QUARTERLY REVIEW
JANUARY – MARCH 2015
Page
2
AWHF PAYS COURTESY CALL ON THE MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE, SOUTH AFRICA
The Patron of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) Mr. Phuthuma Nhleko together with the Chairperson Mr. Vuyo Jack and the Director of the Fund Dr. Webber Ndoro paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Arts and Culture (South Africa) Mr. Nathi Mthethwa on February 20, 2015. The Patron provided background information on the work of the Fund. In addition to summarizing the work of the Fund on the continent, the patron briefed the Minister on the Fund’s intention to host a business breakfast meeting to which the members of the private sector would be invited. In addition, Dr. Ndoro explained the purpose of the breakfast meeting which will be held on 6th may in Johannesburg, South
Africa. The breakfast meeting will be followed by a Seminar on Harmonizing Heritage with the African Union Agenda 2063 which will be organized in conjunction with the Departments of Arts and Culture as well as Environmental Affairs (South Africa).
In the end, the Minster indicated that May was an appropriate month to stage the two events
as Africa will be celebrating the Africa Month. The Africa month occurs every year in May in accordance with the launching, that occurred during the month of May in 1963, of the African Union (former Organization of African Unity). The celebration of the 50th
Anniversary of the AU/OAU in Ethiopia in 2013 culminated with the launching of a new vision, the Agenda 2063 “the Africa we want”.
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
“
To ensure that the mission and objectives of the African World Heritage Fund are
achieved by consolidating institutional Capacities”.
Left – Right: Dr Webber Ndoro (AWHF Director), Mr. Phuthuma Nhleko (AWHF Patron), Hon. Nathi Mthethwa (Minister of Arts and Culture, South Africa) and Mr. Vuyo Jack (Acting Director General, Department of Arts and Culture (South Africa).
Pa
ge
3
by January 2015.
Field project on Risk preparedness
As a follow-up to the training workshop on risk preparedness held in Mozambique in July 2014, AWHF organized a field project at the Cidade Velha World Heritage Site in Cape Verde from 16th
February to 6th March 2015. The workshop aimed at
enhancing the existing knowledge and building the capacity of heritage managers on risk preparedness and the mechanisms for protecting, conserving and managing cultural World Heritage properties. Thirteen (13) participants from Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Cape Verde attended the workshop.
The overall objectives of this project is to: improve the management and conservation of World Heritage properties; increase the ability of heritage practitioners and local communities to better plan for risks and take necessary actions for conservation after a disaster; increase knowledge and skills in conservation, and; enhance networking among heritage practitioners and local communities to deal with on-site challenges at World Heritage Properties. The participants were also trained by experts from CyArk on digital documentation of World Heritage properties.
The AWHF would like to thank the Government of Cape Verde for hosting the workshop, as well as the Ecole du Patrimoine Africain, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and CyArk. The Afican Union was also represented at the opening ceremony.
CONSERVATION OF HERITAGE PLACES
“
To ensure improved management and conservation of World Heritages in Africa
through participation of all stakeholders including local communities”
Pa
ge
4
Sustainable Tourism Project
In the framework of the World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme (WHSTP), the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) has developed a capacity building tool for site managers (“How To” Guides) to help them manage tourism at their sites more sustainably. To achieve this the World Heritage Centre and the AWHF are carrying out a project on ‘Sustainable Tourism Capacity Building in 4 African World Heritage Destinations’. The aim of the project is to progressively introduce the guides into the planning and management of sustainable tourism at the four sites in order to enhance broad stakeholder engagement in planning, development and management of sustainable tourism, and provide World Heritage stakeholders with the capacity and the tools to manage tourism efficiently, responsibly and sustainably based on the local context and needs.
The project consists of organizing a series of practical training workshops in four World Heritage sites in Africa. Between January and March 2015 four training workshop were held in Maloti Drakensburg Park (South Africa) 19-21 February 2015, Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia) 22-24th January 2015,
Lake Malawi National Park (Malawi) 7-9th March
2015, and; Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania) 11-14th March 2015.
The initiation workshops successfully brought together the various stakeholders to brainstorm on sustainable tourism at various World Heritage Site destinations. Clear challenges and opportunities were highlighted in partnership with AWHF.
Participants –Sustainable Tourism initiation Workshop, Maloti Drakensberg Park, South Africa, February 2015
Participants –Sustainable Tourism
initiation Workshop, Lake Malawi National Park, March 2015
Pa
ge
5
Business Breakfast
A business leader’s breakfast, hosted by the Patron of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), Mr Phuthuma Nhleko, will be held on 6 May 2015 at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. The objective of the event is to create awareness for the Fund as well as to seek support from the private sector. The event will be attended by business leaders in South Africa as well as key stakeholders in the heritage sector from the continent.
Seminar on the African Union Agenda 2063
To mark the Africa month, the Government of the Republic of South Africa in partnership with the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the African Union (AU) are planning a Seminar on the
African Union Agenda 2063 that will take place from 6th to 8th May 2015 in Midrand, South Africa.
The seminar will offer a platform to various stakeholders (Ministers, scholars, decision makers and representatives from the heritage sector) to reflect on the operational framework of the Agenda 2063 in the area of heritage. The results will be presented to the African Union as a contribution of the heritage sector to the implementation of the Agenda 2063.
AWHF is pleased to welcome Mr. Yannick Van Winkel
from Belgium who joined the AWHF mid-March. Mr. Van Winkel is on a six month internship supported by the Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs through the Flanders Trainee Programme. He will be supporting the AWHF’s Communication and Press Department. After completing his BA in Communication Sciences at the University of Ghent (BE) and Karlstad University (SE), and his MA in Communication Studies and New Media at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels or VUB (BE), Mr. Van Winkel
gained experience in communications and journalism in several companies in Belgium and the Netherlands.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
APRIL
–
JUNE
2015
NEW INTERN AT AWHF
Mr. Yannick Van Winkel
AWHF Contacts:
Physical address:: Development Bank of Southern Africa (main campus) 1258 Lever Road, Midrand, South Africa Postal address:1258 Lever Road Headway Hill Midrand P.O. Box 1234, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685 South Africa Email: info@awhf.net Tel: +27 (0) 11 313 3061 Fax: +27 (0) 11 206 3061
