Culture, Connections and Communities on the Swahili Coast Resource List
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Atlantic Slave Trade in 3D by Zamani Project
This page was exported from - Digital meets Culture Export date: Mon Oct 4 5:45:59 2021 / +0000 GMT Atlantic Slave Trade in 3D by Zamani project By Heinz Rüther The trading castles and fortresses along the West African coast bear testimony to one of the saddest chapters of human history, the Atlantic Slave Trade. International awareness of these sites is limited and their digital documentation can contribute to the creation of such awareness and a broader understanding, as well as provide a record for the future and data for restoration, conservation, site management and research. The documentation of one of these castles, St. George's in Elmina, Ghana, in 2006, was one of the first initiatives of the Zamani project. At this early stage the project, based at the University of Cape Town, was known as the "African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes Database", funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The experience of scanning the dungeons and prison cells of the Elmina castle provoked a lasting impression on the Zamani team and a cognizance of at least some of the realities of the slave trade. This drove Prof. Rüther, the Zamani research group leader, to initiate a project thanks to which most of the architectural sites of the slave trade would be documented and relevant information gathered. It was then that the decision was made to create a Slave Trade Database, collecting and presenting 3D digital models of monuments and sites related to the slave trade together with other spatial and contextual information. The project ? the Zamani project indeed - has been ongoing since 2006 and to date four Castles and Forts have been documented in addition to Elmina. -
Kanga: It Is More Than What Meets the Eye — a Medium of Communication*
Reflection from East Africa Kanga: It is More Than What Meets the Eye — A Medium of Communication* Mahfoudha Alley Hamid Among the coastal Waswahili of East Africa, there is a tradition that when a man gets married for the first time, he sends his bride a gift of "Sanduku" meaning a suitcase, which comprises the bride's attire ranging from outer garments to delicate lingerie. It also includes various household items , and the well to do include even gold ornaments and modern electrical gadgets. Nevertheless, the success of the "Sanduku" does not depend on either the number of dresses or the golden things it includes. Its success depends on the number of pairs of kangas it has. The invitees take the trouble of counting the pairs when the items are announced one after the other, one can tell you at ago how many pairs have been included. Kanga, a simple piece of cotton cloth measuring about one and three quarters metres, by one and a quarter metre, is so strong and powerful, with such magnetic pull which has almost mesmerised the womenfolk of the Eastern coast of Africa. Its long tentacles have now spread to the hinterland of East Africa and other parts of the world like wildfire. Kanga which embodies art, beauty, culture, and customs of coastal women, is almost mythical. Whenever the word kanga is mentioned, we straight away think of it as a normal part of a woman's attire and no more. B ut there is more to it than meets the eye. To the S wahili women of the East African Coast, the kanga is an indispensable part of our wardrobe. -
The Lamu House - an East African Architectural Enigma Gerald Steyn
The Lamu house - an East African architectural enigma Gerald Steyn Department of Architecture of Technikon Pretoria. E-mail: [email protected]. Lamu is a living town off the Kenya coast. It was recently nominated to the World Heritage List. The town has been relatively undisturbed by colonization and modernization. This study reports on the early Swahili dwelling, which is still a functioning type in Lamu. It commences with a brief historical perspective of Lamu in its Swahili and East African coastal setting. It compares descriptions of the Lamu house, as found in literature, with personal observations and field surveys, including a short description of construction methods. The study offers observations on conservation and the current state of the Lamu house. It is concluded with a comparison between Lamu and Stone Town, Zanzibar, in terms of house types and settlement patterns. We found that the Lamu house is the stage for Swahili ritual and that the ancient and climatically uncomfortable plan form has been retained for nearly a millennium because of its symbolic value. Introduction The Swahili Coast of East Africa was recentl y referred to as " ... this important, but relatively little-knqwn corner of the 1 western Indian Ocean" • It has been suggested that the Lamu Archipelago is the cradle of the Swahili 2 civilization . Not everybody agrees, but Lamu Town is nevertheless a very recent addition to the World Heritage Lise. This nomination will undoubtedly attract more tourism and more academic attention. Figure 1. Lamu retains its 19th century character. What makes Lamu attractive to discerning tourists? Most certainly the natural beauty and the laid back style. -
ICL-IPL Kyoto Conference 2013
ICL-IPL Kyoto Conference 2013 Strengthening International Networking and Partnerships in Science and Technology to Develop a Safer Geoenvironment in support of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction 19-22 November 2013 Yamanouchi Hall, 2nd Floor, Shiran Kaikan, Kyoto University, Japan 1. IPL Symposium 2013 9:00-17:00 on 19 November (Tuesday) 2013 2. Proposals of World Centres of Excellence 2014-2017 9:00-12:00 on 20 November (Wednesday) 2013 3. Organaization of the World Landslide Fourm 3 9:00-12:00 on 22 November (Thursday) 2013 (A joint photo on 1st Floor immedately after the session) 4. Strategic Discussion to strengthen IPL 13:30-17:00 on 22 November (Thursday) 2013 (A reception in a Japanese Restaurent from 18:00) 5. 12th Session of Board of Representatives of ICL 9:00-10:30 on 23 November (Friday) 2013 6. 8th Session of IPL Global Promotion Committee 11:00-12:30 on 23 November (Friday) 2013 No Contents of Documents Page D1 General Schedule of ICL-IPL Conference 3 D2 List of Participants 4 D3 ICL members in 2013 9 D4 2012-2014 Membership Fee 12 D5 GNI/Capita 2012 (World Bank) 15 D6 Financial Statement of ICL 2012 19 D7 Budget of ICL for 2014 20 D8 List of Ongoing ICL Networks 21 D9 Publication of ICL Journal “Landslides” 22 D10 Best Paper Award for Landslides 33 D11 Officers of ICL 2015-2018 35 D12 ICL Landslide Teaching Tools 37 D13 World Reports on Landslides 43 IPL Matters D14 Organization of WLF3 Seperate 1 D15 Edition of WLF3 books 48 D16 Strategic Discussion for WLF3 53 D17 List of Ongoing WCoEs 2011-2014 59 D18 Proposal for WCOEs 2014-2017 61 D19 List of Ongoing IPL projects in 2012 126 D20 IPL New Project Proposal 130 D21 IPL World Centre 143 D22 Officers of IPL Committees 146 D23 Abstracts of 2013 IPL Symposium 147 D24 Proposal of WLF4 in 2017 163 Other Materials CD1 Progress Reports of ICL Networks, WCoEs and IPL projects CD2 ICL Landslide Teaching Tools (Text Tools) 2 D1 General Schedule of ICL-IPL Conference Date Time Programme 14:00-15:00 Registration and travel support in the registration desk, 18 Nov. -
Ancient Africa
TEACHER’S GUIDE TEACHER’S GUIDE TEACHER’S GUIDE • Students can learn to say some words in Swahili, an African language Suggested Student Resources that was developed by traders on the east African coast. Because it was • Altman, Susan, Susan Lechner and Donna Perrone. Ancient Africa. originally a trading language, it is easy to learn to speak Swahili. There Scholastic Library Publishing, New York, NY; 2002. are a number of children’s books and web sites that teach Swahili • Bart-Schwarz, Simone. In Praise of Black Women: Ancient African words. Queens, Vol 1. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison WI; 2001. • Have students draw the trade routes used by Swahili Coast traders on a • Hall, Martin. Great Zimbabwe: Digging for the Past . Oxford map of Africa and Asia. Students can create a color-coded key to indi - University Press, New York, NY; 2006. cate the different routes to Great Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa, Arabia, Persia, India and China. • Richardson, Hazel. Life in Ancient Africa . Crabtree Publishing Company, New York, NY; 2005. • For hundreds of years, Africans have played a game called Mankala. Have students research the rules of the game and play it using egg • Shuter, Jane. Ancient West African Kingdoms. Heinemann Library, cartons and stones, shells or nuts. Oxford, England; 2002. TM Suggested Internet Resources Periodically, Internet Resources are updated on our web site at www.libraryvideo.com. • www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/ features/storyofafrica/index_section5.shtml Ancient The BBC’s “The Story of Africa” provides a wealth of information on Swahili history. africa • www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/ goplaces/0,12405,182117,00.html Go Places with TFK enables students to take a virtual tour of Kenya. -
Africa: Physical Geography
R E S O U R C E L I B R A R Y E N C Y C L O P E D I C E N T RY Africa: Physical Geography Africa has an array of diverse ecosystems, from sandy deserts to lush rain forests. G R A D E S 6 - 12+ S U B J E C T S Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geology, Geography, Physical Geography C O N T E N T S 10 Images For the complete encyclopedic entry with media resources, visit: http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/africa-physical-geography/ Africa, the second-largest continent, is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided in half almost equally by the Equator. Africas physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. Africa has eight major physical regions: the Sahara, the Sahel, the Ethiopian Highlands, the savanna, the Swahili Coast, the rain forest, the African Great Lakes, and Southern Africa. Some of these regions cover large bands of the continent, such as the Sahara and Sahel, while others are isolated areas, such as the Ethiopian Highlands and the Great Lakes. Each of these regions has unique animal and plant communities. Sahara The Sahara is the worlds largest hot desert, covering 8.5 million square kilometers (3.3 million square miles), about the size of the South American country of Brazil. Defining Africa's northern bulge, the Sahara makes up 25 percent of the continent. The Sahara has a number of distinct physical features, including ergs, regs, hamadas, and oases. -
Kanga: It Is More Than What Meets the Eye—A Medium of Communication
The African e-Journals Project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science and humanities journals. This item is from the digital archive maintained by Michigan State University Library. Find more at: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/ Available through a partnership with Scroll down to read the article. Reflection from East Africa Kanga: It is More Than What Meets the Eye — A Medium of Communication* Mahfoudha Alley Hamid Among the coastal Waswahili of East Africa, there is a tradition that when a man gets married for the first time, he sends his bride a gift of "Sanduku" meaning a suitcase, which comprises the bride's attire ranging from outer garments to delicate lingerie. It also includes various household items , and the well to do include even gold ornaments and modern electrical gadgets. Nevertheless, the success of the "Sanduku" does not depend on either the number of dresses or the golden things it includes. Its success depends on the number of pairs of kangas it has. The invitees take the trouble of counting the pairs when the items are announced one after the other, one can tell you at ago how many pairs have been included. Kanga, a simple piece of cotton cloth measuring about one and three quarters metres, by one and a quarter metre, is so strong and powerful, with such magnetic pull which has almost mesmerised the womenfolk of the Eastern coast of Africa. Its long tentacles have now spread to the hinterland of East Africa and other parts of the world like wildfire. -
Kangas: the Voice of Zanzibari Women? Its Present Importance Among Young Women in Zanzibar Stone Town, Tanzania
9532-06_KHILA_2/2006_01 15-10-2007 15:39 Pagina 1 KHIL{A 2 (2006), pp. 1-22. doi: 10.2143/KH.2.0.2021283 Kangas: the voice of Zanzibari Women? Its present importance among young women in Zanzibar Stone Town, Tanzania Marloes VAN DER BIJL1 Department of African Studies, Leiden University Kangas are found along the East African coast as well as in parts of the eastern Arabian Peninsula. Many are made in East Africa, but a significant number are made in India, specifically for this mar- ket. The kanga provides a fascinating example of how a textile can reflect historical, economic and social changes throughout a region. To date, some scholars have looked at the proverbs on the kangas and written about their lit- erary aspects, while others have taken a more his- torical approach.6 Few, however, have examined the social implication of the kanga. The focus of this article is the discourses that the kanga itself gener- ates. I have not entered into a detailed debate about the origin of the kanga, rather I have looked at how the cloth itself serves as a point of departure in con- Fig. 1: Zanzibari women dressed in kangas, at a festival. temporary Zanzibar society.7 In particular, I have Photograph by the author. focussed on how the younger generation of women perceive the kanga. During my fieldwork on Throughout the Indian Ocean people have used Zanzibar I discussed the role of the kanga during cloth and clothing to show their social and eco- interviews with approximately thirty women, the nomic status. -
Archaeological Investigation at Kilwa Kivinje: a 19TH Century Coastal Caravan Terminusin Southern Tanzania
Archaeological Investigation at Kilwa Kivinje: A 19TH Century Coastal Caravan Terminusin Southern Tanzania Thomas John Biginagwa Abstract The settlement history of Kilwa Kivinje, a port on the nineteenth-century caravan trade in South-eastern Tanzania, is partially known. Despite the town’s proximity to the well-documented, long inhabited and previously more powerful city of Kilwa Kisiwani, little is known about its history, especially for the period pre- dating the nineteenth century. This is mainly because the history of this coastal town has traditionally been dominated by oral literary accounts, to the neglect of archaeological data. The study presented here engaged archaeological techniques to access and reveal the deeply buried history of the town and nearby settlements, which could otherwise not have been accessed through conventional written sources. The main objective was to establish the cultural sequence and assess its spatio- temporal changes until the 19th century period of the Indian Ocean interregional trade connection. Excavations revealed the presence of archaeological deposits that pre-and-postdate the 19th century; thus, allowing the establishment of the origin, nature and development of Kilwa Kivinje town settlement and its vicinity. Major findings show the presence of earliest settlements at the periphery of Kilwa Kivinje, namely; Kisangi Ugoga and Kiwavi, dating back to the ‘Swahili’ centuries period, while Kilwa Kivinje town settlement itself appeared later during the ‘Post Swahili’ period. Key words: Kilwa Kivinje, Cultural sequence, ‘Swahili period’, ‘Post-Swahili peri- od’, Periphery settlements. 60 Background The settlement history of Kilwa Kivinje, a 19th century coastal caravan terminus, scholarly attention (e.g. Freeman-Grenville 1962, 1967a, 1967b; Sutton 1966; in southern Tanzania is only partially known. -
Whc21-44Com-7-En.Pdf
World Heritage 44 COM WHC/21/44.COM/7 Paris, 21 June 2021 Original: English / French UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE Extended forty-fourth session Fuzhou (China) / Online meeting 16 – 31 July 2021 Item 7 of the Provisional Agenda: State of conservation of World Heritage properties SUMMARY This document presents a global and analytical overview of Item 7 on the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties. The document is composed of two main parts. After a statistical summary (Introduction), it presents progress achieved in a number of statutory matters related to Reactive Monitoring (Part I) and a focus on other conservation issues (Part II), which might have strategic or policy implications. Draft Decisions: 44 COM 7.1 and 44 COM 7.2 see Part III. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 2 WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES REPORTED ON AT THE EXTENDED 44TH SESSION .......... 2 THREATS AFFECTING THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES REPORTED ON AT THE EXTENDED 44TH SESSION ............................................................................................................ 4 INFORMATION ON THE STATE OF CONSERVATION REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES ........................................................................................................................................... 4 SELECTION -
A TRIANGLE of VULNERABILITY Changing Patterns of Illicit Trafficking Off the Swahili Coast
RESEARCH REPORT A TRIANGLE OF VULNERABILITY Changing patterns of illicit trafficking off the Swahili coast ALASTAIR NELSON JUNE 2020 A TRIANGLE OF VULNERABILITY Changing patterns of illicit trafficking off the Swahili coast W Alastair Nelson JUNE 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study is based on knowledge, understanding and personal experiences from numerous people who shared their time and insights with us during the research and writing. Some of these were dispassionate, some deeply personal and based on incredible lived histories. Profound thanks are due to everyone who gave their time, insights and reflections. Thanks are due to ‘field researcher #1’ who undertook independent field- work, accompanied the author in the field, and used prior connections to some of the illicit networks to develop our understanding of the illicit flows in this triangle. Thanks to Simone Haysom for support in the field and numerous discussions to guide the work all the way through, also to Julian Rademeyer for input and critical motivation towards the end. Mark Shaw and Julia Stanyard gave crucial intellectual input and transformed the structure of the report. Thanks to Tuesday Reitano and Monique de Graaff for making things happen. Also, to Mark Ronan, Pete Bosman and Jacqui Cochrane of the GI editorial and production team for producing the maps and the final report. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alastair coordinates the GI’s Resilience Fund work in Mozambique and conducts research into illicit trafficking, with a particular focus on the illegal wildlife trade. He has 25 years’ experience implementing and leading field-conservation programmes in the Horn of Africa, East and southern Africa. -
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: KILWA KISIWANI WORLD HERITAGE SITE Development Bank of Southern Africa and African World Heritage Fund Fe
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: KILWA KISIWANI WORLD HERITAGE SITE Development Bank of Southern Africa and African World Heritage Fund February 2009 Source: Author’s photograph, January 2009 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Kilwa Kisiwani is a remarkable cultural World Heritage Site (WHS) off the South- East coast of Tanzania. The development of the site has been supported in recent years by the upgrading of transport infrastructure to the district of Kilwa, and rehabilitation and interpretation work at the sites of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songa Mnara. Commitment to development from both government and donors now places Kilwa Kisiwani and the Kilwa District in a favourable position to benefit from tourism. With the completion of the tarred road connecting Kilwa to Dar es Salaam likely in the short-term, tourism to the area will undoubtedly grow. Although the increases in tourism are not going to be immediately dramatic, the medium term could see Kilwa included in a growing ‘Southern Circuit’ of tourism destinations in Tanzania. In order to ensure that the tourism development of the World Heritage Site and the district occurs in a manner that creates an excellent visitor experience, while benefitting local communities, both on the island and mainland, a deliberate design and structuring of the tourism experience is necessary. This will lead to the economic value of the sites becoming evident and will instill a vested interest in protection of the sites amongst beneficiaries. It will also help establish Kilwa as a must-see destination. First and foremost, appropriate development of the site and the broader area requires coordination and organisation of the many stakeholders who already have been, and wish to be, part of the development effort in the area.