N E W S L E T T E R

THE AFRICANWORLDHERITAGEFUNDDONORS’ CONFERENCE& LAUNCH 4–5.05.06

CLT/EO/2006/NW/H/1

PROUD AND PASSIONATE.......................................................3

A DATE WITH MRS PLES & THE PROF ....................................4

THE NEXT 6 MONTHS..............................................................5

ALL PROTOCOL OBSERVED ...................................................6

FROM THE GOOD TO THE BAD ..............................................7

THE ROAD TO THE AFRICAN WORLD HERITAGE FUND.........8

AFRICA WALKS TALL ...............................................................9

CONTENTS

"I am passionate about the African World Heritage Fund. It isliving in the context of the renewal of the African continent, theAfrican renaissance. Africa must take a lead in resolvingchallenges facing the continent. African leadership needs to bethere. The AWHF has to be led by Africans and the solutionshave to come from Africa.

That is one of the reasons I am so excited. Another is that it isthe first time within the framework of the World HeritageConvention that regional funding is coming out. This has createdmuch excitement within Unesco and other regions are lookingat our example. This is a trailblazing exercise. Our action planand costing is two months ahead of schedule. We (Africa) cando things that are fascinating." - AWHF Donor's Conferenceand Launch 2006.

PROUD AND PASSIONATETHE CONTINENT BLAZES A TRAIL

THEMBA WAKASHE,Deputy Director General,

Heritage, Archives andLibraries at the

Department of Arts andCulture, South Africa

Mrs Ples, and Little Foot also on display, are bothnational treasures. They were on loan to Maropeng,situated within the Cradle of Humankind, one of SouthAfrica's seven Heritage sites.

Mrs Ples's short three-week visit to Maropeng coincidedwith the AWHF Donor's Conference and Launch.

Delegates from all over Africa and the world also listenedto a short lecture by one of the country's great scientists,Professor Philip Tobias (pictured right), who, for manyyears, has been a leader in the field of research into theorigins of mankind. At age 80, Tobias is a walking libraryof the origins of mankind and is regarded by many asone of the country's living treasures.

Delegates visited the site where Mrs Ples wasdiscovered. Mrs Ples was born over two million yearsago and lived and died in the Cradle of Humankind,explained expert of the fossil and curator of theTransvaal Museum, Dr Francis Thackery.

An australopithecine like Little Foot (another famous fossilfrom the Cradle of Humankind), Mrs Ples was almosthuman in that she could walk upright, but had a smallerbrain, similar in size to that of a modern chimpanzee.

In 1947, Dr Robert Broom and his assistant, JohnRobinson, discovered her skull buried at theSterkfontein Caves.

Mrs Ples was originally designated her species asPlesianthropus transvaalensis (near-human from theTransvaal), although she was later identified asbelonging to Australopithecus africanus, a distantrelative of all humankind.

"The local newspaper in Johannesburg, The Star,nicknamed her Mrs Ples because she was a femalePlesianthropus," said Thackery explaining how thefossil got her nickname Mrs Ples.

Broom's and Robinson's discovery highlighted thepossibility that humankind was born in Africa -something many were sceptical of at the time andnot very pleased about, said Professor Tobias.

He spoke to delegates at the entrance of theSterkfontein Caves.

In the 1800s, in search of gold, the area was foundto be barren but not "of your kind of gold" Tobias tolddelegates. In 1895 the site was blasted through andrevealed a fairytale of stalactites and stalacmytes.One of the first fossils was found in the cave wheredelegates sat and listened to Tobias.

Tobias also explained how the Cradle of Humankindcame to be listed on the World Heritage list.

"In 1994, at the birth of democracy, one of the firstthings Mandela's government did was to apply forSouth Afr ica to come back to Unesco."

"The country had so many demands in terms of thingslike housing, schooling and electricity yet it still hadthe mind for the cultural impact of Unesco. It wasaccepted back into the fold unanimously so we couldstart nominating sites.

"I first put this site up (Sterkfontein Caves) but wastold 'why stop there?' that the whole surrounding areacould also be included.

"We put together a mammoth application. In 1998 wetook it to Paris (it was wheelbarrows full ofdocumentation) and on December 1, 1999 in Marakeshthis site, along with Robben Island and St LuciaWetlands , were all accepted to much applause anddancing. Government encouraged the developmentof new applications."

Dawson Munjeri from Zimbabwe was sent to inspectthe site and he gave it a positive report back.

A DATE WITH MRS PLES &

Delegates to the Launch of the AfricanWorld Heritage Fund (AWHF) were right onschedule for the special guest appearanceof the world-famous original fossil, MrsPles.

It was one of the rare occasions that thepublic had the opportunity to see theoriginal fossil which had, up until then, beenavailable exclusively to local andinternational scientists for researchpurposes.

THE PROF

A number of recommendations (10 in all) came out ofthe lively debate and discussions around the AfricanWorld Heritage Fund on Thursday, May 4, the secondday of the AWHF's Donor Conference and Launch.

The areas that needed to be considered and furtherdeveloped in the next six months were:

1. The Board of Trustees: Its size, technical profile ofboard members and the regional origin had to beaddressed (heritage, legal and financial expertise).

2. The management structure: identify what expertiseis needed in each phase; the management structurecost is very important to streamline; importance ofhaving the right people with the right skills;

3. Accountability: mechanisms for transparency andreporting will have to be considered;

It was important to have heritage experts but itwas also important to get other skills on the board,otherwise it would be lopsided. This was alsoimportant for transparency.

It was also important to keep in mind the potentialof the African Diaspora. Many were in the uppereconomic rungs of society abroad and many wouldwant to leave a legacy of the preservation of Africanheritage behind.

Rapulane Mogototoane of the Development Bankof Southern Africa, who carried out the feasabilitystudy for the fund, said it was important that thestructures were streamlined and not bloated. "Wewant an effective fund, not a bloated one."

4. Regulatory framework: Codes of conduct for theFund (and also for staff and board members) andguidelines in dealing with potential conflicts of interest;criteria for projects selection and evaluation.

5. Financial issues: Have a clear strategy in termsof financial sustainability including ethical standardsfor partners selection;

'Demon Donors' were troubling. How should onedeal with them? They include donors from the

tobacco, gambling and arms industries. It wasimportant that donors/partners comply with Unescopartnership and guidelines had to be set.

Some participants felt that it matters not where themoney comes from but what is done with it whileothers felt that one had to maintain one's integrity.

6. Relationship with other organizations: Unesco,Advisory bodies, African training institutions, Nepad,etc. How will the Fund relate to these institutions?

7. Strategic plan for the Fund: Develop a short-term and mid-term action plan for the Fund withinthe general Action Plan;

8. Transition period between the launch of theFund on 5/5/06 and its becoming operational:Need to establish benchmarks and timeframe forthe different phases;

The Fund will take a number of years to be established.How to start it, who develops it, when will it be bigger,what are the benchmarks and timeframes of transition?These were questions that needed answering.

9. Communication strategy: invite prominentpersonalities from a variety of sectors to supportand promote the Fund;

It was important to get the right people's faces tosupport the Fund. It was an important marketingstrategy. Governments look at that and it wasnecessary to have the right image. Chirac, the Frenchpresident, for instance gave his name to EPA.

Meanwhile Nobel Laureate and environmentalcampaigner Professor Wangari Maathai has alreadygiven her support to the launch of the AWHF. "...As theGoodwill Ambassador for the Congo Basin ForestEcosystem, I call upon all local and international partnersto join national governments and the African Union tomake this (the AWHF) possible."

10. Develop a strong brand for the Fund: suggestthe "Africa: fragile, handle with care" logo used atthe launch be adopted as the Fund's brand.

THE NEXT 6 MONTHS

INA MARCIULIONYTE

ALL PROTOCOL

She's the Lithuanian chairperson ofthe 30th World Heritage Committee,but not many could get their tonguearound Ina Marciulionyte's surname.It caused much confusion and muchtongue fumbling among delegates.

Finally, Ina wrote it out the way onesays it and South Africa's DeputyMinister of Arts and Culture, NGWBotha, got to say it perfectly, the firsttime someone on stage had managedto do it.

The Minister of Arts and Culture, DrPallo Jordan, gave others an easy wayout. "In West Africa they have inventeda phrase so that everyone isrecognised. The phrase is 'all protocolobserved'. They use it to avoid difficultnames and in order not to leave anyoneout."

"All Protocol Observed" became apopular phrase used by speakers atthe conference.

OBSERVED

Excerpts from speeches by South Africa'sMinister of Arts and Culture, Dr Z. Pallo Jordan,at the Cradle of Humankind, May 4 and 5, 2006

The heritage on this entire continent is testimonyto past achievements of the African people - itis contained in the culture and natural history onthe continent.

We are fortunate we can look back and drawlessons; fortunate also to trace back how we livedin the past and how we've evolved. We have abetter idea who our ancestors were.

Even though Africa is the birthplace of the humanspecies it took 30 years before a World HeritageCommittee meeting was held on the sub Saharancontinent (the 29th session was held in Durbanin 2005).

South Africa's world heritage sites tell us a lotabout ourselves. We have the Cradle ofHumankind where our ancestors first startedwalking on two feet and evolved as homo sapiensand in the north we have Vredefort Dome (theoldest and largest meteorite site in the worldformed two billion years ago when a giantmeteorite hit the earth).

Our heritage demonstrates aspects of homo sapienssuch as the capacity to make tools, to travel andto spread themselves across the globe and eveninto outer space. At the other extreme, anotherheritage site, Robben Island (in the Western Cape)testifies to the other dimension of this species -that it is equally capable of brutality and some ofthe darkest deeds of humankind.

The two faces of humanity are all here in theborders of one country. When Robben Islandwas registered, it was not so much a record ofour darkest side but to reaffirm the positive side- that as much as we are capable of inhumanityand brutality we can triumph over that - thatgood can triumph over evil, justice over injustice.

The World Heritage Convention is a means topreserve natural and cultural heritage so that ourdescendents can have a glimpse of our past andenjoy and preserve the natural environment thatshapes humanity and that it is shaped by.

OUR PAST TEACHESUS A LOT ABOUTBEING A HUMAN

FROM THE GOOD TO THE BAD,

The African World Heritage Fund emanates from the African Periodic Report of 2002 whichlooked at the state of conservation on all regions of the African continent.

It highlighted the challenges facing the continent in terms of financial and human resources.It also showed that Africa had the most number of sites on the World Heritage List in Danger.It was decided then to start looking at establishing the AWHF. We came up with a strategicresponse to the Periodic Report in the African Position Paper but also needed an actionplan to address the challenges. That is what the 10-year action plan is - practical ways torespond to the challenges. One of the ways to respond is the Fund. The AWHF and theAfrican Position Paper were accepted at the 29th World Heritage Committee meeting lastyear. The Fund was costed with an initial start up figure of US$10 million.

THE ROAD TOHERITAGE FUNDTHE AFRICAN WORLD

THEMBA WAKASHE EXPLAINS THE JOURNEY

Two months ahead of schedule, the launchingof the African World Heritage Fund on May5 this year in the Cradle of Humankind lefteven its biggest sceptics in awe.

The launch was a tribute to the men andwomen of Africa and the world who put theirpassion and their hard work behind the Fund,said WHC director, Francesco Bandarin.

Speaking at its launch at the Cradle ofHumankind, Bandarin said: "It would have justbeen wishful thinking if not for the greatcommitment shown by Africa and the AWHF'scatalyst, Themba Wakashe who chaired thecommittee and worked intensely on it."

Giving the Fund WHC backing, Bandarinsaid: "We'll support it and help turn it into amajor actor in World Heritage Conservation."

Ina Marciulionyte, chairperson of the 30thsession of the World Heritage Committee,congratulated Africa. "I am amazed, whenwe discussed it not so long ago, it was justa vision. And now we see it happen."

Professor Michael Omelewa, Ambassadorand Permanent Delegate of Nigeria toUnesco, said the AWHF was "an importantstep in preserving Africa's heritage sites. Ithas been hard work. We are very grateful tothe ministers behind the process as well asour friends from all over the world who havejoined us."

Themba Wakashe described it as "a Fundled by Africans. It is Africa taking the lead,resolving her own challenges. The solutionswill come from Africa and we will join withinternational partners."

The 10-year action plan for Africa states asone of its objectives to increase sites on theWorld Heritage list and decrease sites on theDanger List.

The Fund was a collective response to theseobjectives and was the first step to improvingthe management and the conservation of"our common heritage for the benefit of allmankind", said South African Minister of Artsand Culture Dr Pallo Jordan.

AFRICA WALKS TALL

FRANCESCO BANDARIN WHC director

"The Africa continent faces huge challengesand is battling with the consequences ofone-sided distribution of wealth. It battlesalso with threat of exploitation of naturalresources and people, the scourge of HIVand Aids, the ravages of war and by natureitself.

"These concerns raised calls for a holisticapproach - a continental one.

"The Fund will be one of the building blocksof partnerships at a regional level and alsowith the rest of the world. The AWHF willcontribute very directly to the millenniumdevelopmental goals,” said Jordan.

NM Sibanda-Thusi, SA ambassador toFrance, permanent delegate, Unesco, said:"The Fund will be a stimulus for both culturaland natural growth in Africa. Now the workhas just begun."

The first phase – to set up the Fund – hasbeen al located a two-year period.

To initially start it up US$10 million wasneeded, said Wakashe. This figure wasderived from a costing and feasibility studyundertaken by the Development Bank ofSouthern Africa. China, India, the Netherlandsand Israel financially contributed to thefeasibility study of the Fund undertaken bythe Development Bank of Southern Africa.

The initial monies will come from compulsorydonations from the Continent and then frominternational donor funding.

South Africa has contributed R20 million(US$3,5 million) to the realisation of thatfigure.

Eighteen countries have pledged their supportand further pledges are expected.

Many foundations including ICOMOS,ICCROM, the UN Foundation, the MTNFoundation and the Nordic World HeritageFoundation gave support to the Fund andsaid they would help where possible.

AFRICA WALKS TALL

H.E. MICHAEL OMELEWA, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to Unesco andH.E. NOMASONTO SIBANDA-THUSI, SA ambassador to France

Rapulane Mogototoane of the DBSA saidthe amount that each African state party hadto contribute was calculated from a certainpercentage from the GDP of the differentcountries. "We need to start somewhere. Weneed to start with ourselves to show that weare making a commitment by putting ourmoney where our mouths are. We cannot gowith a cap- in-our-hand mental i ty.

"We all approved the structure and we'veachieved legislation - now it is up to us toimplement it and to ensure that we capitalisethe fund as soon as possible so that it canbe started," said Mogototoane.

Bandarin said there had been severalmeetings and "some very creative momentsto identify needs and potential solutions. Wehave to be realistic - it will take hard workand discipline to get there.

"But it will happen (the AWHF) - it is the rightidea and it has many energies behind it onthe continent and around the world.

"We all need to invest in the process. To saveand preserve heritage is more difficult on thiscontinent because in many areas there isconflict, war and other bad things that affectheritage. The Africa continent has the largestnumber of sites on the danger list. But withinternational solidarity it can work.

"It's been a long route to come up with theproper framework concept for the launch. If Ilook back at the work I see how every passionand every technical skill was mobilised.

RAPULANE MOGOTOTOANE of the DBSA

"Last year in Durban the fund was discussed,the proposal was approved – it is an additionalsource to what we already have – and followsthe long tradition of work in the continent whichwe at WHC have always considered a priority."It is easy to have a dream but you have tohave vision to see it through in the long term.It will be an autonomous and self-supportingfund but it will be linked to Unesco whichwill view it as one of its sister institutions."The Fund will be based in South Africa butit is an African Fund sensitive to the need ofthe different regions, he added.

• NEWSLETTER WRITTEN AND EDITED BYVIVIAN WARBY wordwarrior@mweb.co.za

AFRICA WALKS TALL

For more information on the Fund and how to make a contribution, contact:Irwin Langeveld

Office of the Director HID, Department of Arts and CultureKingsley Centre, Private Bag X897, Pretoria

Tel: +27 12 441 3037Fax: +27 12 441 3440

Cellphone: +27 82 387 9014email: irwin.langeveld@dac.gov.za

Website: www.dac.gov.za

Contributions to the African World Heritage Fund can be made in the following manner:cheque and/or bank transfers:

Account Name: Development Bank of Southern AfricaBank: Standard BankBranch: SandtonBranch Code: 019205Type of account: Current AccountAccount Number: 022656057Reference: African World Heritage FundSwift code: SBZAZAJJ

N E W S L E T T E R

THE AFRICANWORLDHERITAGEFUNDDONORS’ CONFERENCE& LAUNCH 4–5.05.06