Training local communities in inventorying methods to safeguard their intangible cultural heritage is the objective of a series of workshop kicking off in nine provinces of Gabon starting 4 June 2012.

The UNESCO Cluster Office in Libreville, in association with the Centre for Research and Sociological Studies (CRES), is behind this initiative. The idea is to pursue the capacity-building exercise started in 2010, by providing the communities with the methodological tools and techniques required to inventory their intangible cultural heritage.

Claudine-Augée Angoué, an anthropologist and member of the UNESCO network of facilitators, will facilitate the workshop, the content of which will be adopted from the training materials developed by the Organization as part of its capacity building strategy for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The four workshops will take place over a period of six weeks in the localities of Lambarene, Koula-Moutou, Mouila and Oyem, and will conclude on 10 August 2012.

Funded by the regular program of UNESCO, the activity will be implemented with the assistance of departmental officers in charge of Culture and with logistical support from the Ministry of Interior in charge of municipalities of Gabon.