Departments > Training and Research > Training > Africa 2009

The School of African Heritage (EPA) welcomed from 28 August to 17 November 2000, Africa 2009's 1^st French speaking Regional Course for immovable heritage architects and technicians.

18 high level architects, town planners and site managers participated. They came from 15 French and Portuguese speaking African countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Rwanda and Togo.

The course lasted 12 weeks. It aimed at sensitising participants to the most important aspects in planification and conservation management. It also aimed at developing knowledge of problems and challenges which arise when directing conservation activities in an African context.

The interactive method of teaching mixed theory and practice. Two main themes were developed: (1) strategies and practice on a national level and (2) planification and management of sites. During the last week of the course, directors and heads of institutions from where the participants originated were invited to participate in a seminar concentrating on the application of the concepts and strategies developed during the course.

The aim of the Africa 2009 Programme is to enhance conservation conditions of immovable cultural heritage in Africa, thanks to a better integration within a process of sustainable development.

The programme runs thanks to the financial contribution of SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency), NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) and the Cultural Heritage Directorate of Norway. ICCROM, Unesco's World Heritage Centre and CRATerre-EAG co-ordinate the programme.