December Workshop: ‘How Can Heritage Be A Driving Force For Peace’?

Heritage Watch Association (HWA) and the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES), with the partnership of Fundación Santa María la Real (FSMLR), the support of the Embassy of Spain and Spanish Development Corporation, organized a workshop & working session entitled "HeritGate, Connecting Worlds II, Heritage for Peace".

From December 13-15, the program focused on the potential of heritage as an engine of regeneration in urban and rural environments and the existence of this potential in the oral tradition for heritage transmission in Ethiopia. Participants included participation of student delegations from four high schools in Addis Ababa, joined by heritage experts from the Ethnographic Museum, National Museum, Addis Ababa Museum, the National Archives as well as experts from IES and the Social Science Department of Addis Ababa University.

The program covered the following themes:

• What is Heritage? Do you have family traditions your family tree, remembrance of your ancestors? Are there any objects that have been handed down from forefathers and foremothers?
• How to structure a permanent ‘hub’ for an oral history repository
  

Going forward, the National Museum, Addis Ababa and the Ethnographic Museum will work together to establish a children’s oral history space in their respective institutions.

Heritage Watch, Addis Ababa Cultural Tourism Bureau, Santa Maria La Real, with the continued sponsorship of The Spanish Development corporation, will facilitate this plan to create a permanent hub.