Ugandan National Commission for UNESCO in collaboration with Makerere University and the Sub-Committee on Education and Research Working Group Africa (SCEaR-WGA) of UNESCO Memory of the World organized hybrid a seminar on “Preventive Conservation and Disaster Reduction of Documentary Heritage in Africa”. It was held from 4th to 5th July 2023 at the Yusuf Lule Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala-Uganda and the objective of the Seminar was to provide input to the guide on Preventive Conservation and Disaster Prevention of Documentary Heritage in Africa being developed by SCEaR-WGA.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Umar Kakumba in his opening remarks appreciated SCEaR-WGA and UNATCOM for their invaluable support in organising and hosting the seminar. He further congratulated the Convener Prof. Elisam Magara, the Department of Records and Archives Management, the East African School of Library and Information Sciences (EASLIS), and the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) for championing the initiative.
Prof. Kakumba giving his opening Remarks
“The strength of any nation is measured largely by the strength, character, and proficiency of its people. Beneath the people is the knowledge – the human side of enterprise. Knowledge does not emerge from space, it must be generated, managed, and preserved. This is particularly important in today’s knowledge economy for the sake of providing solid points of reference for future generations. Makerere University is happy to associate with UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme and many partners that seek to foster this document and knowledge preservation” Prof. Kakumba
Ms. Misako Ito, the Regional Adviser for Communication and Information in Africa, UNESCO noted that only 5% of documentary heritage entries come from Africa despite its rich history, she informed participants that UNESCO had on 1st July 2023 launched a new call for nominations for the Memory of the World International Register and encouraged the Uganda National Memory of the World Committee to submit entries.
Ms. Rosie Agoi, the Secretary General, UNATCOM informed participants and emphasised that the latest call has added an important gender component to prominently reflect women in archives and historical narratives. She equally encouraged participants from other African countries to consider preserving the documentary heritage of revolutionary movements, which significantly impacted the continent’s political leadership.
Members of the SCEaR-WGA who attended the seminar include: the Group Coordinator, Prof. Papa Momar Diop, Associate Professor at the University Gaston Berger, Senegal; Ms. Esther Olembe, Director of the National Archives of Cameroon; Dr. Lydia Waithira Muthuma, Senior Lecturer, Technical University of Kenya; Mr. Apolinaitre Tokanji Gbaguidi, Professor of Digitization at the Calavi University of Abomey, Benin; and Mr. Seyni Moumini, a specialist in sub-Saharan Africa and Islam manuscripts at the Abdou Moumouni University, Niger; Ms. Hasiniaina Rajaonarivelo from the Malagasy National Commission for UNESCO who held a session on how to successfully register an entry in the Memory of the World.
Group picture of some of the participants of the seminar
A keynote address was delivered virtually by Mr. Lothar Jordan, Chair of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme Sub-Committee on Education and Research (SCEaR). Prof. Papa Momar Diop, who also doubles as President of the African Regional Committee of Memory of the World (ARCMoW), and Dr. Lydia Waithira Muthuma also gave highlights of the Guide on Preventive Preservation Strategies. Notable from the work done to date was the need to document Africa’s rich traditions, culture, and norms that are largely passed on from generation to generation orally. “Many of us come from communities where the spoken word is the form of documenting knowledge and encapsulating heritage” explained Dr. Muthuma.
One of the recommendations of the guide under development is that ARCMoW’s stakeholders should come together and create a specific place for oral heritage, Africa’s living heritage. Citing examples such as traditional marriage ceremonies and decisions on where one ought to be buried in case of dispute e.g. the Kenyan Case of S. M. Otieno where customary law took precedence over common law, Dr. Muthuma said, “We have to be the ones to create a section or instrument in the Memory of the World where oral traditions are taken care of.”
The seminar also featured a session on reflections chaired by Dr. Dominic Lali Mundrugo-Ogo, Assistant Secretary General, UNATCOM. Contributors to the session included Assoc. Prof. Ruth Nalumaga, the University Librarian, at Makerere University, and Mr. Adonia Katungisa, Director, of the National Library of Uganda (NLU). Additional contributions were from representatives of the; Uganda Library and Information Association (ULIA), Consortium of Uganda University Libraries (CUUL), Cross-Cultural Foundation Uganda, National Records Centre, and Archives, Ministry of Public Service, Library and Information Services, Parliament of Uganda, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and Academia, among others.
Dr. Dominic Lali Mundrugo-Ogo chairing the session on reflections.
Dr. Mundrugo-Ogo appreciated panelists and participants for contributing to the discussions, noting that a lot of ground had been covered in line with the seminar theme.
“We need to document our African cultural values, rituals, and practices. It is a challenge for all of us to work in that direction.” Dr. Dominic Mundrugo Ogo Lali, Assistant Secretary General, UNATCOM
Delivering the closing remarks on Day One, the Principal CoCIS, Prof. Tonny Oyana on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and Makerere University thanked UNESCO represented by Ms. Misako, SCEaR-WGA, UNATCOM, and all participants for contributions to the efforts to preserve Africa’s Documentary Heritage. He reassured the stakeholders that despite the risk posed by lack of documentation to the preservation of oral African knowledge, technology through various platforms offers a lifeline to not only embark on but also accelerate these efforts.
Prof. Tonny Oyana addressing participants
“I want to reassure all of you that we have new resources that we need to look to such as YouTube. We need to rewrite these literary elements or adopt oral documentation and we have the technology to help us document this knowledge” he said.
Prof. Oyana shared that the Makerere University Strategic Plan aspires to make the institution more research-led, with a research agenda that lays emphasis on community engagement, and commended the organizers on a job well done in this regard. “Your work Prof. Magara is well aligned to our research agenda and creating visibility for the University.”
Additional recommendations from Day One included the need to boost the Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Studies developed by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda, with support from UNESCO’s ICH Fund to cater for Masters and Ph.D. level studies. The program is currently offered at Uganda Martyrs’ University, Kabale University, Kyambogo University, and the Islamic University in Uganda.
Seminar in the Media