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Preserve cultural practices: Dokora |
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Wednesday, 21 March 2012 12:47 |
 Deputy Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Cde. Lazarus Dokora has underscored the need for communities to be educated on the need to safeguard and preserve the country’s diverse cultural practices which are a source of strength for national cohesion.
Cde. Dokora was guest of Honour at the official opening of an ongoing five-day Intangible Cultural Heritage workshop, on the implementation of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.
He emphasised the need for communities to be made aware of the importance of appreciating cultural practices, as the country and the continent has gone under various phases of political and social transformation and development which have threatened solidity among the citizens.
“Apart from the economic benefits that can be realized, it’s important to safeguard and preserve ICH to have a better understanding of our diversity, which are factors of equilibrium and sources of national cohesion,” he said.
Acting Secretary General of UNESCO, Zimbabwe National Commission, Dr. Themba Ndlovu praised the country for its efforts in preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
He said the workshop is aimed at coming up with a formula to disseminate information on the importance of preserving cultural heritage from the grassroots as they have become the missing link in the holistic protection of cultural heritage.
“The workshop will take cognizance of the fact that ICH is created by human beings, and is prone to social to distortions at death and social, political, and trans-generational transmission is needed, so communities need to be made aware that’s why we want to come up with a formula,” said Dr Ndlovu.
Zimbabwe is a signatory of the 2003 convention which responds to the need of protecting cultural diversity and traditional values for sustainable development.
The country successfully submitted Jerusarema/Mbende dance for inscription by UNESCO as a masterpiece of human creativity and has more intangible heritage like the rich sound of mbira.
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