In Zimbabwe, community members and traditional chiefs, representatives from various institutions including university professionals, Departments of Culture, National Arts Councils, National Museums and Monuments and the National ICH Committees, came together to participate in a capacity-building workshop on the implementation of the 2003 convention, held from the 19th to 23rd of March, 2012 in Harare.

In his official remarks, the Deputy Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Honourable Lazarus Dokora, emphasised the critical role that traditional leaders can play in implementing the 2003 Convention. The workshop was attended by four traditional chiefs including the President of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira.

According to the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Great Zimbabwe University and member of the National ICH Committee, the workshop has resulted in a trained group of people who will now become pioneers in implementing the 2003 Convention, thus significantly contributing towards the safeguarding of ICH in Zimbabwe.

The workshop was part of a series of national workshops rolled out by the UNESCO Harare Cluster Office, organised within the framework of the UNESCO/Flanders Funds-in-Trust Project to strengthen national capacities for the implementation of the 2003 Convention in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was facilitated by Mr. Stephen Chifunyise and Mr. Lovemore Mazibuko, two of the network of experts trained in UNESCO’s “Training of Trainers Workshop.”

For more information please contact: c.mapfumo@unesco.org