15 action camp projects selected in Eastern Africa for enhancing youth-led heritage preservation and promotion

UNESCO World Heritage Centre recently announced the results of the World Heritage Volunteers 2023 Campaign, under the theme of ‘World Heritage Volunteers 2023 - Working on the Future’, launched within the framework of the 50th Anniversary of the UNESCO 1972 World Heritage Convention. 76 projects were selected globally for an implementation foreseen between April and December 2023 at 69 World Heritage properties and sites on the Tentative Lists, by 58 organizations in 33 countries. Of the 22 Project selected for nine African countries, 15 will benefit 3 countries in East Africa.

Indeed, as part of the ‘World Heritage Volunteers 2023 – Working on the Future’ initiative, 22 Action Camp Projects will be implemented at 19 (is it 19 or 69, and what does it mean, please clarify) World Heritage properties and sites on the Tentative Lists in 9 African countries, to enhance the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, while also contributing to raise awareness on the cultural and natural sites which are currently on Tentative lists, and promote their inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage lists.

Youth takes a central role in this process. At each site, a group of 10 to 30 young national and international volunteers will collaborate with local communities, site managers, other organizations, and partners to preserve cultural and natural heritage sites. This will be achieved through practical, hands-on activities and awareness-raising initiatives carried out over a period of 10 days. These projects therefore offer a unique opportunity to enrich experiences of young people, enhancing their awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the importance of World Heritage. It also enhances their skills and creativity to foster resilience, humanity, and innovation, in the service of peacebuilding and sustainable development.

Three countries; Kenya, Madagascar and Uganda, were honored with submissions selected to benefit from this 2023 World Heritage Volunteers Initiative, distributed as outlined below:

• 9 activities will be conducted in Kenya by local volunteering organizations, including at the Historic Town of Gedi and at the Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site;
• 2 projects will be implemented in Madagascar, with a focus on the Rainforests of the Atsinanana and the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga;
• 4 projects will be run in Uganda, including at the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and at the Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi.

The UNESCO WHV Initiative was launched in 2008, in collaboration with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Services (CCIVS), to mobilize and empower young people to play an active role in the protection, preservation, and promotion of World Heritage. It contributes to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda, particularly the protection of cultural heritage and its contribution to building inclusive societies, in line with the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022 – 2029 and its “Flagship Programme 3 – Fostering Cultural Heritage and capacity development”. It also aligns with the African Union Agenda 2063, and in particular, its Aspiration 5, which promotes the continent’s Cultural Renaissance.