Stakeholders discuss harnessing African cultural heritage for peace, dev’t.

This was the essence of a Heritage Cultural Talk organised at the UNESCO head office in Yaounde over the weekend. 

The talk was part of ODECAF's activities to mark this year’s edition of the International Day of Peace. It focused on educating and promoting cultural heritage as a mechanism for peace.

Discussions during the get together were coordinated by UNESCO Regional Director Central Africa, Paul Coustère. Also present was the US Ambassador to Cameroon, Christopher John Lamora and a host of other personalities.

The talk featured prominent speakers and experts in the fields of African culture, literature, and international relations, amongst them; Prof Julia Ndibnu-Messina Ethë, Prof Jean Emmanuel Pondi, Franck Yves Nya and Fabiola Ecot Ayissi.

They all took rounds to discuss on the contribution of African cultural and artistic heritage to peace consolidation. This was under the moderation of the Anthropologist, Dr Bingono Bingono.

According to the organisers, the primary aim of the talk was to highlight the elements of African cultural heritage that promote and safeguard peace.

It was also about raising awareness of the people about the tangible and intangible aspects of African culture among youth, educate them on cultural mechanisms for conflict resolution, and encourage expressions of cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence.

The talk, they added, also sought to strengthen youth involvement in the promotion and protection of African cultural heritage, recognise that the next generation plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and upholding cultural traditions.

Speaking at the opening of the discussions, the UNESCO Regional Director Central Africa, Paul Coustère, stated that: “…Utilising African cultural heritage for peace building is crucial. This approach draws from the continent rich tradition of conflict resolution, community cohesion and respect for diversity”.

He noted that many African societies have long standing practices such as traditional mediations, storytelling and communal rituals which promote reconciliation, forgiveness and unity.

To him, by incorporating these cultural values and indigenous knowledge into modern peace building efforts, African communities can foster a deeper sense of belonging, restore social harmony and address conflicts in a way that resonates with local identities.

This, Coustère said, can lead to more sustainable and cultural grounded peace processes.

Panellists share expertise 

Prof Julia Ndibnu-Messina Ethë, in her expose on multilingualism, multiculturalism and peace in the African context, stressed that language is an essential tool to re-appropriate African identity.

She encouraged the promotion of different languages while regretting the fact that in museums, where the national heritage of every country is kept, one still finds name of artefacts written in English or French languages as if the different local languages do not have their alphabet.

Prof Ndibnu-Messina, underscored the need for parents to train their children to be true Africans and for them to know their culture. 

Fabiola Ecot Ayissi in her expose on the role of art and cultural mediation as a vehicle for social bonding and intercultural dialogue, gave participants insights of how artistic expressions can foster mutual understanding and bridge cultural divides, especially in conflict-prone regions.

She underlined that peace is important at every level of activity, adding that Africa is one and the local languages are just unifying factors.

Prof Jean Emmanuel Pondi on his part addressed the broader perspective of Pan-African cultural policies and how they contribute to peacekeeping and the cultural renaissance of the continent. 

During his talk, the academic emphasised on the importance of regional cooperation in promoting peace through cultural diplomacy.

To him, the relationship or link between language and peace is that local language can be a factor of peace and war but this could be used more as a factor of peace.

He cited the case of the Rwanda genocide which claimed over one million lives in some 100 days all because of language issue. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3245 of Monday September 30, 2024