreline of Lake Qarun “Widan Faras of Gabal Qatrani” (ref.: Nirvana
Khadr’s Report to the North-South Consultants Office (NSCE), informally reviewed by UNESCO
Country Office, Egypt, May-June, 2008). This special site reminds us of the human heritage as it bestows
fossils, artifacts, and geological valuable rocks that date back to prehistoric million of years (see report).
This site has best basalt rocks in the world at Gebel Qatrani “Widan Faras” mountain. Also, rock traces of
prehistoric Tis (sea developed before the Mediterranean sea) present very clearly some of the most
valuable physical, natural and mixed human heritage. What is special about this site is its global human
yet African Egyptian physical site and also its intangible, man-made human other. There was interplay
between the physical natural basalt (Gebel Qatrani’s Widan Faras mountain) and the ancient Egyptian
cultural belief of “eternal afterlife”. From a cultural Anthropological and man-made functional point of
view the basalt, being the strongest among rocks, represented for ancient Egyptians also a link to their
strong belief in “eternal afterlife”. Accordingly, a basalt path was made by them, and other basalt rocks
carried all the way through the path on to the lake, passing by an ancient castle, called “Kasr El Sagha”
(dating back in prehistory) and used as a harbor town (see my Report to NSCE, 2008). On from there, the
basalt rocks were carried in boats by ancient Egyptians to the Giza Plateau where it was carved into basalt
statues of their pharaohs as a symbol of eternal afterlife especially buried with them in their famous Abu
Sir and Giza Pyramids tombs. One of these statues is still standing inside the Cheops pyramid.
Numerous other Egyptian African heritage sites can be mentioned, but as a presenter of this paper, I
will focus only on those sites with which I had a direct experience in my professional life. Other Egyptian
African heritage sites are such as Siwa Oasis in the Western Desert: an interplay between the physical
Sahara Desert and the cultural behavior of Western Desert Bedouins there. As MSEA/EEAA officials we
reinforced the establishment of a Green Corner in their public library, but outdoors. In the public library’s
garden we installed a tent, giving the environmental Green Corner a suitable touch of the local Bedouin
heritage in which environmental awareness activities were held especially through the use of NonFormal
Environment Education (NFEE) kits (see Appendix (5) of my presentation to UN AFICS-Egypt NGO,
2012).
Another different site, again with the interplay of natural and cultural heritage was in Upper Egypt
(South of Egypt, i.e., Upper the River Nile) on the Eastern Bank of the Nile, South of Aswan City, namely
“Allaqui Valley”. Due to the Aswan High Dam in the area, this valley of over 70 km length deep into the
Eastern Desert has been flooded by the Nile water and is referred to now as “Khor El Allaqui”. It has been
famous for its Eastern Desert Nomads (Bedouins) Ababda and Besharin (see works for MA, PhD done by
AUC Grad. Shahira Fawzy, 1978/79 onwards) as a central resting area for their flocks of sheep, goat
especially for women Bedouins and a transit for men Bedouins’ camels trading between the Sudan (further
South) and Daraw town (further North of Aswan city). This place is also historically famous for its natural
and physical rich rocks, referred to by ancient Egyptians for its gold resources. The presenter’s experience
in this area, apart from her field research prepared for her PhD (Boston University, ASC, Grad. School,
Anth.Dept., 1975/76-1980, PhD. entitled: “Saiidi Fishermen in Aswan: A Case of Challenging
Development Planning”) has been with a local Aswanian NGO “Homat Al Salam” (also one of
UNESCO’s Clubs in Aswan) together with UNESCO Country Office in Cairo. We have compiled a
booklet in Arabic addressed to juniors about Allaqui while using the simple language of NonFormal
Environment Education. My experience here is not only addressed to a heritage site, natural and cultural,
but also to the management achieved for such a site, built essentially by the cooperation of representatives
of a local Aswan civil society effort “Homat Al Salam” NGO together with a global organization
UNESCO Country Office in Cairo. The booklet can be exhibited but here only by its cover as an
Appendix (pls see power point presentation of the Green Schools, Appendix No. (5)). NonFormal
Environment Educational methods and tools were used for this booklet to transmit easily the natural and
cultural traits to juniors and to community member adults with poor literacy.
43
Essentially, the DANIDA/EETP experience at MSEA/EEAA with a heritage focus addressed to North
Sinai’s Lake “Bardawil” was among the most knowledgeable experiences for the presenter (1996/972000). The Egyptian Environmental Training Program (EETP) package funded by DANIDA and mutually
managed between the Danish and the Egyptian MSEA/EEAA transmitted, generally, effective
communicative methods to MSEA/EEAA, Central Department of Awareness. Methods were assigned to
environmental training, environmental media messages whether verbal, printed, and audio-visual. Formal
(FEE) and NonFormal Environment Education (NFEE) programs and booklets were among most
successful kits introduced by DANIDA’s EETP to MSEA/EEAA. Actually, the presenter’s experience
with NFEE has started with DANIDA’s EETP. The main heritage site target was North Sinai’s Lake
“Bardawil”. At that time (1996/97) this area was among the least polluted in all of Egypt. In fact, the idea
of using NFEE in N-Sinai among juniors in their primary and preparatory schools was mainly the
transmission of environmental awareness messages of natural and cultural site(s) conservation, North
Sinai being at that time one of the cleanest Egyptian environment areas. Several NFEE tools have been
used to transmit the mentioned message (see Appendix(5)….of NFEE Tools used, e.g.: audio-visual;
printed posters; games; activities, and especially booklets on Lake Bardawil’s rare species and birds).
The Red Sea Shoreline’s use of NFEE methods experience has been mainly established among the Red
Sea Governorate, Egyptian scientists (mainly from Alexandria University) and the global GEF program.
NFEE was developed into a guideline booklet on the basis of operational workshop experience(s)
achieved by trained primary school teachers from the Red Sea Governorate (Hurghada, Safaga and
Kosseir). The guideline booklet was conducted by a senior consultant, Dr. Hassan Abu Bakr, and
supervised by the presenter, Dr. Nirvana Khadr. This guideline booklet, its various kits are available only
as a unique sample for all numbers of copies have been distributed among teachers and officials at the end
of that task (2002-4). Other booklets were also formed as a collection of the flora and fauna of the area,
collated on a large sheet as stickers forming posters.
Last but not least was Nirvana Khadr’s presentation based on the example she had implemented while
at MSEA/EEAA on the use of NFEE, firstly, summarized technically in a booklet; then, secondly,
implemented among 165 junior schools. The main theme for the use of the NFEE kit was related to waste
and pollution. Other themes have been applied with same tool techniques, as for heritage conservation,
etc. Juniors have been made aware to develop a sharper eye to the “Do’s” and “Don’t’s”, and
managerially, they were also taught teamwork (pupils, teachers, school administration and parents) and
operational solutions to problems, i.e., develop an environmental checklist with priorities. They then
developed a project proposal and implemented it. In this case, it was a project proposal of a garden. So,
awareness was not the only message, it was further developed into operational guidelines not only
through education (NFEE kits) but also through managerial tips to reach out for realistic behavioral
attitudinal change.
Such an experience, started at MSEA/EEAA with DANIDA (1996/97), then voluntarily expanded into
NGOs (e.g.: “Homat Al Salam” in Aswan), then was presented at various organizations such as UN
AFICS – Egypt NGO, 2012).
3- Conclusion and Future Perspectives
This one day Conference is on “The Future of the Global African Heritage” and the topic of my paper
was on “Awareness of African Global Heritage”.
Surely, a one day Conference to discuss global African heritage is too short. Africa is one of the largest
and oldest continents on Planet Earth and it, definitely, deserves much more time dedicated by scholars,
officials and donors to discuss its rich natural, cultural and mixed national, regional and global heritage.
Due to the circumstances and lack of time, the presenter has focused on her own direct professional
experience only African Egypt’s five heritage sites, i.e., Fayum (on the River Nile valley; Siwa Oasis in
the Western Desert; South of Aswan’s Wadi El Allaqi; Lake “Bardawil” in Northern Sinai and the Red
Sea Shoreline. Details of references are sent, separately, for interest and use with Prof. Samir Ghabbour.
44
Emphasis on the use of NFEE was highlighted as an important kit of tools needed to promote
awareness of juniors and illiterates (whether young or adults) and to, operationally, try to reach out for a
behavioral attitudinal change among the target groups of juniors and community members at large.
More work needs to be planned and implemented not only on one unique African country, but most
significantly, on the network of heritage awareness among African countries. In other words, apart from
global care and concern for our African wealth of heritage we have to develop regional African awareness
with the aim of behavioral attitudinal change through our various government, scholarly institutions (e.g.:
CU’s IARS; or AUC’ or others’) or through the civil society and its various NGOs. The network would
require, regionally, increased regional cooperation among African governments, scholars and civil
institutions.
In the case of African Egypt, one of the best network initiatives would be limited first to the African
Nile Basin Countries (ten). Exchange of students, scholars, officials, experiences, NGOs’ activities with
respect to African heritage, whether natural/physical, mixed or cultural, can be reinforced on short- and
long-term. One of the experiences could be regional regarding the implementation of NFEE package.
More values, loyal to the African heritage environment, should be attached to the various sustainable
development programs educational, economic and academic. NFEE was an approach suitably used with a
young population reaching half of the society and with poorly read adults of over 40%.
Pride should be attributed to Africans when made aware of their World Heritage with reinforced
network among African countries. Based on experience, behavioral sustainability is best rooted though the
process of awareness onto operational procedures of attitudinal change.
With a sustainable approach, global human heritage in Africa should be further emphasized, from
Africans on to people at large, especially in the area of ecotourism industry. Valuable meanings to
heritage could be more visualized and intensified by exchange of programs, both, entertaining and
scholarly. More ties can be developed among universities such as CU’s IARS and BU’s ASC with
exchange of programs, students, and knowledge.
Last but not least, the presenter apologizes for not personally presenting this paper that projects an
essential part of her life: her experience as an Anthropologist with African Egyptian heritage within the
last thirty five years. This explains the wide range of references attached to this paper for the reader to
delve in its details and to implement some ideas brought forward, if useful, for future perspectives of
African World Heritage built on sustainable development criteria.
===
4-
Appendices
4.1 References
Africa World Heritage Map by UNESCO
File:///G:/CAIRO UNIVERSITY File World Heritage Sites Africa map – 2 svg – Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.htm
Boston Universities Papers
Paper.li noreply@paper.lo
Boston University, African Studies Center
btwagira@bu.edu
Boston University African Studies Center Library (ASL)
45
www.bu.edu/library/african-studies/
Boston University Main Mugar Memorial Library
www.bu.edu/librasry/african-studies/
Harvard University Center for the Environment
www.environment.harvard.edu/
Harvard Kennedy School – Center for International Development
www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid
Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies
www.cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu
Innovation Prize Africa (IPA)
https://facebook.com/innovationPrizeforAfrica
List of African countries
www.internetworldstats.comlist1.htm
Mena George’s The Nile Project
www.nileproject.org
Ministry of State of Environmental Affairs (MSEA)/Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)
www.eeaa.gov.eg/english/main/about.asp
Nile Basin Countries www.NileBasinInitiative
Nirvana Khadr’s Presentation at UN AFICS-Egypt NGO, 2012, in two files
- my presentation….
- no. 2, cont’d of the presentation with appendices, specially Appendix (5)
Nirvana Khadr, PhD at Boston University (BU), ASC, Grad. School of Arts, Anthropology Dept., 1980
Saiidi Fishermen in Aswan: A Case of Challenging Development Planning
Nirvana Khadr Fayum Report to NSCE, May-June, 2008
Shahira Fawzy www.shahirafawzy.com/home.htm
World Heritage Sites
www.wikipaedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_inAfrica
4.2- List of Abbreviations
ASC
African Studies Center
AUC
American University in Cairo
BU
Boston University, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
46
CU
DANIDA/EETP
Program
Cairo University, Giza, EGYPT
Danish Development Foundation, Egyptian Environment Training
GEF
United Nations’ Global Environment Facility program
IARS
Institute of African Research and Studies
IPA
Innovation Prize of Africa
MIU
Misr International University
MSEA/EEAA
Ministry of State of Environment Affairs/Egyptian Environmental Affairs
Agency
NBI
Nile Basin Initiative
47
African Heritage, an Educational Perspective.
Dr. Islam Al Refaey El Hag Abdou
Assistant professor & Expert,
Science & Bioethics Education
Universitas Islam As-syafi'iyah, Jakarta, Indonesia
dr.abdou66@gmail.com
Abstract:
This paper aims to develop a perception of what the researcher thinks about how to teach World Heritage
in general, and African heritage in particular. It begins with an introduction of the educational literature
which is related to Heritage Education. It uses a definition of Heritage Education based on considering it
as a separate interdisciplinary curriculum; and a general view of the main dimensions of Heritage
Education which include heritage knowledge or content. I offer a proposed model for case study of
heritage units, goals of Heritage Education (psychomotor, cognitive skills, and values); and finally a brief
of teaching strategies and methods of educational evaluation .
Introduction:
With no doubt, Allah/ God granted man many and countless favors & treasures that are expressed in the
holy Qura'an : (‫﴾ سورة النحل ) َو ِإن تَعُدُّوا نِ ْع َمةَ اللَّـ ِه ََل تُحْ صُو َها ۗ ِإ َّن اللَّـهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّ ِحي ٌم‬٨١﴿
"And if you would count the favours of Allâh, never could you be able to count them. Truly! Allâh is OftForgiving, Most Merciful". Annahl/ Bee 18.
These favors begin with the best form of human synthetic; Allh/ God said in the holly Qura'an:
ْ ‫ضغَةً فَ َخلَ ْق َنا ْال ُم‬
ْ ‫علَقَةً َف َخ َل ْقنَا ْال َعلَقَةَ ُم‬
(... ‫س ُن‬
َ َ‫ث ُ َّم َخلَ ْقنَا النُّ ْطفَة‬
َ ْ‫اركَ ا َّللـهُ أَح‬
َ ‫ضغَةَ ِع َظا ًما فَ َك‬
َ ‫سوْ َنا ْال ِع َظا َم لَحْ مًا ث ُ َّم أَنشَأْنَا ُه َخ ْلقًا آ َخ َر ۚ َفت َ َب‬
ْ ‫﴾ سورة المؤمنون‬٨١﴿
َ‫)ال َخا ِل ِقين‬
"Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a
little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with
flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed is Allâh, the Best of creators". AlMuminoun 14
... and there is another favour where God ordered Angels to prostrate for "Adam", the human's father; that
Allah/God made him as a khalifah on in the Earth, Allah said in Qur'an:
ْ َ‫سدُ فِيهَا َوي‬
‫ُ لَكَ ۖ قَا َل‬
ِ ‫ض َخ ِليفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَت َجْ عَ ُل فِيهَا َمن ي ُْف‬
ُ ِّ‫س ِّبِ ُح بِحَمْ ِدكَ َونُقَ ِد‬
َ ُ‫س ِف ُك ال ِدِّ َما َء َونَحْ ُن ن‬
ِ ْ‫(وإِ ْذ قَا َل َربُّكَ ِل ْل َم ََلئِ َك ِة إِنِِّي جَا ِع ٌل فِي ْاْلَر‬
َ
‫﴾ سورة البقرة‬٠٣﴿ ) َ‫ِإنِِّي أَ ْعلَ ُم َما ََل ت َ ْعلَ ُمون‬
And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generation after
generation on earth." They said: "Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You." He (Allâh) said: "I know that which you do not
48
know." Al Baqara 30
Adam & Hawwa'a began to make use of the natural resources by using the leaves of trees for covering
their bodies
َّ ‫ ٍ ۚ َفلَمَّا ذَا َقا ال‬...} ‫﴾ سورة اْلعراف‬٢٢﴿
{...ۖ ‫ق ْال َجنَّ ِة‬
َ ‫ان‬
َ ‫شج ََرةَ بَد َْت لَ ُه َما‬
ِ َ‫سوْ آت ُ ُه َما َو َط ِف َقا يَ ْخ ِصف‬
ِ ‫علَي ِْه َما ِمن َو َر‬
…Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became
manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their
shame). … Al A'araf 22
… Also, Allah sent a "Crow" to teach Adam's son "Qabeil" how to hide the dead body of his brother
"Habiel"
ُ ُ‫ث اللَّـه‬
ُ ‫غ َرابًا َي ْبح‬
َ َ‫فَبَع‬
ُ ‫عج َْز‬
( ۖ ‫سوْ َءةَ أ َ ِخي‬
َ َ ‫سوْ َءةَ أ َ ِخي ِه ۚ قَا َل َيا َو ْيلَت َ ٰى أ‬
َ ‫ي‬
َ ‫ْف ي َُو ِاري‬
َ ‫ض ِلي ُِريَهُ َكي‬
ِ ْ‫َث فِي ْاْلَر‬
ِ ‫ت أ َ ْن أَكُونَ ِمثْ َل َه ٰـذَا ْالغُ َرا‬
َ ‫ب َفأ ُ َو ِار‬
َ‫ص َب َح ِمنَ النَّاد ِِمين‬
ْ َ ‫﴾ سورة المائدة )فَأ‬٠٨﴿
"Then Allâh sent a crow who scratched the ground to show him to hide the dead body of his brother. He
(the murderer) said: "Woe to me! Am I not even able to be as this crow and to hide the dead body of my
brother?" Then he became one of those who regretted". Al Ma'edah 31
So everything and All creatures, living & non-living organisms, are ready to serve this human, the
Master. This is because mankind has the responsibility to build in the universe, spread goodness, protect
the environment around him, and keep all various treasures and natural heritage in better conditions.
Treasures, various resources & wealth should be used by a human to keep his life, facilitate his existence
and produce innovations/ inventions, then the unique items can be described later as a civilization. These
items become the special part of the society's culture. Studied by some scholars, the relation between
culture and civilization is vital; culture is a comprehensive concept whereas civilization is the best
achievements in any culture and it is considered as a society treasure or wealth. So it is described as the
cultural heritage.
The Heritage has many various kinds and definitions, and in the Holly Qura'an many stories tell us
about the various heritage of the ancient nations. It needs much scientific efforts to make use of it for
humanities benefit. Also, in this vital field, there are many appreciated efforts achieved by researchers and
scholars from different countries, ethnicities, ideologies, languages, and colors.
( Vid ،. ‫ بن منظور‬،.3102 ‫ مرفت صادق‬،.3102 ‫ جمعية حماية التراث بوالية سيدي بو زيد‬:Webster dictionary
2013 ،.3112 ‫ مفرج القوسي‬،. Carla van et al. 2011)
To value our heritage in all its dimensions, to care for it as a treasure bequeathed to us by our
ancestors, to recognize that it is our duty to transmit it intact to our children, is a sign of wisdom. Indeed,
if a nation is aware of the factors that have influenced its history and shaped its identity, it is better placed
to engage with and build peaceful relations with other peoples and to forge its future. But heritage is not
only replete with symbolism rich in meaning and significance. It is also an important dimension of
development. There are numerous examples in which a new approach to the management of the cultural
and natural heritage has promoted economic growth by creating employment opportunities for local
populations, whether through crafts, cultural tourism, the emergence of new trades, or through new forms
of creativity (in Islam Abdou, 2007)
It’s good, by the way, to refer to the great interest of the world's mother, Egypt, with the world
heritage; at Cairo university there was our conference and there was a parallel conference at the same
49
topic at the faculty of arts & humanities, Elmenia university . That conference had a session related to the
African Heritage.
African nations are very rich in wealth and history that made other nations think to invade it in
order to steal all the natural resources and make use of the human capital too. Africa can be considered as
the cradle of humanity; It’s natural and cultural diversity are matched only by its long history. Little
attention is paid to cultural and heritage policies in African local governments’ action strategies. This lack
of interest expresses itself in various ways. Most African cities do not have museums. Few have
established a proper inventory of their natural and cultural heritage. Many do not have mechanisms for the
classification or safeguarding of their heritage. Very few are aware of the World Heritage Convention. We
can legitimately talk here of a ‘split’ which, as is the case for other sectors of the economy and society,
puts Africa at risk of being marginalized. Such a lack of consideration for one of the most important
reservoirs of cultural and natural diversity is surprising. In addition, keep in mind that, amongst those who
should be most interested by their heritage, the local communities and their representatives have rarely
done so. The time has therefore come to make the efforts needed to upgrade local authorities protection
and valorization of their heritage. Many local authorities have not yet taken stock of the existence and the
potential offered by the cultural properties and biodiversity sanctuaries of their jurisdiction. Concerns
related to the history, to the heritage and its valorization were perceived as a luxury compared to
development challenges such us hunger, health or poverty, these were deemed of primary importance. The
evolution of people’s perceptions, however, indicates that the safeguarding and 50ultidiscipl of heritage
can contribute to development and to combating poverty. The classification, protection and 50ultidiscipl
of outstanding natural and cultural sites has a role to play in the development of national or international
cultural tourism.(vid. BarillEt, Christian; et al 2006)
In other words it can be said that over the past centuries, much of our heritage has been
irretrievably lost. We have witnessed, and continue to witness, the destruction and deterioration of 50ulplaceable treasures due to natural disasters, wars, extreme poverty, industrialization, and pollution. Other
underlying causes of this prolonged and continuing tragedy are ignorance, indifference, lack of care and
lack of appreciation.
By adopting the World Heritage Convention (1972), the international community committed itself to
prevent the disappearance of our precious and unrenewable cultural and natural heritage. Since its
adoption, over 700 sites in over 120 countries around the world have been included in the World Heritage
List to which, every year, more sites are added. Each site is of universal value and constitutes an intrinsic
part of our universal civilization. Each site endangered or destroyed would be an irreplaceable loss for all
humanity.
The future of our remaining heritage will depend largely on the decisions and actions of the present
generation of young people who will soon become the leaders and decision-makers of tomorrow.
(Koïchiro Matsuura 2005)
So the World Heritage conventions was focusing on the importance of education and training in
the fields of heritage awareness and protection; in order to develop individual skills to deal safely with
heritage and for achieving some economic improvement against poverty. That means heritage education
supports people to live in a better life. It needs to encourage all non- governmental organizations (NGO)
and GO to put plans and strategies for achieving sustainable development. In addition it needs to
reinforcement the spirit of understanding, tolerance, cooperation, and peace between people or the African
nations and world countries.
Based on the 1972 convention and other conventions, UNESCO is making the heritage education
a priority; that’s because education is the tool of UNESCO for the application of that convention. All
nations in these conventions agree to protect earth and all treasures, wealth, beautiful creations of the
creator, and the outstanding units of mankind.
50
About 178 countries (“States Parties”) have now ratified the Convention and about 788 to 962 sites in 134
countries or more, (611 cultural, 54 natural, & 23 mixd). Africa, south desert about 86 units (47 cultural,
35 natural, & 4 mixed). The African ministers of environment & tourism recommended the importance of
heritage protection in Africa, especially in Mali; and evaluating the application level of the (1972)
UNESCO convention. Also, there are some studies related to heritage protection especially in the field of
archeology, Paleontology, or human evolution/origin in Africa.
(Vid. Fejérdy, Tamás. 2002; Matsuura, Koïchiro. (2003); Wakash, Themba, (2004); Stoner, Joyce
H, 2009; The Government of The Republic of South Africa (RSA) et al 2012; Sanz, Nuria, 2012 )
As the researcher thinks, most of these efforts are responses to the following UNESCO view,
Article 27 of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
(World Heritage Convention), of heritage education aims:
To encourage young people to become involved in heritage conservation on a local as well as on a
global level
To promote awareness among young people of the importance of the UNESCO World Heritage
Convention (1972) and a better understanding of the interdependence of cultures amongst young
people
To
develop new and effective educational approaches, methods and materials to
introduce/reinforce World Heritage education in the curricula in the vast majority of UNESCO
Member States
To foster 51ultidisc among educators, heritage experts, environmental specialists, State Parties,
development actors and other stakeholders in the promotion of World Heritage Education on a
national and international level. (http://whc.unesco.org/en/wheducation/, 2013)
So, there are many educational efforts related to heritage education aimed to achieve the wide
hopes and concerns with World Heritage, here some of these efforts:
One of these efforts is sixty cultural heritage leaders from thirty-two countries, including
representatives from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, Australia, Europe, and North America
gathered in October 2009 in Salzburg, Austria, to develop a series of practical recommendations to ensure
optimal collections conservation worldwide. There are 5 working groups for protecting world heritage, the
working group (4), "Education and Training" recommended that: new educational models should be
developed to train skilled conservation specialists in both developed and developing countries;
Conservation specialists must also be trained in leadership, advocacy, and collaboration with
communities; Global internships should be supported; Both short-term and long-term courses are needed;
A central website should be developed for sharing models of conservation education; A process for ongoing translation of current and new conservation education materials should be established and funded;
Social networking technologies can be used to share images, video, and documents freely. (Stoner, Joyce
H. & Norris, Debra H. 2009)
The same group think that Heritage education can allows the identification of one's individual
story in the collective history, where its recommendations concern the contents of the notion of heritage
education and its objectives: Allow each child and the population of each member state to know its
heritage. Make young people aware of sustainable development issues. Promote openness to the heritage
of others.
The recommendations also concern the means to attain these objectives:
Establishment of a partnership between the different Culture, Education and Environment
authorities involved; Introduction of heritage education in school curricula; Establishment by national
heritage protection laws of an obligation to set up an education service in heritage sites benefiting from
51
public funding; Implementation of a transdisciplinary approach; Training of teachers and development of
adequate pedagogical tools; Cooperation between schools and heritage institutions and corresponding
professionals. Training of heritage professionals in approaches to heritage education, and education in
architectural culture and support for local initiatives by organizations. Establishment of a network of
these organizations and encouragement of the presence of contemporary artists in heritage sites.
It is important that Cultural and artistic educations correspond to a joint responsibility from the
education and culture worlds.
Several recommendations are addressed to the Member States too: Embed cooperation between
schools and cultural organizations in a long term strategy; Promote its sustainability. Invite both parties to
actively participate in this cooperation and submit it to a periodic evaluation; to promote the reinforcement
and sustainability of the cooperation it is necessary to make an inventory at the national level of the prerequisites, the possibilities and the obstacles for cooperation, and create networks between schools and
cultural institutions/ organization. Finally, it also depends on the recruitment of teachers open to
transdisciplinarity education and the appointment of cultural coordinators in schools.(Lauret, Jeam M.
2009)
In an initial findings of a research programme on heritage education (2009–2014) undertaken by
the Center for Historical Culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam; heritage as an educational resource, In
many countries, pupils visit historical sites and museums and explore traces of the past in their
surroundings. Some teachers bring heritage objects to the classroom to rouse their pupils’ curiosity,
illustrate a particular historical narrative, or engage pupils in historical enquiry. Such activities can be
referred to by the term ‘heritage education’. Although we can easily give examples of heritage education,
it is not so easy to provide a clear definition. Heritage education is not a school subject in which key
concepts and skills can be inferred from the academic discipline to which it is related. Heritage studies is
not a distinct academic discipline, but a hybrid of several different disciplines such as history, arts, cultural
anthropology and cultural geography. This hybridity can also be seen in the practice of heritage education,
which not only contributes to the history curriculum but also to geography, art education, science,
technology, and the development of cross-curricular skills. To encourage children to participate in the arts
and culture, the Dutch government decided in the 1990s that heritage education should become part of the
broader domain of arts and cultural education encompassing the arts, media and heritage education. The
government encouraged cultural institutions and schools to collaborate on developing educational
resources and activities that would introduce heritage education in the curriculum of primary and
secondary schools. Educational activities are usually initiated and designed by cultural institutions, and
schools choose from this supply. Recently, heritage education was further encouraged by the decision to
introduce a canon of Dutch national history in the school curriculum. Schools are obliged to use fifty items
from the canon, known as ‘windows’, as a basis for illustrating elements of the Dutch national history
curriculum. The publication of the canon in 2006 led to heritage institutions and local councils developing
a large number of regional and local canons of history that frequently refer to heritage. Whereas some
scholars argue that heritage education as a cross-curricular approach centers around issues of democratic
citizenship and identity. There is focusing on the connection between heritage education and the school
subject of history.(Boxtle, Carla V. et al. 2011)
In concern with heritage education definition, this report mentioned that the team use theoretical
frameworks derived from history and history didactics, and do not wish to imply that heritage education
cannot or should not contribute to other subjects or to generic skills. So the research programme uses a
provisional definition of heritage education: Heritage education is an approach to teaching and learning
that uses material and immaterial heritage as primary instructional resources to increase pupils’
understanding of history and culture. This definition attempts to balance the three temporal dimensions
(past, present and future) and to avoid normative elements as much as possible. There is no consensus in
the literature as to the difference between heritage and history, but it is obvious that many associate
‘heritage’ more with building up historical identities and experiencing the past, and less with questioning
and investigating. This raises two important questions concerning educational practices: What are the
52
opportunities and constraints associated with an imaginative engagement with the past? How can heritage
education contribute to some kind of commonality between all learners while at the same time
acknowledge multiperspectivity? (Maria Grever & Carla van Boxtel, 2011)
Also, in (2012) the Jordanian ministry of education and UNESCO conducted a research project
related to history and citizenship curriculum, … the elementary school teachers and there students were
provided with educational packages in order to develop their knowledge and attitudes towards the
Jordanian heritage. It was find that there is a massive need to guide young and encourage them to be
engaged in heritage activity. (http://www.unesco.org/new/ar/amman...)
In Cameron, the UNESCO schools web conducted a project at "zamanguaih" public high school;
the aim of this project was to develop the scientific and Technical abilities which are related to
Biodiversity and making the environment more healthy. The content included various lab and field
activities. (UNESCO 2009)
Lambert, Cathleen A. (1996) conducted a Masters degree titled" Heritage Education in the Postmodern
Curriculum".In her study, she aimed to explore the relevance of heritage education within the context of
postmodern curriculum theory. This theses found that Heritage education programs, on the one hand,
possess many of the characteristics that are said by theorists and scholars to characterize intellectual and
social changes in the postmodern world. Postmodern curriculum theorists, on the other hand, promote
educational and curricular reforms that reflect the changing needs and views of a postmodern society. Yet,
despite the apparent potential for a formal, rather than merely incidental, relationship between postmodern
curriculum theory and heritage education, such a relationship has not yet been established. Heritage
education has the potential to fulfill part of the vision of postmodern curriculum theory, and in fact has
already been doing so for decades. Also, Heritage education, unfortunately, was done an early disservice
when it was named. Rather than being acknowledged for what it really is — any one of a number of
approaches to education that deal with history and physical artifacts of history ~ heritage education was
encumbered with a trendy moniker that divorced it from the academic field of history, and disqualified it
from having any obvious place in school curriculums.
Also, in relation to Heritage education definition, Cathleen referred that heritage education
eludes easy definition or categorization, even by those who practice it; those who have attempted have
rarely succeeded in doing so in less than two paragraphs. In some ways, this merely serves to confirm the
postmodern nature of the phenomena, reflecting the diversity, individuality, and contextualism of heritage
education programs. Heritage education is actually a rather complicated movement.
One of the shorter definitions states that heritage education is "the study and interpretation of the
history and traditions of a local community in its state and national context, with emphasis on the built and
natural environment, folklore, and family history."
A longer definition, reprinted below from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, attempts
to be even more inclusive of the many subtleties of heritage education:
Heritage education is an approach to teaching and learning about history and culture. It uses primary
sources from the natural and built environments, material culture, oral histories, community practices,
music, dance, and written documents to help us understand our local heritage and our connections to other
cultures, regions of the country, the nation, and the world as a whole. The National Trust is particularly
interested in preserving and teaching those reflections of our heritage remaining at sites, structures and
buildings and in objects.
Heritage education identifies, documents, analyzes, and interprets historic places in order to
expand and enrich the public's understanding and appreciation of the ideas, themes, issues, events, and
53
people that constitute our historical experiences and cultural expressions — our heritage. It integrates this
information with other source materials and considers this information from an interdisciplinary.
Heritage education seeks to nurture a preservation ethic in the learner: citizen involvement in thoughtful
decision making for today and tomorrow based on an understanding of the past; pursuit of a quality of
life for all citizens in which their environment reflects their common and diverse beliefs, values, and
traditions; and conservation of the nation's natural, historical, and cultural resources for generations to
come.
The length and inclusiveness of this definition reflects the fact that there are numerous
individuals and organizations involved with heritage education:
historians, teachers, preservationists, archaeologists, folklorists, city planners, archivists, and material
culturalists, to name just a few. Heritage education almost always focuses on tangible, cultural expressions
of history such as the built environment, artifacts, and cultural traditions such as oral history.
The programs themselves range in theme from rural architecture to urban neighborhoods, and from
maritime history to archaeology.
Another view focusing on the ethics; from a preservation perspective, heritage education
programs are important because they can help instill a preservation ethic in the children who will one day
bear responsibility for the stewardship of our society's historic resources. From a postmodern theory
perspective, these programs are important for their interdisciplinary methodology and their utilization of
local, contextual resources for inspiring deeper understanding and multi-dimensional learning in history,
languages, cultural history, sciences, and other subjects.
(Vid in Lambert, Cathleen A. (1996): Kammcn 1989; Preservation Society of Charieston 1991; Hunter,
Cathleen 1992; Knudsen, Ruthann 1993; Smith, Stephen B 1992)
Based on the previous efforts, it can be suggested that Heritage Education is an academic
discipline which adopts interdisciplinary and systemic approaches; where the integration of
54ultidiscipline such as history, architecture, environment, sociology, natural sciences, and folklore; it
has a content, goals which can be achieved through using the available teaching and learning strategies.
Also it can make sure that the goals are achieved by the scientific evaluation tools.
This means that the curriculum specialists can design separate Heritage Education curricula,
programs, and units. These curricula have various content based on the nature of heritage items, and its
geographical area. Also it needs a specialized teacher in natural sciences or humanities in addition to a
high level of pre-service and in-service training in the related topics and disciplines.
So, Education has a main role in achieving the basic aims of world heritage education in general
and African heritage education in particularly, these basic aims included Heritage Knowledge, the
required skills in dealing with heritage / heritage skills; and heritage values/ ethics.
In the following part of this paper there are some details of this view of heritage education/ curriculum in
the African nations:
The first: in the field of Heritage Knowledge / Content:
1)
Definition of the main heritage concepts such as:
A)
Cultural
C)
Mixed (C & N)
Heritage,
Heritage,
B)
Natural
D)
Natural
Heritage,
Characteristics,
54
E)
Cultural
Characteristics,
F)
Biodiversity,
G) Marin Biodiversity
H)
I)
J)
K)
L)
M)
Terrestrial
Biodiversity,
Biological
resources,
Bioethics,
Biotechnology,
Climatology change
Eco-system
N)
Environmental
System,
O)
Protected
areas,
P)
Ex-situ
conservation,
Q)
In-situ
conservation,
R)
S)
T)
U)
V)
W)
X)
Folklore,
Sustainable use,
Archaeological Sites,
Historical sites,
Geography,
Paleontology,
…
2)
3)
4)
Understanding the World & African Heritage Conventions.
The awareness of the selection criteria/standards of Heritage items.
Understanding of the various dimensions for different models/examples from the African natural
heritage.
5)
Developing the awareness of some social, economic, and environmental issues in African
countries.
6) The perception of the relationship between Heritage and economic development, unemployed
problem and poverty.
7) The recognition of the relationship between the African history & geography and imperial
purposes.
8) Studding of some items from the African & world Egyptian heritage,
A proposed model for studying the African heritage items through the curricula content: (vid. The
following shape)
This model consisted of the central concept which is the heritage item, and around it the most related
topics as following:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
The nature of this item; natural, cultural, or mixed.
Geography of the item,
The environmental system,
criteria of Selection,
Factors effects on it, such as climate, economic, politics…
Problems faced it, such as human misunderstand, misused, pollution,…
Protection methods.
It's Nature
Criteria of S.
Location
Problems f.
Factors
H. Item
Environmental s.
Protection M.
A Proposed
Model
The second:
infor
theStudying
field ofHeritage
generalItems
aims(MSHI)
(emotional & psychomotor skills):
1)
Developing the attitudes towards some African issues related to economy, society, and
environment.
1- Developing an understanding of the nature of African Heritage (A. H.)
2- Improving the ability of recognizing and differentiation of the A. H. Items. (selecting criteria)
3- Determine the factors effects on A. H. (as Climatology Change…)
4- Developing an understanding of the interrelationships among these different types of factors or
issues.
55
5- Recognize that education can play a key role in empowering people to work for a sustainable
future.
6- Promoting the scientific processes skills.
7- Developing environmental values and ethics.
8- Enhance Citizenship education.
9- Enhancing the relationship between human and his environment by learning outside the
classroom.
10- Enrich the culture of the people about other Cultures and civilizations.
11- Learning about every person’s responsibility to care about national and global natural and
cultural heritage;
12- Developing fieldwork, map reading and other key skills.
13- Developing attitudes and form opinions about current issues;
14- Learn to respect people’s ways of life in other countries and regions.
15- Improve tolerance towards other people, cultures and customs.
16- Learn that in the modern world of growing globalization and migration, spread of various
cultural identities becomes an important part of everyday life in more and more countries.
17- Inform about how history of the world reflects both tangible and intangible components of
human culture;
18- Develop higher order thinking skills.
19- Learn about interconnection between the diversity of world views and people’s ideological and
religious values;
20- Become more aware of their own socialization and develop curiosity for other forms of cultural
expression;
21- Develop the scientific attitudes such as Curiosity, Open-mindedness, and Objectivity.
22- Develop problem solving skills.
23- Learn about the importance of peaceful interaction and equality between cultures;
24- Develop knowledge and understanding of the World Heritage global concept, including sites and
their selections.
25- Explain, using examples, what cultural and natural heritage means.
26- Identify places of global, national and local heritage.
27- Show why and how some places are chosen by people as heritage sites.
28- Give an example of how the global community strives to protect such sites.
29- Show why and how some places are chosen by people as heritage sites.
30- Give an example of how the global community strives to protect such sites.
31- Identify criteria that lead to specific actions.
32- Make choices about preferred actions and justify that choice.
The third: in the field of Teaching strategies, Methods, & Activities
It is known that there is not a unique method for teaching all subjects. This gives teachers a
chance to use a variety of teaching strategies and methods to achieve the desired goals of the lesson.
Some of these proposed approaches and methods of teaching are:
C- Field trips.
2- Discussion.
5- Debate.
6- Dialogue with expert visitor.
3- Role play.
7- Computer- Based teaching
4- Case study.
8- computer-based learning.
56
9- Read and summarize.
10- Exploring the links.
11- Questioning.
12- Values clarifying
13- Museum visit.
57
And here are some required aids and tools:
TV, Video, Computer, data show, Overhead Projector, Transparent & positive Slides,
Camera…etc.
Fourth: in the field of evaluation:
Before and after teaching; teachers need to make sure that the heritage subjects are
good, his performance is better, the reaction between students in the educational
situation is effective & positive. Also to know to what extent the educational
environment is rich. By using the comprehensive and authentic evaluation, the teacher
measures weather he achieved the target aims or not
So, the teacher uses the suitable evaluation tools such as the following:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
Aural questions.
Questionnaires.
Interviews.
Written Examinations.
Values and Attitudes scales.
Problem solving and thinking skills tests.
Observation lists.
portfolio
Recommendation
This vital field needs much educational effort in order to diagnose the
African heritage education, and then improve its situation in the school
curriculum.
I think this field as a separate discipline needs a teacher who has the deep
knowledge, skills, and values related to heritage education.
That needs a strong program, in the faculties/ schools of education or other
related institutions, in a department of heritage education to prepare the
Heritage Teachers.
Acknowledgment:
Much appreciation for the effort of Prof. Dr. Samir Gabour, director
of the World Heritage Master's degree, and Prof Dr, Sayed Gaber, dean of the
Institute of African studies & Research, Cairo university, and for their
encouragement to go forward in this vital field. Also so thanks to all members
of my big and small family…. For their positive attitudes towards our
Heritage protection!!
58
References:
C) in English:
1) Boxtel, Carla V; Klein, Stephan; Snoep, Ellen (2011) Heritage Education
Challenges in Dealing with the Past. The Initial Fndings of a Research
Programme on Heritage Education (2009–2014) Undertaken by the Center for
Historical Culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
2) Christian Barillet; Thierry Joffroy;& Isabelle longuet. Editors; (2006)
Cultural Hritage & Local Development; A Guide for African Local
Governments; Craterre-ENSaG / Convention France-UNESCO
3) El Hag Abdou, Islam (2007) World Heritage and Climatology Change, A
Proposed Educational Unit. In the procedures of Climate Change Impacts on
the Gebel Qatrani Area, Faiyum, And Other World Heritage Sites in Egypt. A
Preliminary Assessment.
4) Fejérdy, Tamás. (2002). " Thirty Years of the World Heritage Convention",
In: World Heritage Centre. (2003). World Heritage 2002 shared legacy,
common responsibility, Paris, UNESCO.
5) Grever, Maria & Boxtel, Carla V. (2011). "Reflections on Heritage as an
educational resource" in Van, Carla; Stephan, Boxtel; Snoep, Ellen (Ibd)
6) http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/biodiversity/
7) Hunter, Kathleen (1992)"A Commitment to Education: Designing a
Heritage-Education Center for the National Trust: A Final Report," Historic
Preservation Forum 6, no. 1 (January/ February), 17-18.
8) Jean Marc Lauret (2009). Working Group on developing synergies with
education, especially arts education., Intermediate report – English version,
European agenda for culture.
9) Joyce Hill Stoner & Debra Hess Norris. "Connecting to the World's
Collections: Making the Case for the Consrvation and Preservation of our
Cultural Heritage, a Partnership Project of Salzburg Global Seminar and the
Institute of Museum and Library Services. October 28 – November 1, 2009.
10) Kammcn, Michael (1989)"History is Our Heritage: The Past in
Contemporary American Culture," in Historical Literacy: The Case for
History in American Education, ed. Paul Gagnon and the Bradley
Commission on History in Schools; New York: Macmillan.
11) Knudsen, Ruthann (1993)"Archaeological Public Education Programs"
Cultural Resources Management 16, no.2, 19, 24.
12) Lambert, Cathleen A. (1996)"Heritage Education in the Postmodern
Curriculum" A Theses Presented to the Faculties of the University of
Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Science.
13) Matsuura, Koïchiro. (2003). In: World Heritage Centre (2003). World
Heritage 2002 shared legacy, common responsibility, Paris, UNESCO
14) Matsuura, Koïchiro. (2005) "InterConnections 21 International Workshop on
UNESCO’s World Heritage Education Program" at Benjamin Franklin Hall,
Philadelphia, PA, January 28-30.
15) Michael Schmidt (2005). Examples of the integration of cultural heritage
education in primary and secondary school curricula in Germany, BTU
Cottbus, UNESCO.
16) Ministry of Education, New Zealand. (2004). World Heritage in Our Hands,
at: http://www.tki.org.nz/r/environ_ed/secondary_units/index_e.php
59
17) O'Riordan, T. (1994). "Education for the sustainability transition", Annual
Review of Environmental Education, 8, p. 8.
18) Preservation Society of Charieston (South Carolina)(April 1991)"The
Heritage Education Forum," Preservation Progress 35, no. 3, 1.
19) Sanz, Nuria (2012) Human origin sites and the World Heritage Convention in
Africa; UNESCO, Paris, France
20) Smith, Stephen B (1992)"Education: Expanding Heritage Education,"
Historic Preservation Forum 6, no. 6 (November-December), 4.
21) The Government of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) & UNESCO &
African World Heritage Fund (AWHF). (2012) “World Heritage and
Sustainable Development: the role of local communities”, 40th Anniversary of
the World Heritage Convention “Living with World Heritage in Africa”,
Johannesburg, South Africa 26 -29 September.
22) The Government of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) & UNESCO &
African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) (2012) "African Ministers calls for end
to destruction of heritage in Mali" 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage
Convention , Johannesburg, South Africa 26 -29 September
23) Tunney, Chris. (1980). Purnell's Illustrated World Atlas. Berkshire, Purnell &
Sons Ltd.
24) United Nation. (2006). World Heritage Map 2006 / 2007. Paris, UNESCO.
Also available at: http://whc.unesco.org
25) Wakash, Themba, (2004) The World Heritage Convention, World Heritage
Committee, UNESCO, Paris, France.
B) In Arabic:
،‫ مُدخَلً لتعليم المفاهيم البيولوجية المعاصرة‬،‫) اْلخَلقيات الحيوية‬3112( :‫إسالم الرفاعي الحاج عبده‬
.‫ دار الفكر العربي‬،‫القاهرة‬
2- ‫ اللجنة الوطنية‬،.‫ اقتصاديات محميات المحيط الحيوي في الوطن العربي‬.)3112( :‫سمير غبور و آخرون‬
.‫ السنة الثالوثون‬،)‫ (اليونسكو و أليكسو‬،‫ القاهرة‬،)‫المصرية لبرنامج اإلنسان والمحيط الحيوي (ماب‬
3- ‫) " تعريف الثقافة اإلسالمية" في ندوة (مقررات الثقافة اإلسالمية بين‬3112( ‫مفرح بن سليمان القوسي‬
‫ شوال‬32 – 32 ‫ في الفترة‬،‫واقعها والمتغيرات) التي تنظمها كلية التربية بجامعة الملك فيصل باألحساء‬
‫م‬3112 ‫ نوفمبر‬21 – 32 ‫ الموافق‬،‫هـ‬0232
4- .‫ اليمن‬،‫) "الحفاﻅ علﻰ الموروث الثقافي والحﻀاري وسبل تنميتﻪ" جامعة صنعاء‬3103( ‫يوسف عبد هللا‬
5- ‫) "حماية التنوع البيولوجي في مناطق رطبة في وسط حﻀري‬3112( ‫شبكة اليونسكو للمدارس المنتسبة‬
،‫ اليونسكو‬،‫ المجموعة الثانية‬،‫بالكاميرون" في الممارسات الجيدة للتعليم من أجل التنمية المستدامة‬
.‫باريس‬
6- ‫جمعية حماية التراث وتنمية السياحة الثقافية بوالية سيدي بوزيد‬.. from Facebook in November
2013
C) Electronic resources:
1-
http://www.unesco.org/new/ar/amman/about-this-office/singleview/news/heritage_education_resource_kit_to_promote_interest_in_jordans_
rich_heritage/#.UpFreuJIDr
http://whc.unesco.org/en/wheducation/
‫و الحمد هلل رب العالمين أن دعوانا آخر‬
60
Borrowing someone else’s Toolbox
could be the Solution
Marielle Richon
Heritage management in higher education programmes is certainly a new field to be
introduced. It has to meet current and future challenges of how to deal with heritage
sites worldwide, which again have an increasingly international visitor profile. It
remains an embracing task to deplore the difficulties of organizing cross-disciplinary
programmes in universities, to overcome disciplinary segmentation illustrated by
faculties and to surmount other similar obstacles.
The purpose of inter-disciplinarity cannot be to ‘acquire’ all disciplines within a
lifetime. It would be impossible at human scale ambitioning to master every discipline
needed, one after the other. It is also questionable whether it would actually be
interesting. No one can pretend to be a modern Leonardo da Vinci nowadays,
mastering all fields of humanities in the way Renaissance humanists were able to. A
possibility to meet the challenge of inter-disciplinarity is to use the available ‘tool
boxes’ of other disciplines, that is, to learn from other fields, and to apply their
methods and instruments to one’s own discipline in relation to heritage.
Concerning heritage management in higher education programmes, the question is
how to use an available management sciences toolbox. It might be crucial to
understand that if heritage management studies do not use this toolbox, their students
cannot easily move on the job market. In effect, how can a World Heritage site
manager elaborate, follow up and update a site management plan without having basic
notions of management techniques? How can a site manager who was trained in
conservation exclusively, deal with managerial issues, especially human resources
management? How can he/she as a heritage specialist cope with the everyday burden
of finance, accounting, budgeting, salaries, unions, social conflicts, tourism, etc? How
can he/she deal with the various stakeholders of the site? He/she needs to know the
principles of negotiation. How can he/she do in case of conflict/problem? He/she
needs to know about conflict/problem management and resolution principles and
practice. Site managers are often confronted to issues related to staff members,
whether guides, guards, rangers and excavation or restoration workers. Thus they
need to know about human resources management principles. This might be one of
the core tasks they have to perform every day.
Human resources management is probably the most difficult part of a site manager’s
daily workload, as it is crucial to the success of the site management and at the same
time, complex and challenging. Skills in human resources management are certainly
some of the most valuable assets a site manager should get trained in. Site managers
need to submit budgets and are accountable for financial resources. How can they
possibly do without some basic knowledge of finance, accounting and budgeting? Site
managers often need to raise funds for conservation projects, but they often do not
have the know-how in project designing or fund-raising techniques. They should be
enabled to manage projects from their conception to their conclusion. Furthermore,
many of them do not know about the potential donors and their related networks. Site
61
managers should be able to master basic notions of law in order to have the necessary
background to tackle contracts or any legal issues pertaining to their work. The sites
and their visitors are protected by either environmental or civil legislation. Thus site
managers have to be acquainted to the limits and requirements of their respective
responsibilities definitely need to be trained about the way the biggest industry in the
world functions and evolves, about its trends, its various stakeholders, its potential
advantages and/or negative effects. They have to get some knowledge about
marketing and communication techniques, in order to define the positioning of their
site in terms of destination.
Sometimes, they may even need to be able to re-position their site in terms of
marketing, for example as a more qualitative destination, and they will need
marketing and communication skills. Managers need to use marketing techniques to
better now who the visitors and their expectations are. They need to know how to
adapt to tourist’s needs in order to replicate a visit, and how to get them to promote
the site once back home among their friends and relatives. Also, they need to assess
threats to the values of the site, in order to build and plan ways to mitigate these
threats and define the carrying-capacity of the site. They need to identify who are the
stakeholders and evaluate the respective strengths in presence, in order to build their
own priorities.
Finally, they need to define strategies for internal as well as external communication.
The use of internal communication can make a difference when conflicts or tensions
arise within the staff or the local communities. It can help site managers inform their
staff about changes and get them to accept new structures or projects. Similarly,
external communication is crucial to explain threats to the site to the general public
and to raise awareness on the need for protection and conservation.
But management techniques go well beyond what was just described. A site manager
should be able to reinforce the capacities of his/her staff. He/she should be capable of
team building and leadership. Leadership consists in having a clear vision in order to
be able to define a strategy and its objectives. It also consists in setting up the team, in
sharing this strategic vision and its implementation steps with the team and in
convincing the team about the appropriateness of the vision. Leaders give a sense of
appropriation and motivation to their teams through managerial techniques on which
their success is based. Certainly, heritage studies should not only be pragmatic and
business oriented, theory has to remain a core issue.
In some ways, heritage study programmes do already include some of the managerial
techniques described. For example, the daily use of case studies might relate curricula
to the real world. Such managerial components of heritage studies condition their
attractiveness and success among students as they do facilitate the following
integration of alumni in the labour market.
Research and academic scientific substance will always be needed in elaborating
contents of heritage study programmes. Research is complementary to teaching and
one should not feel threatened or offended by the views expressed before as they
facilitate the adaptation of alumni to the current reality. Every student cannot become
a researcher or an academic; those who leave university have to find a job in the ‘real’
world. At a time when the civil society is confronted to changes without precedent, it
62
requests that universities prepare young generations to challenge these alterations.
Future generations cannot pretend to be able to find solutions to the growing
complexity of global changes without adopting a cross-disciplinary and international
perspective. They should definitely be equipped with the appropriate means to evolve
and adapt to future transformations. If universities differ or refuse to provide students
with these means, they do not correspond to the civil society’s current expectations
and thus become marginalized instead of accompanying these changes as privileged
partners. One example of how a university curriculum providing such means can look
like is the interdisciplinary study programme World Heritage Studies (WHS) at BTU
Cottbus, Germany.
This study programme covers four areas: Humanity and Social Sciences, Art,
Architecture and Conservation, Natural Heritage and Cultural Landscapes and
Management.
In its innovative modular system, WHS imparts the ability to apply instruments and
methods of the respective fields of study, to perform scientific work, to rank scientific
discoveries critically and to independently develop scientific contributions.
Depending on an individual orientation within the programme, this can either consist
of a broadening of the basis of knowledge and competence or of direct specialization.
Students can hence obtain the ability to apply tools and methods of a broad variety of
disciplines.
To conclude, universities can truly make a significant difference in a better
management of sites worldwide, whether on the World Heritage List or not, as they
can raise the capacities of future or current site managers by using the management
sciences toolbox. In other words, responding to the expectations of the labour market
is not vile; it consists in providing future site managers with the adequate tools which
they rightly deserve to perform their duties appropriately.
This article is based on the results of the panel discussion “Lessons learnt on
university education: heritage management – concepts and implementation,
experiences and evaluation” during the MUMA Symposium at BTU Cottbus, 14 to 18
of June 2006. Germany.
63
Cairo University
Institute of African Research and Studies
Professional Master Degree on Management of
African World Heritage
By Distance (E-Learning), in English
In collaboration with the E-Learning Center, Cairo University
===
Courses for Master of Management of African World Heritage
First Promotion
2014-2016
Dept.
Credit
hrs
Hrs/
Courses
week
64
Code
First Year - First Semester
Combined Culture and Nature Sexctions
4 Obligatory Courses (12 hrs)
NR
3
3
WH Convention & Its Guidelines
WH601
NR
3
3
WH Sites & Tentative Lists in Arab & African
Countries
WH602
Anth
3
3
Pol/Econ
3
3
-----------
------
-------
Management of WH Sites & Preparation of
Nomination Files
WH603
Economics of Tourism in WH Sites
WH604
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
First Year - Second Semester (Part I)
2 Obligatory Courses (6 hrs)
Combined Culture and Nature Sexctions
Geog
3
3
General Geography of Arab and African Countries
Hist
3
3
Prehistory of Arab & African Countries
WH605
WH606
First Year - Second Semester (Part II)
Culture Section: 2 Facultative Courses
(6 hours)
Hist
3
3
History of Arab & African Countries
Hist
3
3
History of Islamic Art & Architecture in Africa
HistWH635
Archeo
3
3
Monitoring & Rehabilitation of African World
Heritage
WH608
Hist
3
3
Hist
3
3
Old Antiquities in Ancient Africa
Rock Art in Africa
WH607
HistWH612
HistWH605
65
Hist
3
3
History of Islamic Civilization in Africa
HistWH630
Anth
3
3
Prehistoric Anthropology
AnthWH602
Anth
3
3
African Folklore
AnthWH621
Geog
3
3
Structure and Topography of Africa
GeoWH601
Geog
3
3
GeoWH702
Geog
3
3
Geography of Catastrophes & Natural Hazards in
Africa
Geog
3
3
Geog
3
3
Environmental Problems in Africa
Landuse in Africa
GeoWH707
GeoWH708
GeoWH710
Geographic Information Systems
First Year - Second Semester (Part II)
Nature Section: 2 Facultative Courses
(6 hours)
NR
3
3
Design & Management of Nature Reserves in Africa
NRWH722
NR
3
3
Environmental Monitoring of Animal Resources in
Africa
NRWH717
NR
3
3
NR
3
3
NR
3
3
NR
3
3
NR
3
3
NR
3
3
NR
3
3
Geog
3
3
-----------
-------
-------
African Vegetation Cover
Rehabilitation of African Ecosystems
Chemistry of African Soils
Geological & Tectonic Structure of Africa
Climate Change over Africa
Bioindicators of African Environment
Remote Sensing
NRWH606
NRWH721
NRWH634
NRWH728
NRWH710
NRWH603
NRWH732
Geography of Catastrophes & Natural Hazards in
Africa
---------------------------------------------------------------Both Culture and Nature Sections
66
GEWH702
----------------
NR
16
6
Second Year: Dissertation
NRWH703
More Information
Credit hours 12 + 6 + 6 + 16 = 40 CH
Conditions:
Holding a BA or a BSc with at least a "Good" mention, or equivalent, is the essential
qualification. If the applicant presents a certificate of work in the field of cultural sites
or in natural protected areas, the "Good" mention condition is waivered.
System:
An adequate command of both English and computers is required. Attention is drawn
to the fact that the number of credit hours follows the US system. The teaching is in
English. The courses of the first year are 4 obligatory in the first semester and 2
obligatory plus 2 facultative courses in the second semester. The 6 obligatory courses
are for both Culture and Nature Sections. The 2 facultative courses are different for
the 2 sections (see above). They should be selected by the learners in their application
forms. Their teaching will depend on majority choices by the learners. The second
year will be for the preparation of a dissertation different for each learner, of 70,000
to 90,000 words (plus suitable graphics), preferably about a site within the country of
the learner. The learner has to spend a minimum of 12 hours per week to view the
lectures. Professors from Egypt and from Europe will contribute to the lectures and
the supervision of dissertations. The lectures will be available for download on the
website of the E-Learning Center, Cairo University. A new password will be given
each week. The password is personal and should not be revealed to a third party. The
downloaded lectures are copyright and should not be passed on to a third party. Any
infarction will lead to suspension of the courses without any compensation.
Fees:
The fees for non-Egyptians are 3220 Pounds Srirling for the first year and 1200
Pounds Srirling, to be paid in full before the beginning of the Academic Year. There
is an additional 25 Pounds Srirling in the first year for Administrative handling of the
application request. Leaners are encouraged to seek scholarships from funding
agencies such as the African World Heritage Fund in South Africa and the Nordic
Heritage Fund in Norway.
Contact:
For further information please contact: Prof. Samir GHABBOR, WH Coordinator at
ghabbour_samir@hotmail.com
==
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Equivalence of non-Egyptian certificates:
Please send your university qualifications, to seek their equivalence according to the
Egyptian system, to the Supreme Council of Universities at:
pubserv_admin@scu.eun.eg
Steps to equivalence of a non-Egyptian University degree
Access to the required documents.
Documenting the required certificates to the equation.
Please click on these links to apply for the equivalence
1. For knowing the required documents
2. For certification of requested equivalence
3. For submitting the application
4. . ‫االطالع علﻰ المستندات المطلوبة‬
5.
6. .‫تووثيق الشهادات المطلوبة للمعادلة‬
‫لتقديم طلب للمعادلة‬
Download documented testimonies and documents required on the site of the
Egyptian Supreme Council of Universities (SCU).
http://app.scu.eun.eg:9083/FrontOffice/instruction/introduction.faces
Get the help of an Arabic speaking person to help you, or go to the Egyptian Embassy
in your country.
The SCU will not be looking at the request of the equivalence in the case of nondownload of all the required documents. Non-payment of the requested fees will
result in neglect of the request. Payment may be by credit card or payment of the
required amount in any branch of Banque Misr after printing the authorization of
payment, which appears at the end of the program. The SCU will not respond to your
request before 3 working days (the weekend is Friday and Saturday).
The applicant needs to submit the original certificates and documents required plus 2
photocopies stamped with original stamps by the Egyptian Embassy in your country.
The original copies of the documents will be returned to the owner after comparing
them with the photocopies for verification by the SCU. All originals and photocopies
are to be submitted to the Office of citizen services of the Supreme Council of
Universities immediately after applying to the electronic site.
Print a copy of the SCU system and submit it to the Supreme Council of Universities.
General Remarks:
Provide certificates and documents in Arabic or in English. If in another language,
they must be provided with a certified translation into Arabic or English. Certificates
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and documents submitted to the Council are not returned to the applicant, so the
Council accepts the photocopies (in black and white) with live seals, while the parent
documents are for review only and are returned when submitting the documents. In
the case of obtaining the certificate from a branch of the University of the State
located in another city not that of the headquarters of the State Mother University, you
must attach a testimony stating that the Ministry of Higher Education of that country
recognizes this outlier branch of the university and that the certificate holder is
qualified for higher studies in the given country.
You can contact SCU by e-mail when there is a query: pubserv_admin@scu.eun.eg
To connect with technical support team of the SCU on the development of the
electronic system of equivalences, please send an email to info.mis@heic.eg
(reply within three business days). The certificate of equivalence is issued
electronically and sent by express mail to the student's address of residence in Egypt
(or the address of an agent on behalf of the student), within two months of acceptance
of the application and completion of the requested documents and data.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Dr. Bechir Lamine, Director UNESCO Cairo Office:
At the end of this opening speech I would like to suggest to Cairo University to
consider establishing a UNESCO World Heritage Chair at the Institute of African
Research and Studies, Cairo University, which will contribute to the connectivity and
networking with similar academic programs in the rest of the world, through the
UNESCO Universities Twinning Program.
Prof. El-Sayed Gaber, Dean of the Institute
I would like on this occasion to extend to the State institutions three suggestions,
hoping that they be implemented expeditiously:
The first: Promulgation of a law to safeguard the cultural and natural heritage, taking
into account Egypt's obligations in the World Heritage Convention, to replace the
currently separate laws for the protection of monuments and nature reserves.
And the second: Establishment of a special National World Heritage Convention
Committee, within the framework of the Egyptian National UNESCO Commission, to
deal with UNESCO regarding the implementation of the World Heritage Convention
(i.e., a national focal point), comprising representatives from the Ministries of
Antiquities, Culture, Tourism and the Environment, and from universities and other
bodies of relevant jurisdiction, such as the Chamber of Tourism, the Chamber of
Commerce, and the tourist agencies.
The third: creation of a legal system for rapid intervention to save the monuments and
natural attractions for registration, examination, and salvation, prior to the granting of
building permits on the land, so that land owners do not quickly destroy them as is
currently happening. Such laws are in place in many of developed and developing
countries.
Dr. Wafaa Mahrous Amer:
1. Inviting African countries through their embassies in Egypt for a workshop
organized by the Faculty of Archaeology, Institute of African Research and Studies,
Center for the Study Scientific Heritage,
2. The integration of the concepts of world heritage in school curricula, media
outreach and higher education,
70
3. The establishment of a national committee for Egyptian heritage (natural, cultural
and scientific),
4. Develop a marketing plan for the Heritage Centre in Egypt, relying on specialized
studies based on the needs of the global market.
Dr. Said Abdul Hamid Hassan:
1. Working to identify the features and of clear and specific basis for the conservation
of African World Heritage,
2. Work out projects for the students programmes, including a comprehensive
scientific documentation and a thorough description of African heritage sites in their
country, from the standpoint of conservation and scientific publishing of what has
been documented,
3. Contributing to a database of specialists and those interested in the conservation of
African heritage,
4. Raise interest and work to provide sources of information and research, and the
conservation of the cultural heritage, in the Arabic language,
5. Rehabilitation and re-use of buildings and heritage sites in order to preserve and
maximize the use of tourism activities.
Dr. Mahmoud El-Shandidy:
1. Heritage management and its role in the affiliation and identity and development
cannot be achieved without the inclusion of heritage education programmes through
the development of educational programmes and methodology of heritage
conservation, adopted by the Institute of African Research and Studies and the
preparation of detailed programmes, in collaboration with experts in the field.
Mr. Ramadan Abu Ismail (student):
1. Work hard to achieve the economic management of heritage sites in Egypt and
Africa,
2. The establishment of a National Council for the management of human heritage
sites,
3. Strengthen official and non-official efforts to habilitate qualified technical cadres in
the field of the protection and management of World Heritage sites,
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4. Support all attempts of African and Arab countries to register more heritage sites
with UNESCO, as this recording represents an effective form for their protection.
Mr. Osama Mohamed Sobhy (student)
1. Request technical and material support from the business community to support
scientific projects,
2. Involve youth energies in scientific projects and marketing,
3. Stimulate community participation to conserve World Heritage.
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