Online Workshop “Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and Living Heritage in Sudan”
An online workshop entitled “Reunion, Rehabilitation, and Revitalization: International Online Workshop for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and Living Heritage in Sudan” was held on May 28 and 29, 2024. This workshop was part of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, “Heritage studies for realization of cultural diversity and peacebuilding in post-conflict countries,” a project led by Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). The workshop was organized by the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, co-organized by the Safeguarding Sudan’s Living Heritage (SSLH) project of the UK, and supported by the Department of International Relations and Organizations, National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) in Sudan.
Sudan has been embroiled in armed conflict since April 2023, the National Museum and the National Ethnographic Museum in the capital Khartoum have both been closed, and experts involved in the protection of cultural heritage have been forced to either flee the country or evacuate to relatively safe areas within the country. However, despite these difficult circumstances, Sudanese experts have continued their activities to protect cultural heritage. For example, our counterpart, Dr. Amani Noureldime (former Director, National Ethnographic Museum and current Director, International Relations and Organizations, National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), Sudan), has evacuated to a relatively safe area in Sudan and has been working with local residents to protect cultural heritage based at a museum in that area. In addition, the UK’s SSLH project is planning to start a project to safeguard traditional culture in cooperation with local Sudanese experts, also based at a museum in a relatively safe area of Sudan.
The purpose of this workshop was to connect experts engaged in various activities both inside and outside Sudan, share information, and hold discussions on ways to overcome this difficult situation. The agenda was as follows:
Day 1 (May 28)
Opening remarks (Mr. SAITO Takamasa, Director General, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
Introduction (Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage)
Towards a National Strategy and Plan Aimed at Uniting Performers, Heritage Bearers, Activists, and Civil Society Institutions to Preserve, Rehabilitate, and Revitalize Sudan’s Intangible Cultural and Living Heritage (Dr. Ismail Ali El Fihail, Director, House of Heritage, Khartoum/ICH UNESCO Accredited Facilitator)
Current Trends of the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage)
Cultural Heritage and Disaster Risk Management (Prof. MASUDA Kanefusa, Ritsumeikan University/ICOMOS-ICORP)
Safeguarding Sudan’s Living Heritage Project Inside and Outside Sudan (Dr. Helen Mallinson and Mr. Michael Mallinson, Mallinson Architects and Engineers/SSLH)
Traditional Buildings in Sudan as Living Heritage (Dr. SHIMIZU Nobuhiro, Hokkai Gakuen University, Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Ms. SEKIHIRO Naoyo, Kyoto City Archaeological Research Institute)
Day 2 (May 29)
Keynote Speech: Museum Policies and Objectives in Sudan under the Current Situation (Dr. Ghalia Garel Nabi, Director General, NCAM)
Impacts on Cultural Heritage in War Situation: Case study (Gaziera Museum) (Dr. Amani Noureldaim Mohamed, Director, Department of International Relations and Organizations, NCAM)
Community Engagement and Heritage Protection During the Wartime Case of Jebel El-Barkal World Heritage Site and Marawi Land Museum Evacuation Northern State, Sudan (Dr. Sami Elamin, Director, Northern State Antiquities Office, and Resident Manager, Jebel El-Barkal World Heritage Site)
Community Engagement and Heritage Protection in Shiekan Museum (Dr. Amani Yousif Bashir, Director, Shiekan Museum)
Discussion, facilitated by Prof. Intisar Soghayroun (Expert/Head of Research Unit, the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts, ALESCO) and Dr. Julie Anderson (British Museum)
Commentator: Dr. Abdelrahman Ali (UNESCO Expert/ former Director General, NCAM)
Concluding remarks by H.E. Ali Mohamed (Ambassador of the Republic of the Sudan in Japan)
Some of the experts who participated via the internet from Sudan struggled with poor connectivity. Nevertheless, it was a great achievement that so many experts were able to gather together online, even in the difficult circumstances of armed conflict.
Sudan is still in the midst of armed conflict, and we are unable to travel there to carry out our activities. However, we will continue to consider the kinds of international cooperation we can provide to safeguard Sudan’s cultural heritage, even if we are outside of Sudan.