Assistant Director-General for UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector, Mr Tawfik Jelassi, made this point during UNESCO'S Memory of the World Programme's two-part online event on "Strengthening the resilience of African memory institutions in the face of COVID-19 and beyond".
The virtual event included a symposium on 7 September and a capacity-building workshop on 8 September.
For its part, the symposium brought together over 260 documentary heritage experts and conservation specialists from Africa and Asia-Pacific, who shared how archives, libraries and museums have coped with the COVID-19 pandemic and proposed ways to better prepare for future crises.
In her keynote speech during the symposium, Alinah Segobye, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, situated the issue of documentary heritage preservation in the context of peacebuilding, reconciliation, and overcoming of intergenerational trauma.
Over 60 archival, library and museum staff from Africa joined the workshop on how to create emergency management plans and salvage wet materials. The workshop participants were selected by their respective countries' National Commissions for UNESCO.
The two-day event was supported by the National Archives Administration of China (NAAC). Speakers from NAAC also participated in the symposium, highlighting their experiences during the initial stages of the pandemic as well as measures taken since then.
Documentary Heritage in the face of COVID-19
All speakers agreed on the important role of memory institutions in the current health crisis-enabling access to information for research continuity and participating in widespread awareness-raising campaigns related to the pandemic.
The pandemic has affected memory institutions in all African regions, albeit in different ways. In areas affected by conflict, the staff found themselves under increased danger and without the necessary resources to continue their work. In less constrained contexts, the temporary closure of archives, libraries, and museums created new opportunities for collaboration between memory institutions. For example, the "Archives within Archives "project at the J. H. Kwabena Nketia Archives for African Studies of the University of Ghana is an ongoing initiative that allows emerging archives to become part of their repository. Speakers also highlighted the creation of networks via digital platforms to share information and resources.
Although digital initiatives are not the only answer to the closure of institutions during COVID-19, it has enabled new opportunities for preservation and access to documentary heritage. From the digital crossover of the annual Gion Festival that has persisted for millennia, to the creation of virtual tours and archive-sharing opportunities for the Rwanda Genocide Archive, experts agree that for digital initiatives to exist, memory institutions must seek and allocate funding opportunities to build capacity and strengthen the technical skills of their staff.
Judith Opoku-Boateng presenting "Keeping memory alive at University of Ghana: J.W Kwabena Nketia Archives in perspective". © UNESCO
Emergency preparedness for museums, archives, and libraries
The symposium also covered incorporating the disaster risk reduction framework in the management of memory institutions. At the time of increased risk of disasters worldwide, memory institutions will need to not only prepare solid emergency plans, but also advocate for including the preservation of documentary heritage as part of national disaster risk reduction strategies and plans. Many reiterated the importance of awareness-raising among government agencies and policymakers to create enabling policies for memory institutions.
Speakers also emphasised the importance of awareness-raising among local communities, as community members are key in contributing to response efforts following a disaster, proving essential to include them in the disaster preparedness plan.
Aparna Tandon during her presentation on "Effective disaster risk management for documentary heritage". © UNESCO
We need not create gated properties, but network communities for effective disaster risk management of cultural heritage.
Aparna Tandon, First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis, ICCROM
Following the symposium, selected participants joined the capacity-building workshop on emergency planning. Mr Brandon Oswald, member of the Expert Group for Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness of the International Council on Archives facilitated the workshop, in which he presented a step-by-step guide to creating a disaster management plan and demonstrated some salvaging techniques.
Mr Hamady Gaye and Ms Nikki Crowster, from the University of Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar and the Library and Information Association of South Africa respectively, shared their experiences with disaster management and recovery, including the very recent Jagger Library fire at the University of Cape Town.
Moving forward, the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme will build on the outcomes of the symposium to continue advocating for increased investment in Africa's documentary heritage. It will also continue supporting memory institutions on the ground to enhance their preservation and emergency planning efforts, including through digitization.
