Cultural heritage Through its cooperation with the Swedish Concert Institute, Sida supports the preservation of old forms of music. To date, the institute has recorded traditional music from Guatemala, Ecuador, Tanzania, Vietnam and elsewhere –– music that might other- wise have died out. All profit, if any, from sale is spent on new folk-music PHOTO: JERKER ANDERSSON recordings.

Lullabies for children, an old royal Not knowing about one’s history affects palace in Benin, the history of the people’s identity. This is one reason why South African struggle for freedom preservation of culture and monuments is important, and Sida supports institutions –– all these are parts of our human engaged in this work. cultural heritage. Sida supports many projects and networks Sida’s priorities focusing on preservation of the cultural her- Preservation of cultural heritage is a priority itage in Africa, Latin America, the Middle area for the Culture and Media Division. East and Asia. The purpose is to pave the Sida supports: way for sustainable preservation and use of • documentation of oral storytelling tradi- the cultural heritage. tions, indigenous languages, minority cul- Our history lives on in everything we have tures, musical heritage and traditional dance created –– buildings, cultural environments, forms languages, music, old traditions or stories or • preservation of buildings and cultural narratives –– and these creations are known, environments in both urban and rural areas; in everyday parlance, as the cultural heritage. methods that take popular culture into Our living environments reflect the inter- account and engage the local population in play between edifices, places of symbolic the work should be given priority meaning and social relationships. The cul- • ethnography, archaeology and research tural heritage is all humankind’s non-renew- on local history, especially with regard to able asset. It includes both tangible and ethnic groups that lack written historical intangible values. If regeneration and fur- documentation. ther development are to be successful and Cultural workers are a key target group for sustainable, they must be based on under- Sida’s support. People who manage their standing and knowledge of indigenous cul- own cultural heritage, investigate contempo- tural traditions. rary phenomena and contribute to their ‘The international home country’s innovation are key figures and Gaza. Many unique old buildings there community spends in the emergence of cultural self-esteem and are falling into disrepair owing to poor identity, based on indigenous traditions. maintenance. A wave of building is also millions on saving Minority groups and women, too, are under way, with uncontrolled demolition as frogs and pandas important carriers and preservers of valu- a result. The outcome of Riwaq’s docu- threatened with able cultural heritage that is at risk of disap- mentation is that no building more than 50 extinction, but forms pearing without deliberate support. years old may now be demolished without a permit. There is also greater awareness that of music are dying Forms of work old built environments restored in keeping out daily.’ Sida strives for coordination of cultural with past traditions may be financial advan- cooperation, from support for individual tageous to, for example, the tourist indus- Sten Sandahl, a producer projects to long-term programmes, funds, try. Riwaq is establishing a kind of at the Swedish Concert Institute, who has worked on networks and institutional collaboration. It Palestinian counterpart to the Swedish recording folk music from all enhances the scope for reaching more peo- National Heritage Board that can make the over the world for the past ple and using resources more effectively. current register of buildings a national con- ten years. Sida’s principal partners in its cultural cern and serve as a public authority that cooperation are ministries of culture, cultur- preserves cultural monuments. al institutions, NGOs, culture and media producers, regional and global networks, Music preserved and disseminated and Swedish cultural and media institutions. Sida supports the preservation of old musi- cal forms by collaborating with the Swedish Project examples Concert Institute. To date, the Institute has African networks recorded traditional music from Cultural heritage and museum cooperation Guatemala, Ecuador, Tanzania and make up a sector that has grown within Vietnam that might otherwise have died Sida’s cultural support, especially through out. These recordings have been issued by Examples of the emergence of African networks. Africa the Caprice record company as part of its projects relating 2009 developed out of these networks. series of folk music from around the world, to the cultural The purpose of Africa 2009 is to provide and also disseminated in the countries heritage: better scope for preservation of cultural where the recordings were made. All profit, Nicaragua –– restoration monuments in the poor countries of sub- if any, from sale goes to making new of the San Francisco Saharan Africa. Through regional courses recordings of world folk music. monastery in Granada and seminars, professionals have the oppor- Laos –– renovation of the tunity of further education in the field of Policy old Royal Palace in Luang cultural preservation. Africa 2009 also seeks The overall objective of Sida’s cultural coop- Prabang to boost awareness among politicians and eration is to create preconditions for cultural Kenya –– renovation of the public of the importance of preserving diversity, creative activities and sustainable the marketplace in Lamu the cultural heritage, and to establish and development based on human rights. West Bank/Gaza –– develop local knowledge in order to pre- Making sustainable preservation and use rebuilding of streets, mar- serve specific cultural monuments. of the cultural heritage possible is a key sub- ket and Manger Square in sidiary objective. This can be done by sup- the Old Town of Palestinian houses preserved porting preservation of buildings and cul- Bethlehem Since 1994, the Palestinian architect group tural environments in both urban and rural Tanzania –– rebuilding of Riwaq has been receiving support for the areas. Methods that engage the local popu- the Stone Town in task of surveying all the buildings of interest lation are to be given priority. Zanzibar in terms of cultural history in West Bank Bosnia and Herzegovina –– Kursumlija mosque in Contacts Maglaj Riwaq: Gun Westholm, Gotland County Museum, phone +46-498-29 27 05 • Swedish Concert Institute: Sten Sandahl, phone +46-8-407 16 00 • Culture and Media Division, Sida, phone +46-8-698 50 00

Internet links: Africa 2009: www.iccrom.org/africa2009/home.htm Swedish Concert Institute: www.srk.se SIDA1645en