The 10th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa is scheduled to take place in Bahir Dar this year in a hybrid format under the theme: “Managing Security Threats: Building Resilience for Africa We Want”.
In this regard, a multi-stakeholder forum was held on a selected theme that speaks to the upcoming forum with the aim to reach more constituents on the African continent and popularize the outcomes of the main forum that will hold at a later date in 2022. The regional multi-stakeholder forum was organized under the theme: “The
Impact of Peace and Security on Culture and Heritage Protection in Africa”. This event was organized by the Tana Secretariat in partnership with Oxfam.
In this event, the Special Envoy on Women’s Peace and Security moderated the session on “Interrogating Responses and Proposing Way Forwards for Cultural Heritage Protection in Africa” and opened the session with remarks. In her opening remarks, reiterated the challenging role conflict plays in preserving cultural heritage.
Key points from the panel session include:
- Continuous assessments on potential risks for erosion and destruction of cultural heritage to inform protection strategies.
- Develop policies, laws, programmes, institutions and accountability mechanisms for mitigating cultural erosion.
- Strategic partnership to enhance protection, preservation and return of stolen cultural heritage.
- Adherence to internal instruments for the protection of cultural heritage.
- Awareness-raising including military actors.
- Mandate peacekeeping missions to protect cultural heritage
Linkages between food security, peace and culture
- Need to document indigenous ways of storing food which is cheap, sustainable, and safe.
- Mitigate the loss of indigenous foods
- Address the 3c’s in food insecurity: Climate change, Covid, Conflict,
- Recognise food as a tool for conflict resolution
- Recognise Africa has enough resources for food production (land, water, labour) and stops relying on imports while Africa can feed itself.
- Remove barriers to food access and control
- Innovative financing for food production and preservation
Promoting culture
- Use culture as a diplomacy tool
- Use our cultural diversity to bring about cohesion and peace
- Preserve our sacred languages and literature
- Mainstream culture in our education and governance systems
- Utilise African music as our sacred music
