16 Feb 2023

  It is in the best interest of government to promote and preserve culture and heritage.

Already, a number of programmes and activities are in place for implementation by the government and other non-state actors, to preserve and promote culture and heritage.

 It is for this reason that the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture office in Palapye this week, convened a three-day workshop that sought to strengthen capacity of Non-Governmental Organaisations (NGOs) in relation to Intangible Cultural Heritage/living heritage in Botswana.

A ministry official, Mr Mpilo Mbo stated during the workshop that Botswana National Policy on Culture formulated in 2001 to identify and promote elements of the traditional culture, created a conducive environment for culture preservation and participation by all people of Botswana.

He listed programmes as the national arts festival, support given to culture associations through Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture (MYSC) grant and art exhibitions as being among those that government had come up with to preserve culture.

Mr Mbo said the ministry also continued to support other partners and stakeholders that engaged in culture preservation, adding that Botswana ratified the 2003 UNESCO convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

He said the training would shed more light on what the convention entailed, what was expected and steps to follow.

Mr Mbo also said the workshop would equip them with knowledge to enable them to formulate and implement ICH plan at their respective communities for the benefit of future generations.

He said government recently delivered on its promise to establish the National Arts Council, which would soon be fully operational.

MYSC programme officer, Mr Tshireletso Modikwa said the objectives of training was to introduce 2003 convention for the safeguarding of the tangible culture heritage to NGOs.

 Mr Modikwa also said they were trying to develop a pool of NGOs with knowledge of ICH to assist in the implementation of the ICH programmes.

He said that the aim was to develop interest on ICH among the NGOs.  He further stated that the 2003 convention needed to be owned and driven by communities, groups or individuals and they should be at the forefront  in safeguarding their respective IHC. ENDS