Porte du non-retour - Ouidah
Porte du non-retour - Ouidah

Youth.Heritage.Africa. is a new ICCROM long-term regional initiative. The goal is to create economic value, invest in social and human capital, and foster innovation and creativity within the heritage sector in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

There is good reason to focus on African youth. Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population; those between the ages of 14 and 35 years constitute over 40%. They are also the most affected by unemployment and poverty. At the same time, the context is evolving fast: there is a growing network of African universities, of active civil society, and of vibrant tech ecosystems around the continent. Africa’s youth combined with its rich heritage hold a great potential for social and economic development.

Building upon the experience and know-how of the African World Heritage Fund, the École du Patrimoine African and other African institutional partners, the new ICCROM programme will have the following objectives:

  • Engage Africa's youth in caring for heritage – its conservation, resilience, management and promotion.
  • Mainstream sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities within the heritage sector.
  • Develop sustainable, resilient and innovative use of heritage for education, development and peace.

In the next 3 years, we will engage youth through:

  • The creation of six pilot “heritage hubs” that will bring them together around heritage activities and heritage assets.  
  • A yearly Africa-wide Youth & Heritage Competition to discover talent and support them technically and financially so they can build their business.  
  • Leadership in heritage management and entrepreneurship training in order to strengthen current and future heritage institutions.

At the global level, ICCROM and its partners will strive to raise the profile of heritage, especially among politicians and high-level decision makers.

By 2022, we expect that over 1500 young Africans will have been involved in the programme, supported by an active network of heritage institutions across the continent.

Featured

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19 Jan 2023

Gathering indigenous knowledge to mitigate climate crisis in five climate hotspots – Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action

A first-of-its-kind capacity development project, Net Zero is engaging five multidisciplinary teams and communities at five climate hotspots to leverage indigenous knowledge and local practices on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Through collaborative learning, research and community-led action in the field, the five teams from Brazil, Egypt, India, Sudan and Uganda will develop and field...

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Protecting heritage at the intersection of conflicts, disasters and epidemics: Stories of Change in MENAP

A people-centred approach to heritage preservation can help reinstate peace and build disaster resilience, contributing to a sustainable recovery. The Alliance for Cultural First Aid, Peace, and Resilience project, conceived by ICCROM and the ALIPH Foundation, has helped provide strong evidence supporting this idea. ICCROM is grateful to the ALIPH Foundation, the implementing partners of the...

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09 Dec 2022

Sharjah hosts a workshop on the Western Sudan Community Museums Project 

The Western Sudan Community Museums project was launched in 2018 by ICCROM-Sharjah, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage, in collaboration with various local and international partners and funded by the British Council Cultural Protection Fund and ALIPH Foundation. The project aims to address the role of museums as hubs with heritage collections in...

Sharjah hosts a workshop on the Western Sudan Community Museums Project 

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, the Regional Office for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in the Arab Region (ICCROM - Sharjah) in cooperation with the National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums in Sudan (NCAM) and The Africa Institute, organizes a workshop on the Western Sudan Community Museums (WSCM) project on 8 December 2022 at The Africa Institute in Sharjah.  
WSCM
25 Nov 2022

Western Sudan Community Museums Project Workshop

We invite you to livestream the Western Sudan Community Museums (WSCM) Project workshop on 8 December 2022 at 9:00 (GST) via Zoom or YouTube. This workshop is part of a larger event that will include a musical and folkloric performance at the Africa Hall theatre on 8 December and an exhibition from 8 to 12 December at the Africa Institute in Sharjah.

ICCROM welcomes Ambassador of South Africa to Italy
19 Oct 2022

ICCROM welcomes Ambassador of South Africa to Italy

On 19 October, ICCROM Director-General Webber Ndoro had the honour of welcoming H.E. Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, Ambassador of South Africa to Italy, at ICCROM headquarters. In May 2022, ICCROM teamed up with the Government of the Republic of South Africa, alongside the African World Heritage Fund, to commemorate Africa Day 2022 by reflecting and taking action to support and advance the protection...

African Youth Declaration on World Heritage Convention
18 Oct 2022

Youth in Africa declare their vision for the next 50 years of World Heritage Convention

As we mark 50 years of the World Heritage Convention, young Africans have come together to plan for the next 50 years of heritage conservation in Africa.

Strengthening Euro-African collaboration through Youth.Heritage.Africa.
12 Oct 2022

Strengthening Euro-African collaboration through Youth.Heritage.Africa.

Our belief in the potential of heritage to be a source of social and economic opportunity for young people led to the creation of our flagship programme, Youth.Heritage.Africa. In a short time, this programme has brought together hundreds of young professionals from across the African continent for training on best practices in heritage management and conservation while seeking to inspire youth to...

Engaging youth and technology in heritage conservation
16 Aug 2022

Rwanda Heritage Hub - Engaging youth and technology in heritage conservation

ICCROM and the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) have partnered to enable the valorization and celebration of Rwanda's cultural heritage, which is rich in cultural and natural resources – both tangible and intangible. On 19 August 2022, ICCROM and the RCHA will hold a pre-launch event for the Rwanda Heritage Hub (RHH). The event will take place at the Kandt House Museum in Kigali and will be...

Call for applications for the Second Edition of the Training Workshop on Virtual Exhibitions in Museums.
27 Jul 2022

Call for applications for the Second Edition of the Training Workshop on Virtual Exhibitions in Museums.

The workshop's goal is to equip African professionals to create virtual exhibitions to make the museums' heritage resources available online in an entertaining and attractive way. The specific aim is to provide 30 professionals with the means, techniques and methods necessary to design a quality virtual exhibition.