The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) held, on February 22-23, 2023, jointly with the Tunisian Culture Ministry, a training workshop on “building national capacities in managing risks and anticipating crises and their impact on cultural heritage”. The workshop was designed for managers of museums, archaeological sites and historical monuments in Tunisia.
In his opening remarks, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Mourad Mahmoudi, Secretary of the Executive Board and General Conference and Acting Director of the Culture Department, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, stressed the great importance that ALECSO attaches to training and capacity-building, especially in the field of cultural heritage. He reviewed some of the Organization’s completed and ongoing projects and programs in this regard, and expressed his appreciation of the methodology adopted in the workshop, which combined theoretical and practical training.
Day One of the workshop was devoted to theoretical presentations, while Day Two was devoted to practical activities.
Theoretical presentations, offered by experts from Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco, covered a range of topics, including :
- Natural risks and disasters in Tunisia and their impacts on heritage and archaeological monuments;
- Managing the risks of disasters threatening cultural heritage;
- The legislative framework for the prior protection of cultural heritage;
- The management of movable heritage during crises and disasters.
Practical activities were conducted in the archaeological site of Oudhna, which dates back to the Roman era, and in the historical city of Zaghouan, known for its Andalusian character. This was an opportunity for all participants to learn about the characteristics of these cultural properties and the dangers threatening some of their heritage elements, and to discuss ways of reducing risks to this heritage.
This training workshop will be later extended to other Arab countries, particularly those in special situations and whose heritage is under constant threats.
