By Ndey Sowe
Gambia’s Tourism and Culture Minister Mr. Hamat N.K. Bah, on Friday, 1st April 2022, launched the project entitled:‘Strengthening National Capacities for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and Contributing to Sustainable Development in The Gambia 2022-2024’ during a ceremony held at the National Centre For Arts and Culture (NCAC) in Banjul.
Funded by France’s earmarked contribution to the UNESCO ICH fund, the 2-year project responds to the conclusions of a national needs assessment carried out in 2015, and gives continuity to recent steps taken by The Gambia for the safeguarding of its living heritage.
By the end of the project, the following results are expected, viz.; Gambian stakeholders are actively engaged in the safeguarding of their ICH, they have technical skills to implement the 2003 Convention and to transmit its basic principles throughout the Gambia; and that Gambian authorities, communities and the general public are further aware of the significance and function of ICH. This project will be implemented by UNESCO in partnership with the National Centre for Arts and Culture of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Minister Bah told the launch ceremony that the project is meant to assist The Gambia complete its first national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and therefore, it has a national coverage, which is why they have experts in ICH from all the seven regions, all ethnic groups and languages and religions, including a fair representation of women. He informed the audience the first phase of the project is the capacity building aspects which would help to introduce and build skills in ICH inventory among the technical team from the Regions, then government officials, and trainers, and there would be enough capacity to embark on the field work.
“The fieldwork will have a national scope, and it is hoped that by its end, the team would have been able to list research, photograph Gambians rituals, ceremonies, oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts which make up our Intangible Cultural Heritage,” Culture Minister Bah indicated. He conveyed his heartfelt thanks and gratitude to UNESCO for being steadfast and trusted partners in the development of the cultural sectors in this country.
“In the five years since I assumed this Ministry, I have witnessed such events many times, a testimony to the profound UNESCO engagement with the NCAC. I want to assure Director Sanga and his able team that this project, like the previous ones we have been allocated, will be fully implemented and reported on as required in the contract,” Bah reassured UNESCO.
Speaking earlier, Mr. Dimitri Sanga, Director of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for West Africa (Sahel), stated that UNESCO has been supporting The Gambia for the past 4 years on the protection and safeguarding of its rich and diverse heritage. The project we are launching today, he added, is a systematic effort to safeguard intangible cultural heritage at the national level and covering all the countries and regions. He also said the project is the first of its kind to establish an inventory of intangible cultural heritage contributing to environmental management and sustainability.
For her part, Mrs. Seraphine Wakana, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in The Gambia, said Government of The Gambia has placed culture at the heart of the country’s National Development Plan (2018-2021), and is developing public policies in line with this: such as the recent Tourism Policy and Strategy (2022-2032) and National Arts and Culture Policy (2019-2029), which establish a link between the country’s development and the protection, safeguarding and promotion of both tangible and intangible heritage.
This, she intimated, is crucial and important to the work they do as the UN, adding that’s why they continued to work closely with the NCAC through the International Trade Center (ITC) to support the creative industries and revive disappearing initiatives such as the Kankurang festival in Janjanbureh.
Madam Wakana described culture as “indeed a cross-cutting driver for sustainable development”; it contributes to reducing poverty (SDG1) through the creation of job opportunities in the cultural and tourism sectors (SDG8), strengthens quality education (SDG4), promotes social justice, and provides context-relevant responses for environmental sustainability (SDG 13).
As captured in Aspiration 5 of the 2063 Agenda of the African Union (AU), a continent with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, values and ethics would get them closer to the Africa they want, she added.
“I wish to thank the Government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, for continued partnership and wish to reiterate the UN’s continued commitment to supporting the development process of this country across all sectors,” remarked the Resident Representative.
Historian Hassoum Ceesay,who’s Director General of NCAC, described it as an important project for which they had been working with UNESCO for the past 2 years. He welcomed the gathering while thanking UNESCO, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the NCAC Board and staff, and the participants for their support.
