8TH meeting of the International Advisory Committee of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme and workshop, Pretoria, 11-15 June 2007
Introduction
Structure of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme
Background to the hosting of the Memory of the World
International Advisory Committee meeting and workshop in Pretoria
Expected outcomes of the workshop and the meeting
Members of the South African National Committee of the Memory
of the World Programme
Venue of workshop and meeting
Hotel accommodation in Pretoria
Places of excursions
Delegates handbook
Visa requirements
Contact persons
Draft programme
Registration Form
Introduction
UNESCO established the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme in 1992. The
Programme is about Safeguarding the World Documentary Heritage. To quote from
the first page of the Report, Safeguarding the Documentary Heritage of Humanity:
“Documentary Heritage in Libraries and Archives constitutes a major part of the
memory of the world and reflects the diversity of peoples, languages and
cultures - however that memory is fragile”.
The Documentary Heritage of the world is fast disappearing due to both natural
and man-made disasters. Through the MoW Programme, UNESCO encourages countries
of the world to put preventive measures in place as a way of stopping such
disasters from wiping out the World’s Documentary Heritage.
South Africa participated for the first time in the MoW meeting in 2003, which
was held in Gdansk, Poland. Two years later, South Africa participated in the
next meeting this time in Lijiang, China. It was during the China meeting that
South Africa suggested that the next meeting be held in Pretoria. Approval was
given by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Z Pallo Jordan, for this meeting
to take place in 2007. The meeting will be held between 11 and 15 June 2007.
South Africa has also participated in another MoW-related event in South Korea,
where the National Library of the Czech Republic was awarded the Jikji/UNESCO
world prize for having displayed excellent preservation practices. This prize
will be funded by South Korea for the next 10 years, and it will be awarded
every two years after an International Advisory Committee meeting.
Structure of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme
For further information, please consult the UNESCO website at
http://www.unesco.org .
Background to the hosting of the Memory of the World
International Advisory Committee meeting and workshop in Pretoria
Two Regional Committees exist in Asia/Pacific, and in Latin America/Caribbean.
National Committees exist in 69 Countries, of which 8 are in Africa. Most of the
National Committees in Africa are either dormant or non-active.
It was because of this state of affairs that South Africa suggested that the
next meeting of the IAC be held in Africa so that African countries can be made
aware of the importance of this programme and the need to establish National
Committees and a Regional Committee. The IAC meeting, which is a closed meeting,
will be preceded by a workshop designed to raise awareness amongst African
Librarians and Archivists of the need to preserve documentary heritage for
access.
The South African National Committee established in 2003/4 was endorsed by the
Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Z Pallo Jordan, in early 2005. Two South
African collections already appear in the international register. These are the
Bleek Collections of San (Bushman) Studies and the Archives of the Dutch East
India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC).
The Bleek Collections of San Studies constituted South Africa’s first nomination
for inclusion and have been inscribed in the Register, the full justification
being accessible on the UNESCO website. The Archives of the Dutch East India
company were registered in 2004. An event acknowledging this enlisting was held
at the Cape Town Archives Repository in 2005. The Minister of Arts and Culture,
Dr Z Pallo Jordan, unveiled a plaque during the said event in Cape Town. Copies
of certificates from UNESCO were presented to the Cape Town Archives Repository,
the Ministry Offices in both Cape Town and Pretoria, the National Archives in
Pretoria and the Office of the South African National Commission for UNESCO.
Information about the Doxa Publications Project, an audio-visual collection
documenting Apartheid, and the records of the Rivonia Trial, has been presented
to the IAC for possible inclusion and enlisting in the international register.
The decision to include or not will be taken during the meeting in June 2007 in
Pretoria. If successful, it means that South Africa will have four collections
inscribed in the international register. Other African countries whose
collections are listed include Mali (The Timbuktu Manuscripts), and Namibia (The
Hendrik Witbooi Collection).
Expected outcomes of the workshop and the meeting
Agreement by all African countries to establish National Committees in their
countries: these National Committees should facilitate the establishment of
national registers (National Databases of Documentary Heritage).
Agreement by all African Countries to establish an African Regional Committee.
Development of a Plan of Action on how the recommendations of the 8th
International Advisory Committee Meeting are to be implemented with time frames,
etc.
Presentation of the Plan of Action or “Road Map” to the African Union, NEPAD,
SADC, and UNESCO.
Establishment of a fund to assist with the preservation of African Documentary
Heritage listed in the international register or to request the extension of the
fund for heritage sites to also include documentary heritage.
Members of the South African National Committee of the
Memory of the World Programme
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Ms Mandy Gilder National
Archives and Records Service of South Africa (Chair of the National Committee) |
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Mr Stranger Kgamphe South African National Commission for UNESCO |
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Prof Mandla Makhanya University of South Africa |
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Ms Khanyi Ngcobo National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (Secretary of the National Committee) |
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Mr Makgolo Makgolo Northern Flagship Institution |
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Ms Ilse Assmann South African Broadcasting Corporation |
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Mr Thabo Manetsi South African Heritage Resources Agency |
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Mr Dennis Maake National Film, Video and Sound Archives |
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Dr Graham Dominy National Archives and Records Service of South Africa |
| No picture available | Mr Andrew Malotle National Library of South Africa |
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Ms Carol van Wyk Department of Science and Technology |
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No picture available |
Ms Valerie Matlou Department of Arts and Culture, International Relations Branch |
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Mr Phakamani Mthembu Department of Arts and Culture, Heritage Branch |
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Prof Yonah Seleti Department of Science and Technology |
| No picture available | Ms Lalou Meltzer Iziko Museums |
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No picture available |
Prof. Jatti Bredekamp Iziko Museums |
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