Culture expert appeals to people to take responsibility in safeguarding their own culture

The Executive Director of Cross Cultural Foundation Uganda Ms. Emily Drani has appealed to people from Empaako communities to take responsibility in safeguarding their very own culture so that it can sustainably be safeguarded for generations.

Emily Drani (standing) facilitating the training

“We should be responsible for safeguarding our own heritage. It should never be a responsibility of the government of Uganda or foreign agencies like UNESCO,” Says Drani while facilitating a training on Tuesday 21^st August, 2018.

While facilitating a topic titled, “Documentation, research and inventory” during Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) training titled, “community-self documentation and revitalization of ceremonies and practices association with Empaako naming system in Uganda” Ms. Emily Drani who appreciated the government of Uganda’s decision to ratify the 2003 ICH Convention also appealed to the people of Uganda and the government to enhance the safeguarding of Intangible cultural heritage through coming up with bye-laws, guidelines, national policy and regulations.

During the 10 day residential training which started on 19^th August, 2018 at Fort Breeze Hotel, Fort Portal Ms. Emily Drani adds, “to enhance ICH safeguarding, there is also need to set up more government departments incharge of safeguarding ICH, inscription and inventorying of more ICH elements, ensure increased protection of cultural, social or sacred spaces like the Nakayima tree and Kasubi tombs in Buganda”

Some of the participants

Other measures needed to enhance the safeguarding of ICH elements are embracing formal and non-formal education on ICH, preservation of cultural materials for instance instruments, objects, materials, constumes and equipments, research and documentation on ICH, establish and exhibit repositories of ICH for instance storage, exhibition of knowledge, cultural centers and museums.

Finally, Ms. Emily Drani appealed to community members and the government to put more emphasis on awareness raising and promotion of ICH through symposiums, conferences, trainings and using both conventional and social media.

The Commissioner for Culture and Family affairs at the Uganda ministry of Labour, gender and social development Ms. Juliana Naume Akoryo while training participants on a topic titled, “Undestanding the domains of Intangible Cultural Heritage” appealed to participants to embrace oral traditions because they safeguard a language and provide a chance for young people to interact with elders.

“Oral traditions safeguard a language and it’s important that we maintain their everyday role in society because they provide opportunities for knowledge to be passed from person to person and provide chance for elders to interact with young people,” Said Akoryo.

Daniel Kaweesi, the programe officer at The Uganda National Commission for UNESCO while facilitating a topic titled, “National strategy on inventorying Intangible Cultural Heritage and experience on inventorying” indicated that there is need to embrace culture to benefit from the thriving traditional knowledge industry for instance people in Uganda are increasingly using herbal soap, herbal toothpaste and traditional medicine.

A participant from Bunyoro (infront) making a point

The training which has attracted 27 participants  who include community coordinators, cultural officers, community development officers, elders, performing artists, media practitioners, photographers, videographers and publishers from Tooro, Bunyoro, Busongora and Butuku will generate and share knowledge and information that strengthens the draft practical guide to community self-documentation of ICH, produce a certified team of community-based trainers who will facilitate capacity building workshops under UGA-01210 project and the subsequent ICH initiatives in five communities and the country at large.

To ensure that people to take responsibility in safeguarding their own culture Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) has launched the Tutemu Engaro campaign to mobilise Empaako communities contribute in the safeguarding of Empaako naming system among Batooro, Banyoro, Banyabindi, Basongora, Batuku, Batagwenda, Banyaruguru and Ba Nya Mboga in Western Uganda and Eastern DR Congo respectively.