In September 2018, Faraja Africa Foundation in partnership with the Uganda National Commission for UNESCO and Action Aid Uganda organised the WHV Youth Camp from September 21- October 1st, 2019. The Project aimed to initiate community actions that preserve natural heritage, promote digital skilling, social entrepreneurship, environmental conservation.
The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative and more particularly, the World Heritage Volunteers 2018 campaign – Empowering Commitment to the World Heritage, in the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education (WHE) Programme. This programme aims to increase awareness and reinforce youth’s involvement at a local and global level in the implementation of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. As you know, Article 27 of the Convention requests States Parties to endeavor, in particular by means of educational programmes, to strengthen appreciation and respect of cultural and natural heritage. The WHE Programme is also consistent with UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy for 2014–2021 which foresees specific targeted action to be implemented in favor of youth.
The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative aims to:
- Raise awareness among young people, volunteers, local communities and concerned authorities of the need to protect and promote World Heritage;
- Involve young people in World Heritage preservation through concrete projects at sites;
- Empower young people allowing them to learn skills in basic preservation and conservation techniques, and raise their capacity as future decision-makers and global active citizens;
- Strengthen sustainable cooperation between non-profit organizations, site management, communities and authorities;
- Identify best practices and develop non-formal educational tools to facilitate stakeholders’ participation in World Heritage education;
- Mainstream gender equality in all stages of the projects and geographical diversity among the World Heritage properties where the action camps take place.