The UNESCO 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Intangible ... ws… · ICH Convention 2003 Training, Nairobi Cluster, November 2011 1 | Page The UNESCO 2003 Convention on Safeguarding

ICH Convention 2003 Training, Nairobi Cluster, November 2011

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The UNESCO 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

Capacity Building Workshop

@

CENTRE FOR HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

Mombasa Kenya

Contract Number: 4500144789

Vendor Number: 0000312647


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Project Brief This report outlines the work undertaken in preparation for and the actual workshop completed at the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa (CHDA) on the UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The CHDA was contracted by UNESCO to carry out the preparations for the workshop. Contract Brief: To organize all logistics including travel, accommodation, field trips and learning content necessary for the success of a 5 day workshop at CHDA secretariat during November 2011. The Purpose of the workshop was to sensitize policy makers on the workings of the UNESCO 2003 convention The Workshop Objectives

Objectives of the 2003 Convention Training Programme Capacity Building Program

1. To increase the number of Eastern African States Parties as signatories to the Convention

2. To increase the capacities of East African countries to safeguard their Intangible Cultural Heritage, using the provisions of the 2003 convention

3. To increase the number of nomination dossiers submitted to the Committee for listing of intangible cultural heritage items

4. To provide a platform for discussion and learning so as to enhance understanding and implementation of the ICH at leadership levels

5. To create a network of African practitioners, who will generate discussions and action so as to better manage and secure intangible cultural heritage

Target Audience 1. Non Governmental Organisations which represent practitioners, community leaders and

research specialists in ICH

2. Government agencies such as Ministries and National Commissions responsible for policy related to ICH

3. Museum or heritage agency professionals responsible for programs linked to intangible cultural heritage at policy level


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Advertisement and Selection for the workshop The UNESCO Nairobi Cluster office worked closely with the CHDA in the dissemination of information with respect to the workshop. CHDA placed an advertisement on the CHDA website as well as circulated through the AFRICOM-L (International Council of African Museums list serve). The latter has a circulation of over 1000 members. After the deadline had passed and specific countries were not represented in the applications, UNESCO Nairobi assisted in the identification of appropriate participants. Participants from Djibouti were not recruited as there was no response from the appropriate officers called. The participant traveling from Somali needed security clearance and was not able to obtain a visa in time. The participant from Somali based in Nairobi participated for just two days. The remaining time, he fell ill. However, a concern was discussed between the facilitators about having someone who has been out of touch with heritage conservation within the country for such a long time, having sufficient knowledge and understanding of the context to gain fruitfully and share meaningfully from the training exercise. Participating countries; Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Eritrea and Somalia Gender ratio for participants; 2 Women: 10 Men Leadership Profiles; Participants ranged from Directors of NGOs, Commissioners, UNESCO Commission members, National Heritage institution heads and Research Comments: Whilst the UNESCO Nairobi cluster office worked tirelessly with CHDA in the identification of appropriate participants, the late submission of some names delayed the amount of planning which participants could have done. The absence of participants from Djibouti and Somali was felt in the range of experiences and dynamics shared and affected the successful attainment of the overall objectives of the workshop as stated above. The gender imbalance is problematic and requires close monitoring. It would be useful to ascertain from other workshops to what extent this is a pattern. If it is, it needs to be addressed in further training activities as it could skew the emphasis and beneficiaries in the implementation of the Convention. In an African context, particular attention needs to be paid to countries living through conflict or emerging from conflict. Mechanisms for safeguarding, documentation and so on will need adaptation and recognition. Pre-Workshop Preparation Once confirmation of participation was received, participants were sent a draft program and two assignments to be completed prior to the workshop.

PRE WORKSHOP TASKS

1. KINDLY COMPLETE A FIVE MINUTE POWER POINT PRESENTATION WHICH WOULD GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE AND THE CHALLENGING ISSUES YOU HAVE UNCOVERED IN THE AREA OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN YOUR COUNTRY


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2. KINDLY COMPLETE THE QUIZ ATTACHED IN PREPARATION FOR THE WORKSHOP. PLEASE REFER TO THE BASIC TEXT ON THE CONVENTION AS FOUND ON THE UNESCO CULTURE WEBSITE FOR GUIDANCE

Workshop Materials CHDA provided each participant with a copy of presentations on CD, program and with the help of the UNESCO Nairobi cluster a copy of the Convention’s basic text. The full Quiz was inserted into the pack, as well as the final course evaluation. At the conclusion of the workshop participants received a copy of the specially designed 2012 calendar which celebrates the intangible cultural heritage associated with henna art. The Workshop A one-week workshop was held on the UNESCO Convention 2003 on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Mombasa, from November 7-11, 2011. The training was hosted by the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa (CHDA) and co-facilitated by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda. The training content and process were derived mainly from the UNESCO Implementation Training Manual. The Basic Text on the UNESCO Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage was a key reference document used throughout the training. Participants were given pre-workshop assignments to establish their involvement in safeguarding ICH and on arrival received a pack of relevant reference documents including a copy of the ICH Basic Text. The training approach was participatory drawing on the participants’ experiences and examples from the countries represented and beyond. A one-week time table was developed and reviewed and distributed on a daily basis. See Appendix IV for detailed time table. The training brought together 11 participants from Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, Rwanda and Somalia and was facilitated by Deirdre Prins-Solani (CHDA) and Emily Drani (CCFU). See Appendix I for list of participants. DAY 1 – INTRODUCTION Welcome and introduction Participants were invited to introduce themselves by name, designation and organization and interest in intangible cultural heritage. They were then requested to note their expectations on cards and these included i) understanding the workshop content and process ii) Definition of ICH, understanding concept of safeguarding and how in practical terms this can be done iii) Understanding the ICH Convention in respect to the Operational Directives, legal framework at national and international levels, international assistance, and the process of preparing nomination dossiers iv) sharing experiences on ratification, implementation and safeguarding v) what happens after safeguarding vi) understanding heritage site development, and vii) CHDA’s practical preventive measures for safeguarding heritage. The cards were posted on the wall for reference and evaluation at the end of the training. Comments: This exercise worked well as participants were able to measure their individual learning against their expectations throughout the workshop. During the evaluation process participants referred back to these cards.


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Presentation 2: Introduction to ICH Convention 2003 This covered the ICH 2003 UNESCO Convention in respect to its objectives, Governing organs, Two Lists and a Register, Operational Directives, Fund, obligations and benefits. Participants were invited to share their understanding of the Convention and concepts used. Some of the concepts that stood out included:

• Communities – people bound by practices, heritage, interests, language and culture – indigenous and common culture, defined by geographical boundaries and history.

• Safeguarding – means of identifying and protecting intangible cultural heritage for posterity and sustainability

• Viability – elements that are relevant to the community that subscribes to it; are not obsolete and are meaningful to the community. This term generated much debate, differentiating economic viability and viability in respect to safeguarding

• Inscribed – listing of elements that have been assessed and registered. • Nomination – a process of proposing to enlist ICH element to be safeguarded or

recognized by either a state party based on community consent to intergovernmental committee of UNESCO ICH 2003 Convention

Comments: The word viability was perhaps the most difficult concept for participants to grasp. It may be useful to generate a range of metaphors appropriate to the spirit of the convention to use as illustrations. However, it must be added that as the workshop progressed and case studies of viability measures presented, participants slowly grasped its meaning.

Presentation 3: World cloud exercise; local language examples Participants were invited to translate ICH in their respective languages (Eritrean, Somali, Kinyarwanda, Luo and Luganda). It was noted that often this involved explaining the concepts as opposed to the use of a single word. Translation is important to communicate accurate interpretation of concepts and the spirit of the Convention. Participants were cautioned about the appropriateness of clauses and the implications within the spirit of the Convention. The exercise also served as a wonderful icebreaker within the group as language similarities and cultural issues were exchanged. Participants questioned the omission of language and literature as elements of ICH and discussed safeguarding in respect to its qualities in terms of recreation, living heritage, transmission from generation to generation; conservation rather than preservation and relevance of ICH elements in a given context. Comments: The knowledge of the facilitators of the various UNESCO tools and programs proved helpful as participants from Eritrea were referred to the Memory of the World project for issues related to great literary works. The UNESCO website with its various components, ease


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of navigation and reference were extremely helpful too. Access to internet should certainly be a basic resource for workshops such as this, as it facilitated delving into a range of resources, medium all available on line. Country presentations In groups participants presented the status of ICH in their respective countries, as follows: Eritrea:ICH is visible in festivals, folk performing arts; popular annual events in Asmara involving cultural activities and reflecting multicultural diversity of the 9 ethnic groups - demonstrating hairstyles, dressing, artefacts, traditional dances and sports. Masse (festive seasons) and melqes (funerals) are expressions of culture, history, love and life of the people – highly revered

oral forms in society. These elements are transmitted to the younger generation through observation and practice. The ICH Convention is yet to be implemented. Uganda: The most visible ICH element is bark cloth making that is certified a Masterpiece of Humanity. Efforts to safeguard this element involved production of a DVD, assessment of training packages, exhibitions at the Uganda National Museum, training of craft makers and tree planting of the natalensis ficus tree (including protecting

and regenerating the bark). In one community in Busoga an inventorying process including awareness raising has taken place. Other ICH elements nominated for safeguarding include Bigwara Music and Dance and Herbal healing practices in Busoga. The ICH Convention has been ratified and translated into Luganda and one NGO accredited. Kenya: Examples of the ICH elements included the Turkana, Samburu, Rendele, (community age sets, cattle and camel herding), Gabbra (peace-making and conflict management),El Molo (house making skill, endangered language group, board game, architecture, traditional medicine in Mt Kulal area), the Suba (legend in the Lake Victoria Basin), the Luo (legend in the Lake Victoria basic – myths), the Luyiha and Abagusii (legends) as well as music in the Lake Victoria Basic (Luo dance). Challenges include inadequate finances, resource persons, documentation, secrecy, lack of cooperation and time for documentation. The ICH Convention has been ratified and some elements safeguarded. Rwanda: Although the Convention has not been ratified, documentation of significant heritage sites and ICH elements in Eastern and Northern Rwanda is taking place. ICH elements include cultural festivals, stories telling, banana beer making, and bark clothe making, cultural values attached to the long horned cows in respect to wealth and dowry, traditional shaving and weaving. Transmission of ICH is through school and museum where young people are taught to make handicrafts and traditional dance, Inyambo, imitating the long horned cows. Challenges


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include financial constraints, oral sources, community set up, research, influence of modern religion (Christianity) and skills gap – no training facilities within the country in respect to heritage and museum. Somalia – generally Somalia has diverse heritage that is appreciated by its communities ranging from poetry, traditional games, traditional dances and performing arts, Xeer, and the Somali Traditional legal system. However due to the current political situation ratification of the ICH Convention and safeguarding ICH remains a challenge. The Plenary Discussion: There is need to guard against ICH elements being considered only as tourist attractions and income generating activities. Traditional governance systems have been overtaken by local state governance systems hence traditional safeguarding mechanisms have been weakened resulting in threats to ICH. Community consultations should explore traditional safeguarding mechanisms and recognize the contributions of communities of practice and as such sustainability will go beyond the ICH intervention and financial benefit. Comments: This exercise proved very useful and fruitful as it revealed the following;

1. Participants engagement with ICH, knowledge of and with the Convention in their country contexts. It also facilitated a great degree of sharing of experiences and knowledge between countries

2. It assisted the facilitators in identifying examples for reference and clarification throughout the workshop

3. It may be useful for all of the capacity building workshops to conduct this exercise as a benchmark for continued work in-country on ICH

DAY 2: RATIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION Presentation 4: Who can do what? Participants listed some of the stakeholders who are involved in the ICH promotion, ranging from participating communities, state parties, individuals, researchers, academic institutions, NGOs, interest groups, to the media. It was observed that the ratification, implementation and nomination processes require significant contributions and coordination amongst various stakeholders. It was noted that representation of a wide range of stakeholders is necessary to access relevant information as well as gain consent and collective ownership of the different processes – ratification, implementation or nomination. In Uganda and Kenya, it was noted that there is limited coordination between research organisations, academic institutions, practicing communities and the state. Often the objective of generating information on ICH by these stakeholders is not for safeguarding ICH but may do so by default. In Rwanda efforts have been made to define and promote culture however there is a lack of skills to extract and document ICH elements. State parties should look into establishing coordinating bodies and developing a code of ethics in respect to ICH safeguarding. Participants also questioned the measure of “the widest possible participation?” and it was agreed that this should cover as many representatives of stakeholders directly involved in an ICH element or concerned about its safeguarding. Comments: This presentation is extremely valuable at this stage of the workshop as it guides participant expectations. It is interesting to note how little participants know about the


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machinations of UNESCO and how critical States Parties and communities of practice are in the implementation of Conventions. Presentation 5: Raising awareness Participants carried out a group exercise to discuss awareness of ICH at national and regional level and the importance of safeguarding it. In country groups, they discussed and presented local or regional examples of awareness-raising activities either in the past or at present, who took responsibility for raising awareness, who paid for it, what methods were used and what results were achieved. Awareness raising of ICH in Uganda: The level of awareness is moderate and this is demonstrated by traditional ceremonies Radio discussions, Newspaper articles, national education curriculum, other passionate expressions of appreciating cultural heritage. Activities: national celebration of World Culture Day, Tourism day, Theatre and Copyright days; organising exhibitions (bark cloth and demonstrations); seminars and debates on ICH, production of IEC e.g. translation of the Bark Clothe brochure and UNESCO Convention 2003; school festivals and museum related activities At regional level - training community workers – Busoga; Consultations with ethnic groups that have identified ICH elements e.g. Acholi, Ike, Alur and Lango and district consultations. Awareness is raised through print and electronic media, face to face interaction, workshops and presentations. The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage and Ministry of Education, civil society organisations and universities are responsible for ICH. Cultural related activities are funded by the Government, CSOs and other development partners Awareness raising of ICH in Rwanda Awareness raising is carried out in collaboration with local and central government. Memorandum of understanding (INMR and districts (Gasabo and Nyanza) exist and bind parties in ICH activities. Presentations are made at different levels e.g. parliament, local institutions. ICH activities include cultural festivals: harvest e.g. Inyambo festival. ICH is transmitted through mobile museums, visits to schools through the identification and inventorying process. Awareness raising of ICH in Eritrea To begin with there is general public knowledge about cultural heritage, oral traditions or folklore but many are not familiar with the concept of ICH. Awarenes vis-a-vis categories Awareness within communities is evidenced in local, regional and national festivals – exhibiting music, dance, crafts, folklife and oral tradition, etc. At national level there is awareness demonstrated by state media, efforts to incorporate ICH in national curriculum although there is limited allocation of funds. The awareness of intellectuals is not satisfactory and much needs to be done to raise the awareness of the youth. Current awareness raising methods include publications, audio visual (Walibo Sibrit), festivals and cultural performances. The Cultural Affairs officers at both levels, the media, and education institutions (for the use of mother tongue in the education system) are responsible for ICH. ICH activities are funded by the government and partly by UNESCO. So far there has been improved awareness but there is a need to utilize the formal and information education systems to safeguard ICH.


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Awareness raising of ICH in Kenya There is a level of awareness of ICH amongst professionals and interest groups- (research affiliates, local and foreign residents; accredited NGOs, Utalii College (Hotel management) Tour firms. At community level there is not much awareness although communities of practice such as EMOSARETU – Elmolo, Samburu, Rendile, and Turkana Women’s Groups, Mazingira (Gabra Borana women) demonstrate ICH elements. At national level awareness initiatives include public exhibitions supported by the Ministry and institutions concerned; publications on elements of ICH (books, newspaper articles, brochures); conferences and trainings at national and regional levels) The following institutions are responsible for ICH: Ministry of State for Heritage and Culture (National Museum of Kenya, Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, the NGO Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Wildlife, Universities (Nairobi Institute of African Studies, Department of Sociology, Kenyatta University – Culture sector, Maseno and Moi Universities). Presentation ...: Ratification of the ICH Convention Some of the challenges highlighted in respect to implementing the ICH Convention were i) convincing the state party that the Convention is important and it should invest in it ii) the requirement for wide consultations in the ratification process is slow and expensive (e.g. in Uganda where 7 Conventions have been lined up awaiting ratification). There are also challenges related to managing issues of ownership where communities regard ICH elements as their own and not international property. This highlighted the need for extensive consultations on the objectives of the Convention, the process, obligations of parties and responsibilities as well as the benefits. It was also noted that generally cultural heritage is not given high national priority and often its structural positioning (of tangible and tangible heritage departments) makes coordination and effective implementation difficult. Presentation 6: Inventorying Participants expressed concern about interference of politics in the identification and nomination process where some political leaders may attempt to take credit for safeguarding or influencing the process unduly. Another concern was regarding acquiring authentic information due to over-researched communities and the fact that many have become commercialized – expecting money in exchange for their time or information. Finally, the issue of how wide consent consultations should be sought given that some communities have mobile members while other are represented by leaders who may not disseminate the information widely and therefore consent may not be considered adequate. DAY 3: COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Role play on involving communities Participants acted out a role play on community participation and gaining consent. The experience was stimulating and participants noted the importance of appropriate community


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entry, use of language, observance of body language, respect for traditional protocol, recognition of diverse opinions. The need to involve diverse interest groups and cultural heritage promoters but cautioned against individuals who masquerade as community representatives. Comments:Role play as teaching and learning technique worked very well. The animation and discussion which ensued was indicative of an exciting methodology. Presentation 7: Involving community Participants noted that transmission of knowledge is often within informal spaces and these learning spaces have been overtaken by formal education spaces. There is therefore the need to re-create spaces for informal knowledge transfer. It is important to define with the community what their understanding and definition of “the community” is and identify the right traditional knowledge bearers. Some ICH elements have been commercialized such as traditional dances and performances and in the process the original practice, its meaning and significance may get lost pointing to the need to establish evolution of ICH elements and acceptability of the changes to a given community. Presentation 8: ICH and sustainable development Participants raised concern about copyright. In respect to sustainability, heritage studies should be a life-long learning process. Effort has been made to study the status of heritage education at different levels of the education from primary to tertiary institutions for instance in Uganda in order to inform the incorporation of heritage skills development in the formal education curriculum. Case study: Bark Clothe Making in Uganda (Daniel Kaweesi) Bark Clothe making in Uganda was recognized as a Masterpiece of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005. The presentation illustrated the process of barkcloth making, products and diverse uses of bark cloth and sustainability measures in respect to research and documentation, harvesting methods, tree planting, skills training, enhancing economic value, and diversifying use of the product. A copy of the full presentation is available. Participants raised questions regarding copyright, benefit to key players, media involvement, role of the traditional institution (kingdom), durability of the product, relevance, and practicability


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of practice. The question of ownership of the ICH element was raised since a number of communities within and outside Uganda also practice bark cloth making. Attention was drawn to various sections of the Basic text and also drew on participants’ experience dealing with these issues. Presentation 9: Safeguarding Participants were requested to identify and discuss potential ICH elements for safeguarding in their respective countries. The exercise generated discussions with respect to the danger of freezing” an ICH element where safeguarding is interpreted to mean maintaining it the way it has been documented, in the event that there is no regular updating or consideration of changes made to the ICH by the practicing community. Internal conflicts due to delayed consent and lack of communication about delays in the approval process was another concern raised leading to suspicion of eliminating some ICH elements from the list. Finally, there was a concern that economic interests may override cultural heritage value – compromising authenticity of ICH elements.

Day 4: FIELD STUDY AND SAFEGUARDING PRACTICES Field study to the Mijikenda Kaya (Rabai) Mombasa Participants were briefed on the site to be visited and provided with text describing the Mijikenda Kaya, a copy of their safeguarding plan, decision taken to list the Kaya for safeguarding. The team was met and accompanied by two Mijikenda elders Daniel Begerero and Gande Mwamburi and Anthony Githithio (NMK Officer responsible for the forests) and William Tsaka (Rabai Museum curator) into the sacred forest. ICH elements in respect to values, beliefs and seasonal rituals were explained. A debriefing meeting was held at the end of the field visit to discuss the ICH elements observed and safeguarding measures.

The elders and guides responded to issues raised as follows

• Religion a threat to the Kaya: historically, the two have co-existed. The community members also tend to uphold dual religious belief systems (Christian and traditional) and this is acceptable, although the traditional religion tends to be stronger. The advantage of dual belief systems is that it maximises a sense of security and presents resources to address diverse concerns.


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• Transmission and sustainability of the ICH: though not documented, through observation and practice the ICH elements are passed on to the younger generation. In future aspects may be documented but the elders prefer to retain secret information as confidential – exclusive to only a few selected elders. Divine powers and spiritual knowledge is often inherited or gifted (and not taught) and therefore does not require documentation. During traditional rituals all community members access the kaya, witness and participate in the practices although it was noted that there is restricted access to certain areas for different community members e.g. children, youth, women, unmarried men and some elders.

• Economic benefits – the elders receive funds from visitors to the kaya (entrances fees, tree seedling sales,etc) and 25% of the benefits go to Rabai community by way of medicine for the health centre or stationery for the schools. The elders are also compensated for their time as guides and in managing the kaya.

• Awareness raising – there is no systematic method of raising awareness; in 2005 a programme was developed but has not been implemented. Signage in the kaya – the kaya is a sacred forest and is living ICH – the community has deliberately not labelled sites in the forest; visitors must be accompanied and the explanation is given verbally as a means of protecting their ICH.

• New risks after safeguarding:

there is an increased flow of visitors and efforts are made to control the traffic by restricting the time for visiting (not at night) and verifying objective of the visit.

• Women’s involvement: it is assumed that women are part of the community and are recognized for their role in socialization. There are fora and traditional spaces that are exclusive for women, however this was not elaborated on due the absence of women from the community during the field visit

Comments:


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The value of engaging within a community of practice, as opposed to having a “performance” within the training workshop can never be over emphasised. The location of the engagement session within the kaya provided a rich context for understanding the issues of viability and safeguarding practices. The participants engaged willingly and with depth. The NMK staff members and kaya elders must be thanked for their preparatory work. We also hope that the engagement has benefitted them in their own efforts to safeguard this element. DAY 5: ACTION PLANNING AND CONCLUSIONS Reflections on the field visit to the Mijikenda Kaya in Rabai Participants reflected on the experience of visiting the Mijikenda Kaya in Rabai. In general the concept of safeguarding a sacred forest was considered striking and could be replicated (in Rwanda and Uganda). The co-existence of dual religious values (Christian and traditional) was remarkable and is an important element to consider in safeguarding to avoid dominance and tensions. The kaya is central to the community’s existence and history which lends to its sustainability as well as the interest of the youth in going into the forest, demonstrated during the visit. Safeguarding the kaya as well as Dr Krapf museum brought to life what student learn about in the school curriculum making the visit a valuable experience of reality. Participants noted the elders’ dressing and devotion to the kaya and the limited negative influences of commercialization and politics. The kaya illustrated the beauty of the ICH Convention by providing an interface between text and reality and demonstrating how the Convention addresses people’s inspirations, reinforcing the community’s desire to safeguard their heritage. It was also interesting to note that at the door step of an urban city, an ICH element has survived external influences (deforestation) and still reflects strong cultural beliefs, and by default contributes conservation of biodiversity. For some participants the visit was a spiritual experience, stimulating a connection with their own ancestors.


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Presentation 10: Legal and administrative frameworks (policies and institutions at national and international levels) Participants noted the importance of establishing a heritage policy even if various ICH elements are practiced and informally recognized. The state should take the initiative to identity ICH elements and initiatives within its boundaries and provide an environment conducive to their development and protection. It is useful to identify networks with common objectives to reinforce efforts to implement and safeguard ICH.

Participants were requested to reflect on the policy environment in their respective countries and draw mind-maps on the policies that support / supplement the ICH Convention. Presentation 11: Implementation at international level Dealing with ICH elements that cut across borders may require submission of joint dossiers recognizing the collective practice. In the event that state parties are not on good terms, there is no obligation to make a joint submission but indications should be made to acknowledge the existence of the ICH element in other territories. It was noted that so far most African governments have not taken advantage of the priority given to Africa to submit ICH nominations – this may be due to lack of knowledge or weak political will and need to be encouraged to implement the Convention and safeguard their ICH. Country planning session In their country groups, participants developed action plans that were presented in plenary. These included the policy context, ICH Planning, Ratification, Domestication of the ICH policy, Inventorying, Awareness raising and Safeguarding, depending on what stage the respective countries were at. To the extent possible, the plans indicated what activity was planned, who was responsible and when it would be implemented. See Appendix II. for detailed country plans. Evaluation


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Each participant completed an evaluation form. See Appendix III for detailed feedback. Official closing Participants congratulated one another on the successful completion of the training. The training was officially closed by Deirdre Prins-Solani and a group photograph. Recommendations to UNESCO At the end of the training the co-facilitators met and discussed a few recommendations to UNESCO. See Appendix IV for Trainers’ reflections and recommendations to UNESCO.


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APPENDIX I: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

NAME TITLE TELEPHONE EMAIL

MEKONEN KIDANE

Researcher (Eritrea) +2917180279 [email protected]

SOLOMON TSEHAYE

Director of Culture Affairs Bureau (Eritrea)

+2917173484 [email protected]

NELSON ABITI Conservator (Uganda)

+256712672091

+256772056566

[email protected]

NAUMO JULIANA AKORYO

Commissioner Culture and Family Affairs (Uganda)

+256772488038

+256414233090

[email protected]

JOHN MIRERI Kenya National Commission of UNESCO (Kenya)

+2542229053/4 [email protected]

DENIS OPUDO NMK (Kenya) +254720809821 [email protected]

GABRIEL KAYONGA

Director of all Museums (Rwanda)


VIVIANNE UMULISA

Designer and Tourist Officer (Rwanda)


DANIEL KAWEESI Program me Officer, Uganda National Commission for UNESCO (Uganda)


[email protected]

KHALIF ASHKIR DIINI

Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education

[email protected]

STEVEN RWAGWERI

Executive Director. Engabuza Tooro (Uganda)


PATRIC OCHIENG Ujamaa (Kenya) +254722706800 [email protected]


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APPENDIX II: COUNTRY ACTION PLANS

I RWANDA ACTION PLAN ON ICH

ACTION RESPONSIBLE WHEN Policy context Supporting national policies – Language, Environment, Traditional medicine 1.Ratification -Make a report of this workshop and submit it to all levels that are responsible for the ratification process; -follow up of ratification process

INMR( KAYONGA Gabriel and Viviane UMULISA)

By 20th November 2011

2. Domestication The Convention is already in French and English

Awaits ratification of the convention to propose the development of an action plan.

3.Inventory - To complete the national inventory; -Submit the national ICH list to the government and partners.

INMR( KAYONGA Gabriel) INMR researchers

By March 2012

4. Awareness- raising -The Convention is not well known in Rwanda! We are going to sensitize colleagues in the Institution National Museum of Rwanda, other organisations dealing with ICH through (workshops, brochures etc)

INMR( KAYONGA Gabriel and Viviane UMULISA)

By the end of December 2011

5. Safeguarding - Using the national inventory list, we are going to make a list of the ICH in need of urgent safeguarding -Elaborate the nomination files starting with those in need of urgent safeguarding -Raise funds within our government, UNESCO and other partners to safeguard them.

-IMNR Researchers -KAYONGA Gabriel -UMULISA Vivian -MIJESPOC the department of culture -National commission of UNESCO

June,2012


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II KENYA ACTION PLAN ON ICH

ACTIVITY NATIONAL COUNTY LOCAL WHO?

RATIFICATION DONE

DOMESTICATION Lobby relevant government departments to ensure policies and institutions are set up (Jan-Jun 2012)

Lobby relevant government departments to ensure county policies and institutions are set up (Jan-Jun 2012)

Sensitise communities to interact with the policy process (Jan-Dec 2012)

Dept. Culture NMK KNATCOM Learning int. Civil society CBOs & communities

INVENTORY 1. Carry out stake-holder consultations 2. Dev. National

strategy (Jan-Mar

2012)

Establish status of inventorying and research on ICH (Jun-Dec 2012)

Map & identify focal point communities and groups to work with (Jan-Dec 2012)

Dept. Culture NMK KNATCOM Learning int. Civil society CBOs and communities

ACTIVITY National County Local Who?

AWARENESS 1. National consultative forum (Feb 2012) 2. Media

campaigns 3. Mobilise

support from corporate institutions (Feb & cont…)

4. Organise county stakeholder for a in targeted counties (Feb & cont…)

5. Prioritise elements for safeguarding (Mar & cont…) 6. Sensitize communities on the elements identified (Jan & cont…)


SAFEGUARDING 1. Establish a national committee on ICH (Dec 2011) 2. List and

prioritize elements for nominations (Jan-Dec 2012) 3. Prepare &

submit nominations to UNESCO (Jan-Mar 2012)

4. Establish representative ICH structures 5. Scope communities to participate in safeguarding (Jan-Mar 2012)

1. Involve communities in safeguarding ICH using existing structures (Jan & cont…)



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III UGANDA ACTION PLAN ON ICH

ACTION Nat. Prov. Local Activities Who When

1 RATIFICATION

2 DOMESTIC ATION

X

Analyse the existing legal framework to identify the gaps

Kaweesi, Juliana, Nelson, Emily Rwangweri

By end of January 2012

X Lobby MoES Juliana,Kaweesi, Nelson,Rwangweri

BY March 2012

3 INVENTORY

x Develop an Inventory Strategy


by June 2012

x

Capacity building for two communities to inventory their ICH


By August 2012

4 AWARENESS RAISING

X Design IEC on ICH Convention


by April 2012

x X x Radio programmes


from March 2012

5 SAFEGUARDING

x X x

Prepare one(1) nomination file and financial request Juliana,

by March 2012

Preparatory proposal for s Kaweesi

by March 2013

Best practices proposal Nelson

by March 2014


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IV ERITREA COUNTRY PLAN ON ICH

Ratification – Eritrea ratified the Convention in January 2011, and now have access to assistance – financial and technical Policy context: supporting instruments include the Constitution, Draft National Cultural Policy in place to be proclaimed; Draft Heritage Legislation Covering both 1972 and 2003 Conventions; national policies on Language, Environment and Traditional medicine Domestication The Eritrean Constitution supports the promotion of culture; illustrated in the development of language of 9 ethnic groups and cultures; and emphasizes equality across diversity and promotion of local languages

Draft Heritage legislation – bottlenecks to advancement on identifying, listing, inscribed or nominated.

Inventorying The Convention has been translated into Tigrinya. No inventory of ICH exists yet Need for capacity building Identification and definition of application for assistance

A feedback meeting and discussion on the ICH Convention will be held. The team will carry on with inventory and will not wait for ratification process – community consultations; awareness raising – meeting held in Asmara.

Awareness raising Invite journalists to engage in promote awareness on ICH Develop capacity building plan to raise awareness Through school curriculum; use of mother tongue, development of DVDs on ICH in Eritrea; social cooperation during the war and time of conflict; various publications Convention translated to be published

Produce awareness raising media programmes Local and national festivals School curriculum – mother tongue education; arts and culture education Audio-visual productions Various publications

Safeguarding To encourage and empower communities to practice the elements sustainably by doing the above listed activities We make sure that the elements of ICH are passed on from generation to generation

Documentation and research Promotional activities (festivals and exhibitions) to enhance the visibility of ICH The body responsible for implementation of the ICH Convention is the National Heritage Committee in cooperation with various stakeholders – such as Communities, researchers, interest groups etc.

General comments on the plans

• Should indicate where possible cross country actions to reinforce capacity building, lobbying for ICH, opportunities for learning.

• Form a working group moderator • Indicate specific institutions (and where possible individuals) responsible for taking action

forward


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APPENDIX III: EVALUATION FORM

Services

Poor Average Excellent

Quality, cleanliness, comfort of guest house 6 4 Lodging Location of Guest House 1 4 5 Transport

Between guest house and workshop venue 3 6

Comfort and suitability of large meeting rooms 2 9 Quality of snacks and beverages during coffee breaks

2 9 Workshop meeting room and facilities

Quality of lunches 3 6 Too

Long / much/ difficult

Just right

Too short/ few / easy / little

Length of workshop 11 Daily schedule 11

Schedule

Lunch breaks 11 1 In preparing for the workshop 1 8 1 Workload During the workshop 11 Workshop documents 10 1 Amount of teaching

material Power-point presentations 11 Workshop documents 1 9 Difficulty of teaching

materials Slide presentations 10 (+?) Not

enough Average Excellent

Knowledge and experience 1 10 Teaching styles and effectiveness 1 10 Understanding of participants’ backgrounds and needs

3 8

Level of preparation for workshop sessions 1 10

Facilitators

Sensitivity to working context 1 10 No

new skills

Some new skills

Many new skills/ very useful

To what extent has this workshop given you new skills and knowledge?

1 10

Will the workshop experience be useful if you have to help implement the Convention in your country?

11

How useful will these new skills and knowledge be in your present position

1 9

How useful will these skills and knowledge be in the long run as you develop your career?

3 7

Yes No Don’t know

Usefulness of this workshop for your work and career

Will your organisation /office support your future participation in the implementation of the

10


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Convention? What part of the workshop did you find most interesting (and why)?

• Linking theory to practice at the Kaya • Field visit to the Kaya forests because the case study illustrated many learning

points • Domestication of the Convention (policies and institutions) • It is difficult to say one is better than the other part. All the workshop was

important, equally for me. • I enjoyed the entire workshop all together because that was a learning

opportunity for me. • Group discussions and plenary • Presentation of CHDA and CCFU and discussion • Group discussions were very interactive • Communities and best practices of promoting ICH. Because we try to research

on cultural materials and find the significance for communities to use it, transit and sustain developments.

• Safeguarding of elements; because it was very important for me to learn it What part of the workshop did you find least interesting (and why)?

• -(3) • Making action plans because implementation may lack supportive resources • Not applicable – all were useful • No least interesting. All are very interesting • None (2) • Interpreting the Articles: lack of basic legal training or terms used in laws

What suggestions can you offer the organisers to improve future workshops?

• To increase the case studies by involving communities with ICH elements on the programme

• - • Gender sensitivity – more women on board • The organisers are well experienced. It is important for future to give further

training to upgrade our capacity. Thanks • Making participants of the workshop prepared by more reading of the materials, I

suggest, can help improve the future workshops • Before they ask for expectations please give the presentation on what is ICH. • Continue as done today with consideration to using a lodge along the beach not

in the island • Pre-test samples of inventory, awareness activities as with the example of

safeguarding we had for field visit to Kaya made us understand the process of nomination and safeguarding practice

• They should provide more practical lessons to participants i.e. like the Kaya experience. Thanks for everything. God bless you.


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APPENDIX IV: TRAINERS’ REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO UNESCO Training content and process 1) For effective training, in future consideration may be given to training participants from

countries that are at the same stage e.g. ratification, implementation or nomination, in order to achieve maximum benefit and indepth discussion on participants’ concerns. The expected outcome would be that the participants are equipped to move away from general awareness to action.

2) The pre-training assignments should include provision of information on existing policies related to ICH in the participant’s country e.g. Culture policy, ICH policy, Heritage Policy, Language policy, Indigenous Knowledge and Education policy among others, and establish how these could possibly support/complement the implementation of ICH Convention

3) Provide template / example of an ICH policy to provide guide on some of the basic aspects that could be covered.

4) Limited use was made of examples on UNESCO’s website due to irregular connection and in some cases lack of access to files on the part of the UNESCO website e.g. Sample Nomination form and Kit which could be included in the training material.

5) Inclusion of materials which demonstrate ‘badly’ written nominations, safeguarding strategies which participants can learn from

Participants 6) Joint assessment of participants selected for the training (with organizers/facilitators)

could be useful to ascertain their ability to effectively participate in the training based on knowledge, experience or position in organisations that are involved in ICH. This may also ensure their ability to take forward proposed plans. Particularly in the case of countries which have conflict or post-conflict status

Co-facilitation (to be included in the principles being developed?) 7) Partnership recognition: The mechanism for sub-contracting and due recognition needs

to be thought through very carefully 8) Contract: Terms of payment – a breakdown on expected time to be spent on preparing

for the training, co-facilitating for 5 days and writing up the report should be outlined and matched with remuneration at an agreed rate per day.

UNESCO representation 9) A representative from the UNESCO office (hosting country) should be present to officiate

the opening or closing of the training and respond to participants’ questions and concerns and sign certificates of attendance (if appropriate). Proposal from a participant Create opportunities for this team to continue knowledge sharing and learning to continue engagement and enhance knowledge on what is being done in the region to promote ICH.


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APPENDIX V: TIMETABLE Sunday, 6 November Arrival of participants and settling in

Day 1 Monday, 7 November INTRODUCTION

Session – 8.30 am

Duration Hand-outs for participants

• Welcome and Introductory speeches

5 min. CHDA

• Introduction of participants

• Workshop objectives; Expectations and Outcomes

• Introduction to the Convention

• Questions and answers

25 min. 30 min. 1 hour

Participants - name organisation, interest in ICH CHDA write expectations on coloured cards – presentations on individual experience; contents of the pack CCFU (IMP Presentation 2)

Tea 10.30 am

30 min.

• ICH Quiz

• An overview of the Convention (1) + discussion

• Case Study 1: Sanke

Mon

15 min. 1 hour 15 min 30 min.

CHDA (Quiz - IMP Hand-out 5.1.1) Presentation 3: World cloud exercise; local language examples UNESCO Case study material

Lunch – 1.00 pm

1 hour

• Country presentations on ICH presentations -

• Small group discussions on roles, responsibilities and challenges within ICH in country experiences

1 hour 1 hour

Post-workshop assignment Participants

Tea – 4.00 pm

30 min.


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Review of Key concepts • Homework – In country

summary poster of opportunities, challenges.

1 hour

CHDA – Presentation 3 CCFU - Guiding question to be provided

Day 2 Tuesday, 8 November RATIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

Session – 8.30 am


• Ratification of the Convention (reasons for ratification; Process and mechanism; Problem solving; Legal and policy reforms)

• 1 case study: Eritrea

• Question & answers

1 hour 30 min 30 min

CHDA – Presentation on ratification process Participant

Tea – 10.30 a.m

30 min.

• Raising awareness • Groupwork – national

awareness raising strategies

1 hour 1 hour

CCFU - IMP Presentation 5 Participants

Lunch – 1.00 p.m 1 hour

• 1 case study - Kenya

• Safeguarding, national obligations, involvement of communities and other actors)

30 min. 1 hour 30 min

Participant CHDA – Presentation 9

Tea – 4.00 pm 30 min.

• ICH inventorying under the Convention

• Who can do what?

• Homework: Read sample nomination

1 hour 1 hour

CCFU – Presentation 6: Inventorying Examples: UNESCO website CHDA - Presentation 4: Roles of Stakeholders


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dossiers for urgent safeguarding

Day 3 Wednesday, 9 November COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Session - 8.30 am


• Role play on – community involvement

• Involving the communities concerned

1 hour 1 hour

Participants (Buzz groups) Presentation 7 Examples of community participation

Tea – 10.30 am

30 min.

• Nomination - evaluating nominations

1 hour 30 min

Participants

Lunch – 12.30 pm

1 hour 30 min

• Case study: Bark cloth of Uganda

• ICH and sustainable development

30 min. 1 hour

Participant Presentation 8

Tea – 3.00 pm

30 mins

• Introducing the Kayas in Kenya

30 min. Briefing on field study

Day 4 Thursday, 10 November FIELD STUDY AND SAFEGUARDING PRACTICES

Session – 8.30 a.m


• Briefing and departure for the field

15 min. -Brief write up on site to be visited from CHDA

Tea 30 min.

• Visit to safeguarding project -

1 hour CHDA – guide

Lunch 1 hour


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• Visit to safeguarding project

2 hours CHDA – guide

Tea – 4.00 p.m 30 min.

• Good safeguarding practices (2)

• Discussion on field study visit against good safeguarding practice

1 hour Developing safeguarding measures - Presentation 9

Day 5 Friday, 11 November ACTION PLANNING AND CONCLUSIONS

Session – 8.30 a.m


• Policies and institutions

• Implementation at the international level

1 hour 1 hour

CCFU - IMP Presentation 10 CHDA - IMP Presentation 12

Tea – 10.30 am

30 min.

• Implementation at the

international level

• Development of country action plans (group work)

1 hour 1 hour

CHDA - Presentation 12 Participants

Lunch – 1.00 pm

1 hour

• Presentation of country

action plans (20 min each + Q&A)

1 hour 30 min.

CCFU - Participants

Tea – 3.30 pm

30 min.

• Summary and conclusion

• Evaluation

1 hour 30 min.

CHDA - IMP Presentation 5.14 CCFU - IMP Presentation 5.15

• Official closing 10 min UNESCO Kenya


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere appreciation to Emily Drani of CCFU for facilitation and the write up of the workshop notes which provided crucial information for this report. Appreciation to all participants who gave so enthusiastically, unafraid to ask questions and seeking understanding so as to know how to do what they are so passionate about doing in efforts to safeguard intangible cultural heritage. Special thanks to the staff and team at CHDA who made the workshop from planning to implementation another quality activity of CHDA’s. Sincere Appreciation to the team at the UNESCO Nairobi cluster who supported the efforts in ensuring the workshop was a success and met their objectives.

Documents

The UNESCO 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Intangible ... ws… · ICH Convention 2003 Training, Nairobi Cluster, November 2011 1 | Page The UNESCO 2003 Convention on Safeguarding