To celebrate African World Heritage Day 2022, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) organized a seminar on African Heritage, as a Source of Humanity, Innovation and Resilience. This was held on 6 May 2022 and focused on the activities and results for different projects funded by the Rising From the Depths (RFtD) Network Plus Programme, and how these are encouraging greater integration of natural and cultural heritage in Mozambique, as illustrated by the recently launched Chongoene Archaeological and Biocultural Heritage Project, Gaza Province, sponsored by the Gerda Henkel Foundation.

The seminar’s objectives were to: i) disseminate the research results and outreach activities undertaken by Mozambique-based lecturers, researchers, and students, especially those at the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (DAA), while acknowledging the support of national and international partners; ii) demonstrate how marine cultural heritage can be used to benefit coastal communities in Mozambique through the RFtD approach, as exemplified by the Chongoene Archaeological and Biocultural Heritage Park; iii) present proposals for the classification of cultural and natural properties of Mozambique that might be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List; and iv) promote actions and initiatives with youth groups aimed at the preservation of Mozambique’s cultural and natural heritage, being incentivized directly by the African World Heritage Fund.

Opening ceremony: UEM Dean Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr Samuel Quive (centre), Head Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Dr Hilário Madiquida (right) & Program coordinator and RftD Co I, Dr Solange Macamo (left). Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM.

The seminar was held at the main UEM Campus, attracting 89 participants, with many attending physically and others virtually through a Zoom Meeting platform. The programme was organised around two sessions, each with vibrant presentations from University professors, lectures, students and researchers. The sessions encouraged lively debate and discussions, especially on the development of strategies for safeguarding cultural heritage, as well as on the means for the protection and preservation of the archaeological heritage in different parts of Mozambique.

SUMMARY OF THE SESSIONS- AFRICAN WORLD HERITAGE DAY 2022 CELEBRATIONS AT UEM: THE RISING FROM THE DEPTHS DEBATES

Session participants. Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM.

Dr Mussa Raja, Director of Ceremonies. Photo: Faculty Communication and image office

In his presentation, the Head of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Dr Hilário Madiquida, emphasized the visible results of the implementation of the RFtD approaches to Archaeological and Heritage Management in Mozambique. As an example of the impact the programme has had, he noted the number of theses written by students, and academic papers written by lecturers and students dealing with this approach. He gave the example of the Chongoene Archaeological and Biocultural Heritage project as an important outcome of the RFtD. It demonstrates how the marine heritage can benefit local communities living in the coast. The project joins a team of researchers from EMU, UniSave, Pedagogical University and Cambridge University, being coordinated by Dr Solange Macamo and advised by Professor Paul Lane. He also acknowledged the contributions of the biocultural heritage approach being promoted by the Sida-funded research and training program linking UEM and Uppsala University (Sweden) that he coordinates.

Dr Hilário Madiquida. Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM

The UEM Director for Culture, Kátia Filipe presenting during the opening ceremony. Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM

The Dean of the Faculty, Dr Samuel Quive, thanked Dr Jon Henderson for involving Mozambican researchers and students in the RFtD network and the opportunities this had given them to run their own projects, and for the good results that have been presented from last year, when African World Heritage Day started to be celebrated in Mozambique at UEM. He also thanked Dr Henderson for availing funding for the seminar. He welcomed the Park project as the result of RftD activities in Mozambique and funding received from the Gerda Henkel Foundation for helping to establish it, while also recognizing the valuable support to heritage initiatives provided by local communities and other international partners.

Dean of the Faculty, Dr Samuel Quive. Photo by: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM.

Key observations from the presentations

Énio Tembe made a key point in his paper on food and diet on the southern Mozambique coast: developing business and intangible heritage about the need to present Chongoene’s heritage in a way that is in line with community needs. The paper was very much appreciated during the seminar, since it placed value on local culinary practices as an important intangible heritage that can be used to stimulate local business activity, in this way helping sustain the Park. Another key paper, presented by a group of students from UEM, outlined a new system for grading the built heritage of Inhambane province, especially that found in coastal towns. This system defines compatible uses for different types of buildings and how these can serve the needs of local coastal communities. This is well in line with the RFtD approach.

Student presentation of the grade system and uses of the built heritage in Inhambane. Photo courtesy of Silva Mazuze.

Student presentation of the grade system and uses of the built heritage in Inhambane. Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM.There was also a very interesting paper by Dr Zacarias Ombe (PI for RFtD-funded project Embracing social learning in the management of ecosystem services in Chongoene District, Gaza Province, Mozambique). He demonstrated clearly how coastal people are benefiting freely from ecosystem services, both in terms of intangible belief systems, including the use of plants for medicine, and also economically since the access to the diversity of coastal ecological resources can provide income generating activities, such as fishing, and materials for housing and energy production. Another very interesting paper, using the RFtD approach came from our department colleague, Dr Esmeralda Mariano who is Associate Professor of Anthropology. Her paper was about “local perceptions of marine cultural and natural heritage in Ibo Island”, located in Cape Delgado Province.

Afternoon session discussion: Left to right: Dr Solange Macamo, Dr Hilário Madiquida, Otília Ngoveni, Dr Esmeralda Mariano & Yolanda Duarte. Photo courtesy of Silva Mazuze.

In her paper, written with Paul Lane, Hamido Atuia, Pedro Moiane and Açucena Nhamtumbo (a final-year BA student), Solange Macamo outlined the main achievements of the Chongoene Archaeology and Biocultural heritage project. These have included the i) signing of a Cooperation Agreement by Eduardo Mondlane Rector together with the Xai-Xai Mayor and the Chongoene District Administration; ii) the development of proposal for zoning the park into five zones (archaeological, ecological, touristic, indirect zone of influence of the Park of the old Beach of Xai-Xai and a buffer zone), where the community activities related to the use of ecosystem services are considered; iii)the compilation of protective biocultural legislation; iv) the design of a road layout for the Park and protective signage, using the biocultural legislation and the knowledge of the archaeology as guiding principles; v) the planning of the administration and legal procedures for the architectural design and construction of the Heritage Visitor Centre and Security Cabin; and vi) further funding applications to ensure an Archaeological and Biocultural Heritage Park of excellence that will serve primarily the needs of coastal communities in Chongoene and Xai-Xai Districts.

Dr Solange Macamo presenting an overview of the plans for the Chongoene Archaeological & Biocultural Heritage Park Project. Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM

Map showing the proposed legal protective zoning area of the Chongoene Archaeological & Biocultural Heritage Park and the boundaries of the Park (prepared by Hamido Atuia)

Finally, we had Dr Wesley Forsythe presented the results of his RFtD project in northern Mozambique related to marine cultural heritage, along with Yolanda Duarte who spoke about the activities of the Mozambique Island Archaeological and Resources Centre, for which Dr Solange Macamo has now been appointed Director, responding also for the Faculty Museum of Archaeology, within the university. Dr Macamo will continue working with Dr Ricardo Duarte, coordinating also with local stakeholders and collaborating with local and international partners.

During the closing ceremony, the program coordinator thanked all the committee members who helped to organize the seminar and the participants, and the UEM support staff for the facilities and technical logistics. The Deputy Dean of the Faculty thanked all participants, in particular the Inhambane and Gaza province heritage representatives, for coming. He also thanked all paper contributors and the moderators, for providing interesting discussions centered on research and community outreach at the University research outreach. He appreciated the involvement of the students in this process and recommended the extension of MA training particularly in marine heritage at the University.

Closing ceremony by the UEM Faculty Deputy Dean for Research and Outreach, Dr Elísio Jossias. Photo: Faculty Communication and Image Office, UEM.

Order of presentations

Organizing Committee

• Coordination- Solange Macamo, Énio Tembe, Sidónio Matusse, Silva Mazuze, Altino Munguambe, Arminda Guambe & Jennifer Chambule.
• Protocol– Énio Tembe, Sidónio Matusse, Télvia Machava & Celeste Mandlaze
• Secretariat- Arti Chandra, Hamido Atuia, Stela Gujamo, Clara Mendes, Judite Nhanombe, Braimo Ussene & Milton Chirindza

Recommendations

Before the seminar, we were encouraged by the Rector to publish two-page summaries of all the papers presented in the University Scientific Journal.

Text edited by Solange Macamo & Paul Lane

Layout by Sidónio Matusse

 Acknowledgments

To all who generously provided the complementary data necessary for the edited report.

Maritime Cultural Landscape logo provided courtesy of the University of Coimbra.

Marine cultural heritage (MCH) represents all tangible and intangible traces of human interaction with the marine environment. This includes the remains of sunken urban structures, shipwrecks, coastal archaeological sites but also traditions, knowledge systems, and a variety of cultural expressions that define the identity of local communities in their use of the marine environment of history. Manifestations that are protected by a series of international legal frameworks like the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, the 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage or, among others, the 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World´s Natural and Cultural Heritage. The Rising from the Depths Network (RftD) aims to harness the potential of MCH for the sustainable development of East African communities. Throughout its 27 projects, RftD has been able to identify ways in which the MCH contributes to the improvement of coastal communities’ livelihoods and has identified gaps and strengths in management approaches and policy development. Areas, where the projects have worked, include some of the most iconic World Heritage sites in East Africa like Lamu Old Town in Kenya, Zanzibar’s Stonetown, and Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania, or Mozambique Island in Mozambique.

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention underlines the duty of each State Party to ensure “the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 and situated on its territory” (Article 4). Each State Party needs to ensure “that effective and active measures are taken for the protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural and natural heritage situated on its territory” (Article 5), and this includes –although it is not stated it is indeed assumed – the maritime areas and internal waters that are under its jurisdiction. MCH is part of that cultural heritage that needs to be effectively identified, protected, conserved, presented, and transmitted to future generations.

UNESCO and the Rising from the Depths Network organize this thematic workshop to explore the challenges, values, and significance of MCH within World Heritage sites in East Africa with the aim of improving management practice and drawing policy recommendations.

Challenges

The increase in coastal and marine infrastructure development in East Africa, together with an increase in the people living along the coast, and the development of important tourism strategies connected to each countries’ development agendas is placing enormous pressure on communities and their environment, affecting their cultural identities, expressions and heritage. In most of East Africa, the extension of MCH is not yet known. This is due to the lack of appropriate capacities, protocols, or management approaches that could carry out a systematic, inclusive and participatory inventory of the region´s heritage. The inability to register, understand, and study the potential of MCH can be seen in its very absence from the different nominations of East African coastal sites to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Objectives

This Workshop aims to create awareness of the MCH linked to World Heritage sites, and the threats it is facing. It should also investigate the synergies between different international charters like the UNESCO 2001 and World Heritage Convention. It will present the results from RftD projects in relation to World Heritage sites, and it will underline the importance of community-based integrated management approaches to natural and cultural heritage. The workshop also intends to:

• Highlight the importance of people-centred practices for both the conservation of natural and cultural heritage sites, and the resilience of local communities.
• Raise awareness among policy-makers, heritage practitioners, World Heritage site managers and local communities of the potential of MCH in the design and implementation of management plans and strategies.
• Strengthen dialogue and exchange between experts in the region, consolidating a Network of MCH specialists.
• Identify scientific and management gaps in MCH and World Heritage preservation and conclude with a series of recommendations and needed actions to inform the elaboration of policy briefs that could guide UNESCO Member States in the Region.

Programme and Registration

• You can participate in the workshop by registering HERE
• UNESCO-RftD Workshop_Programme

This University of Surrey based project innovates and consolidates the festival of the sea approach to reharbouring living marine cultural heritage in East Africa through modern craftwork. Children from Anidan Children’s Shelter work with artists using cyanotype printing to engage with UN SDG themes, ‘pollution and plastics’, and issues of ‘food security’, ‘living heritage’ and ‘a good life’.

The project involves UK artist Bronagh Corr-McNicholl (Northern Ireland) working virtually alongside artists Corrie Wingate, Monia Antoniolo and Laura Mwani (Kenya) and Romeo Paul Niwass Lantoarison (Madagascar) to realise a living marine cultural heritage project. Materials are exhibited at The Flipflopi Project in Lamu. Funding is gratefully received from the AHRC/GCRF via The Rising from the Depths Network.

Project Images

Related Pages:

Marine Heritage in Northern Mozambique – return to the Ilha

Wes Forsythe and Ana Margarida Sousa Santos

Rising from the Depths returned to Ilha de Mozambique in November to catch up with community members, share information arising from our activities and investigate new opportunities for improved outcomes for Maritime Cultural Heritage. The Northern Mozambique project had achieved a key target of completing a wide-ranging geophysical survey in the environs of the island in late 2019. However, the hiatus caused by the worldwide pandemic had resulted in missed field seasons and a regrettably long interval between survey activity and the pursuance of other objectives. This was particularly the case for the more community-focused elements of the project, which aimed to canvas community, business and institutional opinion on a range of topics relating to the Ilha’s rich maritime heritage, such as environment, livelihoods and accessibility.

Accordingly, as soon as Mozambique was removed from the UK’s ‘red list’ flights were booked and preparations made (a window of opportunity as it turned would close on the day of our return). Arriving in Nampula for the two -hour drive to the Ilha we reflected on the time that had passed and how the island had fared in our absence.  Ilha de Mozambique has been a World Heritage Site for 30 years, based almost exclusively on its colonial architecture. In contrast its maritime heritage has not received the recognition it deserves and has been compromised by the activities of salvage operators pillaging European shipwrecks for commercial purposes. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated heritage advocates the practise of licensing such companies was ended some years ago. The establishment of Centro de Arqueologia Investigação e Recursos da Ilha de Moçambique (CAIRIM) in 2018 served to put maritime heritage interests on a new footing, becoming a focus for training and research on the island. The centre are key partners in the Northern Mozambique project, along with Eduardo Mondlane University, Ulster University and the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

CAIRIM were the generous hosts of a workshop conducted by the project team in order to re-establish contact with the community, summarize the key results of the geophysical survey and explore future directions for maritime heritage in the region. The workshop was attended by a range of institutions and local government representatives (the mayor, museum, tourism board, Lúrio University, GACIM – the conservation agency); businesses (tour operators, shop owners); citizens and students. Attendees appreciated our efforts to personally update them on the project and were tremendously helpful in identifying key stakeholders and their contacts for interview over the following weeks.

L-R Ana Sousa Santos (RftD), Chafim Braga (CAIRIM), Wes Forsythe (RftD) and Crimildo Chambe (CAIRIM).

A further highlight was meeting with a local youth group involved in recording elements of intangible heritage from the Ilha. They were engaged in collecting a broad collection of relevant material including rituals and beliefs, language, peoples, neighbourhoods and slavery. The work is coordinated by CAIRIM’s Chafim Braga and toward the end of our trip Chafim organised a further three-day workshop presenting the intangible heritage work as a series of story-mapping projects. The workshop brought together the youth activists, members of CAIRIM’s maritime archaeology research team, and heritage professionals from Ilha and elsewhere in Mozambique. While Marine Cultural Heritage is the main focus of CAIRIM, the presentations at the workshop often elided the sharp distinction between built heritage and marine heritage, allowing for a much more integrated understanding of Ilha’s heritage landscape. This has both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to conservation efforts and the definition of spheres of responsibility blurring the arenas of intervention by different entities. Alongside the presentations and discussions there were visits to the Museum and a brief dive along the Fort showcasing the island’s diverse heritage landscape.

The time between the two workshops was spent in discussions with stakeholders, which provided context and a broader base from which to interpret on-going activities, threats, challenges, and opportunities in the Ilha. Combined with scheduled interviews were a series of serendipitous conversations with residents in Ilha as well as visitors, the Portuguese cooperation agency, and NGO workers involved in a series of local initiatives that were either directly or tangentially related to Marine Cultural Heritage, and whose perspectives and experiences were valuable. These conversations and observations helped understand the heritage environment in the Ilha as one of intense activity, with a wide diversity of projects. Activities undertaken at present address both natural and cultural environments and include the collection of plastics washed ashore, the revitalising of arts and crafts, work with school children to raise environmental concerns, and the collections of local histories and maritime traditions. While positive, these activities seldom see their efforts rewarded with continuity. Cultural Heritage in the Ilha is understood as beneficial in a province with socio-economic difficulties and low employment, however it remains remote to most of the population not working directly within the tourism or heritage sectors, suggesting the need to further awareness, and harness the local potential for development in ways that offer improved livelihoods. The project will now take these findings forward to propose a series of policy and protection recommendations aimed at regional and national agencies.

The Rising from the Depths workshop at CAIRIM

The project was pleased to return to the Ilha after a long absence and gratified by the response from the local community and all the support received by CAIRIM. Our work on long-term environmental change as a context for marine heritage continues to have resonance as a means to enhance the understanding of individual sites and climate change more broadly. While the challenges facing islanders are considerable there is reason for being optimistic that this most outstanding site for marine cultural heritage in Mozambique can offer a means to improve outcomes for communities in future.

Workshop 3: People, Time and the Sea  

10 November 2021 (10 am to 1 pm, UK)    

Overview and Discussion Points 

The third workshop of the Rising from the Depths (RftD) Network Workshop series focused on how creative industries and arts are both a manifestation of the intangible marine cultural heritage and a means to communicate the core values of heritage, while increasing awareness of its importance. Speakers from the RftD innovation projects from East Africa and the UK discussed the cultural expressions that, throughout their projects, showed the connections between the people, their environment, their heritage and their traditional knowledge. From the use of performing arts where traditional knowledge and regulatory systems are shared with the community, particularly youth and children, to the celebration of carnivals and festivals, where celebrations around the values of marine heritage are experienced by all community members, arts and creative industries are a crucial vehicle to educate and consolidate traditional marine values.  

As a result, most of the projects evidenced how conventional approaches to awareness raising and research-oriented communication have failed to create effective impact. MCH in East Africa is a living resource and as such, it has to be shared through the very same communication means used and understood by the community. Overall, the workshop highlighted the methods used and the impacts caused in MCH awareness through community-led arts approaches and identified deficiencies in the application of national heritage policies in this regard. 

Projects Presented 

• Musicalizing Marine Cultural Heritage in Tanzania, Elgidius Ichumbaki, University of Dar es Salaam   

• Discover your Cultural Heritage, Madagascar, Richard Tommy, The Institute of Civilisation, Museum of Art and Archaeology (ICMAA)   

• Reharbouring Heritage, Madagascar, Jonathan Skinner, University of Surrey   

• Shoring Up Marine Heritage, Kenya, Jonathan Skinner, University of Surrey   

• Creating Pwani: a new maritime heritage space for Zanzibar, Tanzania, Mark Horton, Royal Agricultural University   

• Using fishers’ traditional maritime knowledge to improve small- scale fisheries management in northern Madagascar, Chris Poonian, C3 UK 

Primary Findings 

Some of the primary findings and challenges identified across the presented projects throughout the three RftD workshops are related to the need to establish community-led governance and participatory approaches in the heritage process. Equally important is the need to integrate traditional heritage knowledge within the national legal frameworks, as well as establishing platforms for community representation in the decision-making procedures. Regarding the creative industries and the use of arts for the education, study and promotion of MCH values, some specific findings can be highlighted: 

• Regarding the need to identify, share and communicate knowledge connected to MCH, it was clear that the different academic strategies of communication or the awareness raising methods used by different intergovernmental organizations or regional and national entities are not sufficient. In many cases they lack an in-depth study of the audiences they are targeting, and in many others a detailed comprehension of the different cultural manifestations and traditional practices connected to the MCH. The need to carry out regional wide MCH inventories with ecosystem and community-based approaches has been a running theme throughout this workshop series. Discussions highlighted the lack of specific topics related to heritage values that could empower young generations in the preservation of MCH within the formal education curricula, leading to a call for adaptative approaches that synthesise research, interpretation, preservation and dissemination by most of the projects.  The use of popular music and dances, locally-led educational groups and committees, local languages and local heritage values in communication and awareness strategies are successful means of educating while empowering youth in knowledge preservation. 
• The different projects showed how the younger generations are a key community for the survival of traditional values and approaches to MCH, which are rapidly changing due to urban, industrial and tourism development, and environmental pressures. Young generations and children reconnect with MCH community values through the celebration of festivals and carnivals where all members of the community participate in knowledge exchange, storytelling and performing arts. The publication of specific educative materials for schools, where MCH values based on traditional practices and knowledge are illustrated in the local language, was also shown as an effective means to educate the “site managers” of the future. It was clear that people living around heritage sites, valuing their traditions as a living heritage and producing heritage influenced by the historical relations of the community with their particular environment, are the first guardians of MCH and, therefore, are the ones that first have to be involved not only in its identification, study and preservation, but also in its enjoyment, dissemination and expressivity.  
• Concerning the promotion and integration of MCH traditional arts, MCH dissemination methodologies and related creative industries within national policies, some of the projects evidenced that, even if the target countries create policies protecting the diversity of cultural expressions and are signatories of most of related regional and international Conventions, there is an important deficiency in the way these are implemented. Furthermore, the lack of specific monitoring mechanisms and awareness among decision-makers results in the under prioritization of community-led cultural manifestations. Heritage preservation policies are mainly linked to “aggressive” tourism strategies instead of understanding heritage as something inherent to the community´s identity, rooted in their space from their past, generating further cultural expressions, and justifying their very same existence and way of communicating. Furthermore, a consistent focus on tourism as the primary capital of cultural heritage is limiting the opportunity for more diverse and community-centric cultural capital measurements and indicators. 
• Overall, the projects highlighted the importance of having specific spaces to present, celebrate and communicate MCH knowledge and values. These spaces can be temporal manifestations that, organized on a regular basis, gather the community around shared values, or permanent tangible infrastructures, like eco-museums or interpretation centres, where the community co-creates the narratives and heritage interpretation presented to a wider audience. Although the subject of MCH presentation and museums might well be a topic to be further discussed in future workshops, it was already clear that the inherited traditional western concept of museums and the presentation of MCH as something static and objectivized by the external expert’s eyes has failed to engage communities and express the whole spectrum of their MCH values. This has also caused a perception that MCH can be neglected in national policies and development practices as it is, first, not known and understood and, second, has not been successfully communicated, valued and shared by the same community. 

RftD network projects have clearly shown innovative ways of producing a diversity of cultural expressions while promoting the core values of MCH, raising awareness of the need for their preservation and its importance within the community.  

Elgidius Ichumbaki presenting the team behind Musicalizing Marine Cultural Heritage

Concluding Remarks 

At the end of these first three RftD workshop is becomes clear that any strategy aiming at achieving sustainable economic, social and ecological development needs to be participatory and inclusive. The community, culture and the environment are the main drivers and enablers of sustainability. It is through communities’ heritage, culture and traditional knowledge that development can be boosted, maintaining a sense of belonging, identity and knowledge transfer.  

The discussions in Workshop 3 have pointed to the use of music, dance, festivals and performing manifestations as successful means for community intergenerational involvement and knowledge transfer. The RftD network’s projects have increased knowledge and awareness of the importance of MCH amongst local communities as well as capturing the diversity of activities related to MCH. Paraphrasing Solange Macamo in her final concluding remarks to the workshop, the network has empowered local experts and communities the potential of their MCH so they can demand a change in how heritage has been traditionally approached from policy-makers and decision-makers.  

The sea is a major unifying force around local communities in the Western Indian Ocean. The knowledge, values and enjoyment of MCH transcends national boundaries and unities coastal communities. Preserving and recognising the different cultural expressions around this heritage is not only necessary for understanding MCH, but is key if we are to transform research and management strategies towards achieving communities’ well-being, and sustainable development.  

Many challenges remain. Among them are the consolidation of these inclusive and participatory approaches within academia in the region and MCH related disciplines, as well as bringing these findings to governments and authorities so they can effectively influence change in policies and practices. Of particular importance, is the ability to measure, monitor and sustain community engagement with the MCH. As we continue to source projects from a community-centred methodology, more data will be collected regarding the socio-ecological and socio-cultural indicators necessary for long-term implementation within regional management policies and frameworks. The RftD network projects are identifying innovative models to know, research and utilize MCH while achieving awareness, community engagement and management change. Future steps need to consolidate this challenge-led research approach within academia as well as partner with concerned stakeholders in the region to propose policy modifications in line with the internationally agreed sustainable development goals.  

We extend our gratitude to the network collaborators for their excellent contributions to the presentations and discussions in our first workshop series. A second series of workshops will be organized in the first semester of 2022 on crosscutting subjects related, among others, to MCH national legal frameworks, international aid mechanisms regarding MCH, infrastructure development works, intangible marine heritage and MCH narratives and museums.  

Workshop 2: Community Engagement with the Marine Cultural Heritage

Occurred: 3 November 2021 (10 am to 1 pm, UK)

Overview and Discussion Points

In the second workshop of the Rising from the Depths (RftD) Workshop series speakers from East Africa and the UK discussed the role of local communities in understanding, protecting, and sharing the MCH. The presentations and subsequent discussions highlighted several key themes, particularly regarding the importance of understanding community values and livelihoods, and how to translate these values into local and regional policy. In light of this, multiple projects shared community-led and MCH centred initiatives and outputs including knowledge co-production, empowerment of vulnerable groups, awareness raising through museum exhibitions, or ecosystem-based approaches. Overall, evidence was provided for the centrality of coastal community practices and livelihoods for local economies, social cohesion, and environmental and cultural stability. Equally, evidence of vulnerability in the face of development and environmental pressures was presented, highlighting the clear need for community-centric research and policies in the region. A particular benefit of the RftD Network was raised regarding championing local voices at all stages of project conception and implementation, a methodology which is largely novel in this field.

Elgidius Ichumbaki, presenting the Bahari Yetu, Urithi Wetu Project, which means: Our Ocean, Our Heritage

Workshop 1: Marine Cultural Heritage, Climate Change, and the Environment

Occurred: 27 October 2021 (10 am to 1 pm, UK)

Overview and Discussion Points

In the same week as COP26 commences in Glasgow, the Rising from the Depths (RftD) Network met to discuss how their projects have been effected by climate change, and how the Network has worked to mitigate the effects of a changing climate on vulnerable coastal communities and their natural and cultural heritage. Speakers from East Africa and the UK discussed a range of environmental and cultural issues, from both community and policy-level perspectives. The presentations and subsequent discussions highlighted several overlaps between regions, particularly regarding the identification and translation of Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) into policy. Various opportunities to develop the role of living practices, and traditional and local knowledge within frameworks such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Marine Reserves, as well as policy instruments such as Tanzania’s National Adaptation Plan were highlighted. Ultimately, evidence was provided for both the vulnerability and centrality of cultural resources to the sustainability of local communities in the face of climate change. A major benefit of the RftD approach was seen to be providing a regional ecosystem approach (with a social and cultural element rather than focusing in technical aspects) and, most importantly, in giving communities in the region a voice.

Projects Presented

• Using fishers’ traditional maritime knowledge to improve small-scale fisheries management in northern Madagascar, Chris Poonian, C3 UK
• Establishing a framework for Traditional Heritage Knowledge in Sustainable Development of East African Small-Island and coastal communities (THeK-EA), Chris McGonigle, University of Ulster, and Chepkemboi Labatt, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute
• Incorporating Marine Cultural Heritage Protection into Tanzania’s National Adaptation Plan, Hayley Roberts, Bangor University
• East Pemba maritime heritage project, Mark Horton, Royal Agricultural University
• Embracing social learning in the management of ecosystem services in Chonguene district, Gaza province, Mozambique, Zacarias Alexandre Ombe, Universidade Pedagogica
• Marine Cultural Heritage in Northern Mozambique, Wes Forsythe, Ulster University
• The Kisima Project: Historic and future well management on Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania, Elgidius B. Ichumbaki, University of Dar es Salaam
• CoastSnap Mozambique, Luciana Esteves, Bournemouth University

 Primary Findings

Various challenges have been identified across projects, and were often contrasted with the challenges facing natural resources in the region:

• Regarding the integration of cultural values into policy, speakers brought up two primary challenges: the lack of knowledge regarding how to measure and value MCH alongside natural resources; and how to translate these values into community-centric management when there is a lack of understanding and capacity at a policy-maker level. The identification of the right policy-makers, as well as the engagement of targeted dialogue with them, was identified as a major challenge to influence change in the region.There is a lack of clarity at the governmental level not only on the value of marine cultural heritage but on what it actually is – in that most governments view cultural heritage (especially underwater cultural heritage) as a costly resource to be protected rather than a source of information and practice that can inform sustainable approaches. Often the importance of heritage is reduced to its role in sustainable tourism. One of the lessons of the Rising from the Depths projects funded so far is that marine heritage is much more than tourism – it is culture – it is a living and past resource that can inform future practice in the marine zone.The younger generations are not engaging with traditional practices and cultural traditions are being lost. Younger people as a group face the most instability in terms of climate change – as traditional knowledge is not being passed on, communities are losing potential resilience to social and cultural change.
• With regards to coastal development and community practice, most projects identified a community awareness of the fragility of the natural and cultural coastal resources. Local voices were put at the center of discussion, although it was recognized that work needs to be done to integrate local knowledge and belief systems, as well as cultural sensitivity into coastal development, particularly regarding eco and sustainable tourism protocols and regional over-fishing.

• Regarding future research, oppositional constructs were identified regarding the value of MCH between the Global North and South, as well as between professional practitioners, policy-makers, and communities. Further work needs to be conducted to understand and minimize structural inequalities between these constructs, to effectively integrate cultural values into policy. An example of structural differences in local knowledge was identified between generations, and it was suggested that integrating scientific evidence with local practice may re-engage younger generations with sustainable and traditional protocols.

• Overall, the social and cultural elements of climate change were identified by a number of projects, yet still remain undervalued, and under-researched. Future work needs to be conducted into understanding how to identify, monitor, and integrate cultural services into climate change mitigation strategies for the benefit of both the natural and cultural resources, and the communities which depend on them.

It was clear that significant work has been achieved to kickstart these discussions in the region, and future work should focus on disseminating these results into policy and practice.

Wes Forsythe, from the University of Ulster, presenting on their finsing during the RftD project “Marine Cultural Heritage in Northern Mozambique”.

Concluding Remarks

Throughout the discussions, it became clear that traditional livelihood systems, practices, and beliefs – which form the customary regulation frameworks of coastal communities – are at risk of being lost due to a lack of awareness at a governmental-level, and a lack of inclusion within national development policies. The survival of local communities largely depends on the sustainability of marine resources, which in turn, depend upon the re-centring of sustainable, traditional knowledge and practices.

A clear understanding of MCH values and practices, together with local representatives in the policy and decision-making processes, is essential to ensuring preservation and the sustainability of livelihoods at a local level. This is particularly the case when coping with the global challenges posed by climate change. Certainly, RftD projects are showing the direct relation and impact of global policies within the local, living realities of MCH, as well as how urgent it is to include local voices, traditional knowledge and regulations into the wider debate and policy making.

The Workshop also showed that it is only through interdisciplinarity, and community and ecosystems-based integrated approaches that transformation can be achieved. In this sense, it is important to reflect on how we address MCH from an expert perspective to a community one, from the Global North approach, to the needs, narratives and understanding in the Global South.

This was the first workshop organized between the Rising from the Depths Network Innovation projects.  A Second RftD Workshop will dive more into this community-based approach throughout the governance of marine cultural and natural resources within the innovation projects, and a third one will look into creative industries and traditional arts related to the Marine Cultural Heritage and its use.

CHONGOENE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND BIOCULTURAL HERITAGE PARK, GAZA PROVINCE

WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE GERMAN GERDA HENKEL FOUNDATION

Maputo, October 12th, 2021

The Chongoene Archaeological and Biocultural Heritage Park project, in Gaza Province, Mozambique is financed by the “patrimonies” funding initiative of the GERMAN GERDA HENKEL FOUNDATION – STIFTUNG for a period of 24 months. The project is being coordinated by a tripartite Mozambique University initiative linking Eduardo Mondlane University, UniSave and Maputo Pedagogical University, developed in direct response to the need to preserve and conserve Chongoene’s threatened archaeological and ecological resources, considered here as a significant component of Gaza Province’s biocultural heritage. Therefore, it involves the participation of the Gaza Provincial Government, partners, and young career research assistants.

The project is coordinated by Dr. Solange Macamo from Eduardo Mondlane University. Prof. Paul Lane from the University of Cambridge, UK, serves as the project’s international biocultural heritage advisor. The project grew out of the Rising from The Depths (RfTD) Network as implemented in Mozambique and financed by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Global Challenge Research Funds. It was also inspired by the Biocultural Heritage Project: Developing New Heritage Industries programme being implemented between Eduardo Mondlane University and Uppsala University, Sweden, and funded by SIDA. Additionally, the project draws on the experiences and expertise of the National Park Service in the USA, through previous visits by Dr. Macamo to Charleston Park, South Caroline.

Chongoene District Map

The work at Chongoene consists of three conservation and protection phases and a fourth training phase:

1 – The creation of a public use area and delimitation of the site boundaries along with planning for protection zones and interpretive signage;

2 – Construction of a pathway with interpretive panels and signs within the Park and road signage;

3 – Construction of a Heritage and Visitor Centre hosting exhibitions about the Park, and where curios and information materials can be provided for sale and a security cabin, to help to guide visitors and ensure the security of the Park at the same time;

4 – Using the RfTD Network approach, members of the local coastal community will be identified as guides, guards, and gardeners, and receive training in how to undertake routine monitoring of the protected area and recording of any newly exposed archaeological remains and monitoring ecological changes. Ultimately, they will become recognized as community heritage stewards and it is proposed that they should be hired by the Gaza Provincial Government when the latter takes over management of the Park.

Signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Rector of the EMU, Prof. Dr. Orlando Quilambo, Xai-Xai Town Municipality Mayor, Msc. Emídio Benjamin Xavier and the Chongoene District Administrator, Mr. Artur Manuel Macamo

Rector of the University of Save, Manuel José de Morais

Chongoene and Old Xai-Xai Beach Dunes Shellmiddens

Chongoene and Old Xai-Xai Beach Dunes Shellmiddens

Chongoene and Old Xai-Xai Beach Dunes Shellmiddens

Chongoene and Old Xai-Xai Beach Dunes Shellmiddens

Ecosystem services at Xai-Xai Old Beach

Ecosystem services at Xai-Xai Old Beach

Ecosystem services at Xai-Xai Old Beach

Chongoene and Xai-Xai Old Beach Vegetation

Chongoene and Xai-Xai Old Beach Vegetation

Chongoene Hotel Ruins

Chongoene Hotel Ruins

The EMU Rector being shown the Park area by the Project coordinator

The EMU Rector being shown the Park area by the Project coordinator

The Heritage Visitor Center location area is being shown to the EMU Rector, during the Cooperation Agreement signing ceremony (3rd of September 2021)

The Heritage Visitor Center location area is being shown to the EMU Rector, during the Cooperation Agreement signing ceremony (3rd of September 2021)

Pottery scatter at Chongoene Archaeological site

60 years of Xai-Xai Town celebration ceremony during which the project was informed to the Gaza Government members on October 6th 2021.

Project team scoping the Heritage Visitor Centre implementation area (8th October 2021)

Project team scoping the Heritage Visitor Centre implementation area (8th October 2021)

The usage of the Park area implementation by the local communities on daily basis activities

The usage of the Park area implementation by the local communities on daily basis activities

The 2019 Field School in Chongoene

An interdisciplinary law/archaeology workshop exploring the negative impact of climate change on Tanzania’s marine cultural heritage

About this event

This interdisciplinary workshop aims to bring together lawyers, archaeologists, environmental experts and policymakers to investigate the extent to which marine cultural heritage (MCH) should be represented as a climate adaptation priority in Tanzania’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP); and, in turn, how this representation could provide greater economic and cultural benefits for citizens by creating the potential to attract support from international funds.

Tanzania’s MCH is in danger of being lost or damaged due to climate change. Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Tanzania has prepared a National Adaptation Programme of Action in which it identifies MCH sites as a short-term adaptation priority, and as important to developing sustainable and climate resilient tourism as they are to the country’s enduring cultural heritage. However greater emphasis could be placed on the role that MCH can play in improving the resilience to climate change of coastal communities through sustainable tourism in this sector.

Tanzania is in the process of preparing its NAP, in which it will identify medium- to long-term comprehensive climate adaptation priorities, and this workshop explores the inclusion of MCH as a specific adaptation priority in this policy document so that, ultimately, financial support can be sought for specific projects from the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism and other sources. Greater funding could not only build local capacity to record and preserve MCH at risk of climate change, but also identify infrastructural and developmental priorities to safeguard significant MCH against climate change-related loss and damage to ensure that it becomes an important area of green economic growth for coastal communities through the development of sustainable tourism initiatives, which bolster the resilience of such communities to the negative effects of climate change.

The workshop seeks to address the following questions:

• Should there be a greater focus on the protection of MCH in Tanzania’s NAP, and if so, what impact could such an inclusion realistically have?
• What is the feasibility and viability of including a greater focus on MCH in Tanzania’s NAP?
• If MCH becomes a greater focus in Tanzania’s NAP, what should this look like?
• If feasible and viable, could a similar approach be adopted in the NAPs of other East African coastal countries?

June 2021

The WITH Coastal Style project, supported by the Rising from the Depths (RftD) Network is researching the role of material heritage amongst women in coastal Katembe district, across the bay from the Mozambican capital city, Maputo. The project focuses on understanding and highlighting the complex relationship between tradition and change in the lives of women in Katembe through the capulana, a cloth worn by women throughout Mozambique. Through discussion about capulana, the project provides a forum for women to discuss wider issues relating to their lives at a time of major infrastructural development around Maputo.

In March 2020 flights were booked, visa applications processed, accommodation arranged. The plan was for the National Museums Scotland (NMS) team (Sarah Worden and John Giblin) to join the team in Maputo (Co-Investigator Valda Marcos, Post Graduate Researchers Emilia Machaieie and Claudio Mondlate, and photographer Yassmin Fortes) for the installation of a temporary exhibition at the Fortress Museum in Maputo, a milestone in the delivery of the project. Just days away from travel the pandemic hit our project plans and everything was put on hold. Challenging as this was, we are delighted to report that on 28th May 2021, over thirteen months later than originally planned the exhibition opened. Sadly the NMS team were still unable to travel to be part of the installation and opening event. As curator of the host venue, Co-Investigator Moises Timba co-ordinated the content, installation and opening of the exhibition with the rest of the Mozambican team.

Invitation to the WITH Coastal Style Exhibition opening event

The Exhibition

The exhibition takes as its focus a group of women from Katembe, a coastal fishing community on the South Western side of Maputo Bay who participated in the project research. Proposed urbanization of the Katembe area following the construction of the Maputo-Katembe Bridge in 2019 is likely to impact on the material practices and living traditions of the residents of the small fishing communities in the area. Life by and on the sea, catching, selling and eating fish, is a source of community solidarity that spans generations in Katembe. Through a series of powerful photographs taken among the mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends of Katembe the visitor is introduced to the project, the women, their coastal environment and the role of the cotton printed capulana in their lives as an expression of identity and cultural heritage.

The bi-lingual text panels (Portuguese and English) outlining the research emphasise the collaborative nature of this international project. A personal quote from one of the research participants relating to the significance of the capulana introduces each section panel.

‘I use capulana because I am a Mozambican woman!’

Dona Zena, 22 years, Mahlampfane, Katembe, November 2019

‘Every woman always has to wear a capulana … capulana can be useful in various situations … be it menstruation, pregnancy, carry a baby, go to the market, go to the hospital, in case of accident … ‘

Dona Cristina, 54 years, Guachene, Katembe, November 2019

Collected during the research interviews, these responses are incisive and thought-provoking and, with the images, have been selected to generate discussion and debate concerning the role of material heritage in connecting communities.

The exhibition is ready for visitors in the gallery space of the Fortress Museum

Opening Event

Covid restrictions limited the number of invited guests at the opening event, but a range of institutions were represented, including: Eduardo Mondlane University, Director of Culture, Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, CECOMA (Communication centre of UEM), Ministry of Culture and Tourism (National Director of Heritage), UNESCO, Fisheries Museum (Project partner), and ISARC (Higher Institute of Art & Culture, Mozambique). Among the other guests were university assistants and artists based in Maputo. A welcome speech, including a message from Sarah Worden (NMS), was delivered by RftD Network Co-ordinator for Mozambique, Solange Macamo, Lecturer of Archaeology and Heritage Management in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology (UEM), who has, throughout the project, provided invaluable support and guidance to the project team

One of the exhibition gallery spaces at the Fortress Museum

Following the opening speeches refreshments were served and a lively performance by Sekerekane, a local female dance group. The sound for the event was organized by Julio, a DJ from the School of Communication and Art (ECA) /UEM).

Exhibition opening speeches in the grounds of the Fortress Museum

A group of women from the project research group also attended the opening, with transport from Katembe organised by the Fisheries Museum. Project team members Emilia and Claudio were on hand to guide the group through the exhibition in which the women are the ‘stars’, and to record their re-actions to the displays to include in the research. Wearing their matching capulana, the design selected by the group in November 2019, as a thank-you gift to the women for their participation in the project, their presence made a powerful visual statement of the role of the capulana in group identity.

The opening event included entertainment by Sekerekane dance troupe

Project team members Moises, Claudio and Emilia with representatives of the Katembe research group

Invited guests view the exhibition displays

Emilia introduces members of the Katembe research group to the exhibition

Members of the Katembe research group, wearing matching capulanas, are among the first to visit the displays

Members of the team have participated in a number of broadcasting events to talk about the project and the exhibition including national Radio station SFM and CECOMA, a centre of communication of UEM who also interviewed others in the project team. Moises Timba also made an appearance on the popular TVM Bom Dia Mocambique programme to talk about the exhibition. Media interest has also included interviews with Yassmin by Mazanga for Radio Mozambique and for Flash radio programme.

We look forward to further project outcomes including the preparation and opening of an itinerant, touring, exhibition in Katembe where the research took place organised by the Fisheries Museum in Maputo, taking the project in a different format to schools and local communities later in the year. You can see more details of the project in the link  Rising from the Depths » Women’s Identity, Textiles and Heritage: Coastal Style in Mozambique (WITH Coastal Style) and in the dedicated page of the National Museums of Scotland, at Women, identity, textiles and heritage in Mozambique | National Museums Scotland Blog

During the last three weeks, the Rising from the Depths Network has cooperated with UNESCO Nairobi Regional Office and the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for the Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH) in the organization of the Online Training on Underwater Cultural Heritage Protection and Management for African countries. This workshop, which has been kindly supported by the UNESCO Japanese Funds-in-Trust, has introduced participants with the basic theoretical knowledge to understand the tangible and intangible aspects of marine cultural heritage, its connections with communities, and its importance to harness sustainable social, economic, and ecological development. Furthermore, the workshop has widely presented the different tools and approaches to underwater archaeological research and integrated cultural heritage management within the framework of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Dr John Cooper presents the results of the innovation project “Bahari Yetu, Urithi Wetu (Our Ocean, Our Heritage)” in the framework of the UNESCO Online Training on the Research and Management of the Underwater Cultural Heritage for Africa

Rabekoto Andrinjarisoa Heritiana participates at the UNESCO Online training workshop presenting the innovation project “Study and Implementation of Network System by Fishers’ Community Actor for The Marine Cultural Heritage Survival”

Several innovation projects within the Rising from the Depths Network illustrated, with vivid case studies from the region, the different challenges and potentials of marine cultural heritage research, enhancement, and preservation. The key relation between nature and culture, and its wider connection to society and governance shown through these cases demonstrate the need for synergies, and integrated, inclusive, participatory, and interdisciplinary management approaches. The presentations from the RftD projects included in the UNESCO were recorded and are accessible here below:

• Caesar Bita, MUCH to discover in Mida creek: creating pathways to community resilience and sustainable development through the maritime cultural landscape in Kenya;
• Daria Davitti, Protecting the past, preserving the future: Blended finance and the protection of marine cultural heritage in Lamu port (Kenya)
• Rabekoto Andrinjarisoa Heritiana , Study and Implementation of Network System by Fishers’ Community Actor for The Marine Cultural Heritage Survival ;
• Rosalie Hans & Daniel Inoque, Making Maritime Museums Matter in Mozambique;
• John Cooper, Elgidius Ichumbaki & Lucy Blue, Bahari Yetu, Urithi Wetu (Our Ocean, Our Heritage).
• and Jon Henderson spoke about Marine Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development in the framework of Rising from the Depths:

Group Picture of some of the participants and trainers of the UNESCO workshop on research and management of the underwater cultural heritage for Africa

The network has just published our research agenda in the open access Heritage Journal. This paper outlines the aims of the Rising from the Depths and describes the co-creation of a challenge-led research and sustainability programme for the study of Marine Cultural Heritage in eastern Africa.

You can access the paper here:

Heritage | Free Full-Text | Rising from the Depths Network: A Challenge-Led Research Agenda for Marine Heritage and Sustainable Development in Eastern Africa (mdpi.com)

https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/4/3/57

Scoping meetings with a wide range of academic, community and marine stakeholders including (from bottom right clockwise): academics and researchers based in the UK; UNESCO officials, NGOs and government representatives at a State Parties session in Paris; community leaders at the Ilha de Mozambique; the Bidi Wa Kasi women’s group in Mida Creek, Kenya; ocean scientists at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute; lawyers from the Nairobi Law School; as well as school children in Kilwa, Tanzania (centre).

The Rising from the Depths Network cooperates with UNESCO Nairobi Regional Office and the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for the Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH) in the organization of the Online Training on Underwater Cultural Heritage Protection and Management addressed to African countries. The workshop, which is supported by the UNESCO Japanese Funds-in-Trust, will provide the necessary basic theoretical knowledge to understand the main concepts and processes around the research, management, and protection of the maritime and underwater cultural heritage.

The workshop follows the UNESCO Foundation Course Manual on the Management and Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, supplemented by additional theoretical and practical themes believed to be important in strengthening local capacities. Projects from the Rising from the Depths Network will present their advances and results, illustrating with clear case studies the contents delivered.

The Online Workshop will have a duration of six days, distributed over three weeks (16-17, 23-24 & 30 June – 1st July 2021). Each day will be composed of lectures and debates with the participants and observers.

The workshop is open to country-elected participants, and observers from the region. The online workshops will count on a variety of international experts, most of them recognized members of ICOMOS-ICUCH.

For more information, please address the Organizing Committee at uchworkshop2021@gmail.com and arturo.rey@ed.ac.uk.

The Rising from the Depths network is excited to announce the award of £178,749 funding from the Honor Frost Foundation to create two posts at the University of Edinburgh – a three-year PhD position and a two-year Post-Doctoral position. The funding bring two major marine initiatives together, the Rising from the Depths network (RftD) and the Honor Frost Foundation (HFF), to maximise the impact and reach of both.

A central aim of both RftD and HFF is to demonstrate to developers, policy-makers, NGOS and governments, the essential role that Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) can play in ethical and sustainable coastal management and offshore development. The coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean and eastern Africa share the same challenges: an increase in offshore development; intensified coastal infrastructural development; a background of political instability; and a lack of expertise and legal structures relating to MCH.

The PhD position will be advertised soon but we are thrilled to announce that the Post-doctoral position – the Honor Frost Scholar in Marine Cultural Heritage – has been filled by Dr Arturo Rey da Silva who starts at the University of Edinburgh this week.

Arturo running a UNESCO capacity building mission in Madagascar

Arturo is a maritime archaeologist and international cultural heritage expert who worked at UNESCO Paris as part of the Secretariat for the 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. He recently completed a PhD at the University of Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne looking at the institutionalisation of underwater archaeology within international cooperation schemes.

Arturo post-doctoral research over the next two years will involve analyzing the outputs and outcomes of the Rising from the Depths Network projects and applying this knowledge base to the Honor Frost Foundation work in the eastern Mediterranean. As well as the preparation of policy papers from RftD activity, Arturo will use this information to help build a clear strategy for the role of marine heritage in the sustainable development of the eastern Mediterranean coastal and marine zone.

Join academics from Eduardo Mondlane University as they discuss how arts, culture and heritage contribute to African Heritage Day. Within the presentation, the panel will be discussing several Rising from the Depths Projects, including WITH Coastal Style.

The panel will be conducted in Portuguese with English translation.

You can join the event directly through Zoom or follow this link at 9am British Summer Time or 10am Central African Time.

Meeting ID: 91285064712

Password: 169076

We invite collaborators and members of the Rising from the Depth network to submit an abstract to the special session Secrets exposed by coastal change: Promoting the role of marine and coastal heritage in climate change adaptation strategies of the international conference ECSA 58 – EMECS 13 – Estuaries and coastal seas in the Anthropocene that will happen online live and on-demand on 6-9 September 2021.

Past and present populations have gathered along coasts and estuaries shaping the world’s marine and coastal (cultural and natural) heritage (MCH), a finite and irreplaceable resource. Rapid coastal change threatens the preservation of (known and hidden) heritage of (local to global) cultural and economic value. Research and policy developments on climate change adaptation and risk reduction are ubiquitous, but few address the sustainability of MCH, particularly in less developed countries. This session seeks to identify ways to better promote MCH into coastal management and planning and climate adaptation policies. Rather than a passive resource to be protected, how can the data and perspectives gained from considering MCH help define these strategies? We would like to invite presentations that address the opportunities or impacts created by new exposures or the loss of MCH and the related socioeconomic-cultural-environmental implications, including for the most vulnerable people.  Topics may include but are not limited to emerging frameworks, tools, methods for assessing and reducing risks/vulnerabilities to diverse MCH (e.g. landscapes, buildings, archaeological sites, traditional practices, oral histories). An open discussion at the end of the session will seek to build connections between researchers, coastal managers, planners and others interested in the sustainability of MCH worldwide.

Session Conveners:

Sandra Fatorić, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Delft University of Technology

Luciana S. Esteves, Associate Professor, Bournemouth University

Jon Henderson, Associate Professor, University of Edinburgh

Caesar Bita (MUCH to Discver in Mida Creak) and Elgidius Ichumbki (The Kisima Project and Musicalizing MCH) have contributed chapters to a new book: Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Management on the Historic and Arabian Trade Routes, Editors: Parthesius, Robert, Sharfman, Jonathan (Eds.)

Caesar’s chapter explores ‘The Role of the National Museum in MUCH Management and Regional Capacity Building: Current Research in Kenya.’

While Elgidius’ chapter looks at ‘Methodological Approaches to Researching Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Along the Swahili Coast in Tanzania.’

The publication is a great exploration of themes around Underwater Cultural Heritage, congratulations Caesar and Elgidius!

You can buy the book here.

The Rising from the Depths Team were saddened to hear of the partial collapse of the House of Wonders in Zanzibar on 25^th December 2020. All of the RftD team wish to express our solidarity with colleagues at the Department of Antiquities in Zanzibar and our sadness at the tragic loss of life and injury among the conservation team.  The House of Wonders is an iconic heritage landmark of Zanzibar’s waterfront. Built in 1883, it was the palace of Barghash bin Said, the second Omani Sultan of Zanzibar. The site also housed the Museum of History and Culture in Zanzibar. As such, it was an important monument that both embodied the colonial heritage of Zanzibar, based on maritime Indian Ocean trade, and was central to the heritage infrastructure of Zanzibar town. Colleagues at UNESCO and the government of Oman are working with Zanzibar’s Department of Antiquities on the restoration of the House of Wonders, which suffered earlier collapses in 2012 and 2015.

Dr. Elgidius Ichumbaki, Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology & Heritage Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, in collaboration with popular Tanzanian rapper Chemical, has written a ‘Bongo Flava’ song entitled ‘Bahari Yetu’ (Our Ocean) outlining the importance of Marine Cultural Heritage and its relationship to the challenges currently facing Tanzanian coastal communities.

The song is intended to raise awareness of Marine Cultural Heritage in the region in a local style (Bongo Flava is a popular East African music genre) and has been widely featured on radio and television in Tanzania as well as on social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube).

The song builds on two research projects funded by the Rising from the Depths network – ‘Bahari Yetu Urithi Wetu’ in Bagamoyo and ‘The Kisima Project’ on Kilwa Kisiwani – as well as the ‘Digitizing Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Preservation and Development in Tanzania’ funded by Scottish Funding Council GCRF.

It is sung in Kiswahili (with English sub-titles) and has been widely played by Swahili radio stations and televisions channels beyond Tanzania including Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda.

As well as Tanzania the song makes reference to the other counties included in the Rising from the Depths project (Kenya, Mozambique and Madagascar) and, as a result, has become an anthem for the aims of the network as a whole.

The ‘Musicalizing Marine Cultural Heritage in Tanzania’ team are now working on a short documentary covering the making of the song and the issues it addresses. The documentary will aim to cover a behind the scenes production of the music video but also addressing the wider themes discussed in the song.

Find out more:

MUSICALIZING MARINE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN TANZANIA

BAHARI YETU, URITHI WETU (OUR OCEAN, OUR HERITAGE)

THE KISIMA PROJECT: HISTORIC AND FUTURE WELL MANAGEMENT ON KILWA KISIWANI, TANZANIA 

Chemical YouTube channel

The Rising from the Depths Network is hiring two Post-Doctoral Research Assistants to work with us in the final stages of the project.

The first role is a one year contract looking at monitoring and evaluation of the projects it is funding in East Africa. The PDRA will have specific responsibility for bringing the tools and methodologies used in the funded project together to create a coherent set of policy statements on how engagement with marine cultural heritage can enhance sustainable marine development strategies. These statements will ensure the lessons learned and successful approaches created by the network can be utilised by a range of marine stakeholders from heritage professionals and national governments to local communities and industry. This will involve working with research teams in the region to help identify and create links between the projects completed and funded to date. The candidate will also assist in running dissemination events and creating online content for the Rising from the Depths website. The full advert can be found here.

The second role is a two year contract, working alongside Rising from the Depths and the Honor Frost Foundation. From the start of the contract the researcher will work on HFF and RftD activity – helping to bring the contacts, lessons learned and outputs from the RftD network into an eastern Mediterranean setting and, in turn, building a clear strategy for the role of marine heritage in the sustainable development of the eastern Mediterranean coastal and marine zone. The PDRA will also help to organise workshops and events in the eastern Mediterranean and the UK linking the activities of the HFF and RftD and ensuring an ongoing dialogue with stakeholders in both regions. As well as identifying and consolidating the outputs and impact of the RftD funded projects, the PDRA will do the same for all funded HFF projects to help create a coherent policy statement on the overall impact of the HFF. Policy papers will be created on the essential role of Marine Cultural Heritage in sustainable coastal development; offshore infrastructural work; coastal management; climate change resilience; legislation; promoting tourism, and in creating viable income streams for local communities. The full advert can be found here.

The Environmental Conservation journal are accepting papers looking at ‘Conservation implications of social-ecological change in Africa south of the equator.’

Papers must be submitted by 1 May 2021 by the journal’s website.

Full information can be read in the call for papers

Rising from the Depths Co-I, Luciana Esteves will be presenting a keynote at the Coastal Hazards in Africa 2020 Conference. The conference will be presented virtually on the 27th, 28th and 29th of October and registration is available on their website.

Lu says:

“Very pleased to have been invited to be a Keynote Speaker at the Coastal Hazards in Africa 2020 online conference. I’ll present results from the Index of Vulnerability to Coastal Change developed for East Africa. The conference will bring together researchers and managers interested in African coasts to discuss our understanding of current natural and human-induced risks and hazards and how they might change in the future due to climate change and human activities.”

Register here.

Caesar Bita – MUCH to Discover in Mida Creek

MUCH to Discover in Mida Creek is a project that aims to promote community development through engagement with maritime heritage. Located in Mida Creek, in Kilifi County in Kenya, it sought to make value out of Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage (MUCH) by helping locals learn about its potential. By developing a number of economic generating community initiatives relating to MUCH, the project has created outstanding ‘living heritage’ activities that are generating far-reaching interest and investment among the locals. Through forest surveys in the Arabuko Sokoke forest, the project has revealed how local communities use and continue to use the natural forest and Creek for settlement and subsistence as well as maritime activities such as boat building.

Within the project, communities have been involved in maritime archaeological research and surveys; the establishment of a Mida Maritime Heritage Interpretive centre in the archaeologically significant Mida Creek; building a dhow-house and fishermen boatyard using locally traditionally available materials; as well as training in ecotourism and climate change mitigation through mangrove reforestation. Additional alternative livelihood initiatives have been developed in the creek, that will not only help local communities but also help conserve the maritime wider cultural and natural landscape.

The project has demonstrated how MUCH (Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage) can be used to create pathways to sustainable community development and resilience.

To begin to share their activities, the Biddi na Kazi Women’s Group at Mida Creek have worked with the Documentary Institute of East Africa to co-create an interactive website:

The website can be accessed here.

Professor Annamaria LaChimia participated in the conversation on COVID-19, IEL and the right to food, together with Luis Eslava (Kent Law), Clair Gammage (Bristol Law) and Michael Fakhri (Oregon Law), the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. They explored the impact of COVID-19 on food security, food distribution, trade, and the right to food. they emphasized the importance of local food production and of heritage in understanding the different patterns of production and subsistence. Follow the link below to listen to the conversation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG-791H-60k&feature=youtu.be

The SAFA (Society for African Archaeologists) is coming to UK this autumn and is being hosted at St Hugh’s College, Oxford 21-24th September.

We have had a session provisionally accepted that is around the Rising from the Depths themes, with up to around 20 slots for papers:

Heritage on the Edge: New Approaches to African Coastal Heritage

PA-16 Mark Horton, Jon Henderson and Laura Basell

mark.horton@rau.ac.uk jon.henderson@nottingham.ac.uk l.basell@leicester.ac.uk

African countries currently have little capacity to protect or explore their rich coastal and marine heritage, yet it is under active threat from unprecedented levels of infrastructural development and the impacts of climate change. In recent years there has been a revival of interest in recording tangible and intangible material cultural heritage under threat from rapid development (e.g. UK initiatives such as the AHRC- GCRF Rising from the Depths Network and the British Museum’s Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP), plus a range of other projects). This has led to the application of a wide array of new approaches and techniques that move beyond more traditional archaeological excavations and surveys or ethnographic observations. There have also been notable efforts to move towards co-production of knowledge involving multi-national collaborators and local communities.

This session seeks contributions from coastal research projects that involve: 1) the application of innovative recording and visualization techniques; 2) the co-creation of research with local stakeholders; and 3) challenge-led research aimed at creating social, economic, and/or cultural benefits. It will critically examine: a) the opportunities for situating archaeological research within a widely connected research framework; and b) the reciprocal benefits of engaging with the wider development agenda in Africa.

There are a couple of SAFA rules – to submit a paper you have to be a SAFA member, and there are restrictions on the number of papers that you can be first author / discussant etc. See https://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/safa-2020

Membership details for SAFA are here (its free for African scholars)

https://safa.rice.edu/annual-membership-and-subscription-fees

THE SAFA DEADLINE IS 31TH JANUARY FOR ABSTRACTS 

Any questions about submitting a proposal please contact the session organisers below:

We look forward to hearing from you!

Jon.Henderson@nottingham.ac.uk

lb434@leicester.ac.uk

Mark.Horton@rau.ac.uk

Final Call for Contributors: “African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation: learning, sharing and advancing efforts to promote climate change adaptation in Africa”

Editorial Board
Co- Editors: Prof. Walter Leal, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and Manchester Metropolitan University (UK); Prof. Nicholas Ogugu, University of Nairobi (Kenya)

The “African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation: learning, sharing and advancing efforts to promote climate change adaptation in Africa”  is expected to be launched  at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. With over 100 chapters covering the whole African continent, it is expected to provide a robust and long-lasting contribution to the literature on matters related to climate change in an African context, also providing new knowledge which may be considered in support of future policy-making.

The Editorial Board are looking for contributions from  senior researchers, lecturers, representatives from well established NGOs and from enterprises working on matters related to climate change adaptation from across the African continent. In particular, we explicitly seek inputs from doctoral students at advanced stages, who have results which are mature enough to be shared. There are no restrictions on the  authorship: we welcome authors based in Africa itself, and authors based elsewhere, but working in partnership with African organisations. In line with the principles of gender integration, inputs from female researchers are especially welcome. Further details will be shared with the authors of those abstracts which have been accepted.

* Deadline for the submission of a 200 words  abstract: 30th January 2020

* Deadline for the submission of full papers: 30th May 2020

Expressions of interest, initially consisting of a 200 words abstract, should include the full contact details of the authors, may be sent to the ICCIRP Office in Hamburg using this e-mail address: ICCIRP-ClimateChangeManagement@haw-hamburg.de.

Africa is officially designated as a climate change hot stop. Indeed, it is believed that climate change is one of the major challenges African countries have to face at present. The social and economic impacts of climate change on the African continent are manifold. Apart from exarcebating poverty, they significantly impair agriculture (leading among other things to food insecurity), water security and human health, among other areas. The impacts of climate change are also known to constraint economic growth and the development prospects of many African nations.

A trend seen in the international scientific climate change debate and discourse, is the fact that the documentation and reflection of experiences and studies from Africa,  is still rather  limited, especially when compared with those  from industrialised countries. Also, African researchers- especially the new generation of professionals being trained at PhD level right now-  seldom  have the opportunity to share their research and insights with an international audience.

The “African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation: learning, sharing and advancing efforts to promote climate change adaptation in Africa” will address the above shortcomings, by offering a platform via which African experiences on climate change adaptation may documented and promoted, both within Africa and elsewhere. The publication, which will be fully peer-reviewed by a panel of editors and reviewers, is coordinated by the International Climate Change Information and Research Programme (ICCIPR) https://www.haw-hamburg.de/en/ftz-nk/programmes/iccirp/, in partnership with a set of African organisations active in the field of climate change. The “African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation: learning, sharing and advancing efforts to  promote climate change adaptation in Africa” will be published as part of the  “Climate Change Management Series” with Springer https://www.springer.com/series/8740  which is the world´s leading peer-reviewed book series on climate change adaptation.

Details on the next publication from the series, the “Handbook of Climate Change Resilience” with over 200 authors, can be seen at: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319933351.

Project Co-Investigator, Solange Macamo, has joined the WITH Coastal Style team during their interviews in Katembe.

Solange said: “I have joined the field work, in Katembe and I have learnt how to interview women there, for collecting  data about textiles. Women were proud to tell their life history related to textiles. There are both social and economic values associated to the textiles, as part of the marine cultural heritage,  specifically in Katembe. My role in the field was to help to translate whenever it was necessary.”

You can read the full blog on the visit here.

The Rising from the Depths Network are holding a public lecture on Monday 7 October at 6pm at the University of York, hosted by Stephanie Wynne-Jones.

The evening will include three presentations:

• Jon Henderson, ‘Rising from the Depths’
• Caesar Bita, ‘MUCH to Discover in Mida Creek’
• Jonathan Skinner, ‘Reharbouring Heritage’

After the talk there will be time to speak with the project time from the Network and well as some of our Innovation Project leads.

The event will take place in room K/133 Kings Mannor at the University of York at 6pm on October 7.

For more information email Stephanie Wynne-Jones at stephanie.wynne-jones@york.ac.uk.

The third and final funding call for the Rising from the Depths Network has launched.

The call will be funding projects up to £10,000 that will disseminate the wider aims of the network (the
importance and utility of MCH in Eastern Africa) and that will enhance or create links between the
existing project portfolio.

Read the full call here.

A very powerful article on the human stories behind the utter devastation caused by #CycloneIdai https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/eye-of-the-storm/

Thanks to ⁦@PaulNuki⁩ for taking the time to listen to them. It’s not too late to donate to ⁦@decappeal⁩

We are shocked to see the awful news from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, where tropical cyclone Idai has caused widespread destruction and loss of life. While it is well known that low-lying coastal cities and towns are enormously vulnerable to sea-level rise and extreme weather events, current estimates suggest this the deadliest tropical cyclone on record to have hit southern Africa.

The cyclone made landfall at the port of Beira, Mozambique’s fourth-largest city, with officials reporting that almost every building in this city of more than 500,000 people has been damaged. Early estimates for Mozambique suggest that up to a 1,000 people may have died. With the infrastructure of the area destroyed and large areas of coastal land now underwater, the worry is that this disaster could affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people.

Mozambique is vulnerable to periodic flooding during the rainy season but the harrowing pictures of inland seas with houses submerged up to roof level and people stranded on them only serve to illustrate how catastrophic this event has been.

To donate to the relief effort follow the links below:

https://crisisrelief.un.org/Mozambique-flash-appeal

https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/how-you-can-help/emergencies/mozambique-cyclone

A minute of silence to remember Sebastiano Tusa on Monday, 11 March at the UNESCO Ministerial meeting on Underwater Cultural Heritage in Malindi, Kenya.

Professor Tusa was on his way to the meeting to deliver the keynote speech when he was tragically killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash at Addis Ababa on Sunday.

The maritime archaeological world is in shock. Professor Tusa was an internationally renowned scholar and a champion of underwater archaeology in Italy and around the world. He was one of the drafters of the original UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and in 2004 was appointed as the first Superintendent of the Sea directing the Sicilian Soprintendenza del Mare marine archaeology team. More recently he was appointed Assesore for Cultural Heritage for the Government of Sicily. He directed archaeological projects in Italy, Malta, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Japan and Kenya and was the author of 700 archaeological publications.

He had great plans for future underwater research in Kenya.

We owe him so much. His passion and leadership will be greatly missed.

The gvSIG Association has provided a free online GIS course, covering a range of topics and using an open source software (gvSIG Desktop). There is no need to register for the course, and the content can be accessed from anywhere in the world. A post will be published each week on the gvSIG blog, containing a video tutorial with exercises and access to the course data. In order to complete the online course, participants must simply complete each tutorial. The course is available in both English and Spanish. For more details, see the gvSIG blog post here: https://blog.gvsig.org/2018/12/19/free-course-gis-for-archaeologists/

Three-year Faculty of Social Sciences PhD studentship

As part of the Rising from the Depths project, research at Bournemouth University is assessing how climate change, natural and human-induced hazards may affect Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa. Within this context, shipwrecks are important resources to protect, as described by the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001 (UNESCO).

We are developing an exposure (or sensitivity) index for shipwrecks. We would be grateful if you can share your knowledge to help us better understand which factors are relevant to the conservation of shipwrecks, so we can identify suitable indicators.

The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete and can be found here. 

Funded PhD Opportunity Maritme Cultural Heritage and Sustainability in East Africa

This project is funded by: VCRS

Subject: Geography and Environmental Studies

Summary

As part of the Global Challenges Research Fund/Arts and Humanities Research Council project titled, Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help Sustainable Social, Economic, and Cultural Benefits, Ulster University is offering a fully-funded PhD studentship in Maritime Cultural Heritage and Sustainability in coastal eastern Africa.

The studentship is to be held in the School of Geography and Environmental Sciences. The PhD research will explore an aspect of heritage, sustainability, conflict and development in this region, but should contribute to the overall research agenda of the project. It should also draw on the strengths of the School at Ulster.

This is an international studentship for suitably qualified applicants from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. Rising from the Depths seeks to explore the marine cultural heritage of eastern Africa, and to conduct challenge-led research that can stimulate ethical, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Applicants are strongly encouraged to look at the details of the project at our website: https://risingfromthedepths.com

Essential Criteria

• Upper Second Class Honours (2:1) Degree from a UK institution (or overseas award deemed equivalent via UK NARIC)

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Masters at 65%
• Research project completion within taught Masters degree or MRES
• Practice-based research experience and/or dissemination
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project
• Experience of presentation of research findings

Funding

This project is funded by: VCRS

The scholarships will cover tuition fees and a maintenance award of £14,777 per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

Full information can be found here.

3-Year Faculty of Social Sciences PhD Studentship

School of Law, University of Nottingham

In connection with: ‘Rising from the Depths’

Applications are invited for a Faculty of Social Sciences and International Office funded International PhD studentship granted in connection to a recent GCRF/AHRC-funded research project, Rising from the Depths Network: utilising marine cultural heritage in East Africa to help develop sustainable social, economic and cultural benefits.  Applicants for the studentship must be nationals of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar – countries which are the focus of the project.

The Rising from the Depths projects aims to identify ways in which marine cultural heritage can directly benefit coastal communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. Information about the project can be found at: https://risingfromthedepths.com

The successful candidate will be given some latitude as to the scope and approach of their doctorate, but the subject matter should be related to development in the coastal and/or maritime environment of East Africa and its impact on cultural heritage. Topics could include research relating to aid agreements, public private partnership, public procurement and human rights or any aspect of the so-called Blue Economy in one or a combination of the countries which are the focus of the project – Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar. Though not necessarily driven by heritage the proposed topic should demonstrate its relevance to Marine Cultural Heritage in the region and express how the research could help create wider benefits for local communities. For a fuller definition of Marine Cultural Heritage see https://risingfromthedepths.com/marine-cultural-heritage/

The studentships will be based at the University of Nottingham (there is no provision for distance-learning PhDs) with a period, or periods, of research in the proposed study location if required. This studentship is available for 3 years full-time study (subject to satisfactory progression each year) and will be supervised by Dr Annamaria La Chimia (Law) and another academic selected dependent on the details of the chosen proposal. It will cover international tuition fees and provide an annual maintenance grant (stipend) matching Research Innovation UK recommendation – for 2017/18 £14,777 per annum, pro rata.

Applicants should have a degree in a relevant discipline (minimum requirement 2i UG level – or international equivalent) and a Master’s level degree, preferably LLM  with 65% in both the taught and dissertation elements (or international equivalent) in Law or a related discipline.  Our English language requirements are IELTS 7.0 overall (with 6.0 for Listening and Speaking; 6.5 for Reading and 7.0 for Writing).

The call for applications will close on 28^th September 2018 and we hope to interview short-listed candidates shortly afterwards (skype and video conferencing available). Successful applicants will be expected to start the PhD programme in January 2019.

The University of Nottingham’s Graduate School’s Research Training Programme offers a broad and comprehensive range of research training courses from ‘Using Archives in Your Research’, to ‘Pathways into Publishing’. The Graduate School also runs training targeted specifically at Faculty of Social Sciences students and the Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Centre coordinates training and events that are relevant and useful to research postgraduates in Law.

How to apply:

Applicants must be a national of of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar.

Applicants should submit via email a single MS Word or PDF document which includes a curriculum vitae (no more than 2 pages), a brief letter (no more than 2 pages) outlining their proposed research project and qualification for the studentship, a sample of writing (c. 3000 words) and the names and contact details of two academic referees. Please send this document to the email address risingfromthedepths@nottingham.ac.uk no later than 5pm on Thursday 28 September 2018. Please ensure the subject line of your email appears as ‘surname, first name – Faculty of Social Sciences/Nottingham studentship.’

Informal enquiries may be directed to annamaria.lachimia@nottingham.ac.uk

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete an application for PhD study in the School of Law in advance of the interview (interviews can be conducted over Skype of video conference for those unable to attend in person):

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/how-to-apply/apply-online.aspx

Society and the Sea 2018; Investinblue conference: The values of the Ocean and Coasts for Sustainable Development” organised by the Greenwich Maritime Centre and National Maritime.

6^th -7^th September, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

This international conference will bring together industry and academia to explore the value of the ocean and coasts, key challenges being faced and opportunities for future development of the blue economy. There will be over 100 presentations, 6 stages, conference dinner on board the Cutty Sark and the launch of the new Marine Social Sciences Network.

Conference Themes and Sessions include: Maritime Infrastructure & Industry; Maritime History & Heritage; Conservation & Engagement; Small-Scale Fisheries; Blue Economy; Maritime Human Health & Wellbeing; Maritime Governance; Ocean Literacy; Making Socio-Cultural Values Count; Scuppering Invisibility; Creating Places to Belong; Art, Social Impact & Reinvention; and International Coastal Communities.

Visit the conference website for more information, the draft programme and to register:  http://www.gre.ac.uk/society-and-the-sea

3-Year Faculty of Arts and Research Board PhD Studentship, Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Nottingham, in connection with: ‘Rising from the Depths:

Applications are invited for a Faculty of Arts funded International PhD studentship granted in connection to a recent GCRF/AHRC-funded research project, Rising from the Depths Network: utilising marine cultural heritage in East Africa to help develop sustainable social, economic and cultural benefits.  Applicants for the studentship must be nationals of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar – countries which are the focus of the project.

The Rising from the Depths project aims to identify ways in which marine cultural heritage can directly benefit coastal communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. Information about the project can be found on our website.

The successful candidate will be given some latitude as to the scope and approach of their doctorate, but the subject matter should be related to coastal and/or marine archaeology in one or a combination of the countries which are the focus of the project – Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar. The proposed topic should consider an aspect of Marine Cultural Heritage and express how the research could help create wider benefits for local communities. For a fuller definition or Marine Cultural Heritage see our website.

The studentships will be based at the University of Nottingham (there is no provision for distance-learning PhDs) with a period, or periods, of research in the proposed study location if required. This studentship is available for 3 years full-time study (subject to satisfactory progression each year) and will be supervised by Dr Jon Henderson (Archaeology) and another academic selected dependent on the details of the chosen proposal. It will cover overseas tuition fees and provide an annual maintenance grant (stipend) matching Research Councils UK recommendation – for 2017/18 £14,777 per annum, pro rata.

Applicants should have a degree in a relevant discipline and a Masters-level degree MA (at distinction or merit) in Archaeology or a related discipline, ideally with some research focus on marine archaeology or history. Preference will be given to applicants with a demonstrable knowledge and interest in East African coastal and/or marine archaeology.

The call for applications will close on 20^th September 2018 and we hope to interview (skype and video conferencing available) short-listed candidates shortly afterwards. Successful applicants will be expected to start the PhD programme in January 2019.

The University of Nottingham’s Graduate School’s Research Training Programme offers a broad and comprehensive range of research training courses from ‘Using Archives in Your Research’, to ‘Pathways into Publishing’. The Graduate School also runs training targeted specifically at Faculty of Arts students and the Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Centre coordinates training and events that are relevant and useful to research postgraduates in History.

How to apply:

Applicants must be a national of of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar.

Applicants should submit via email a single MS Word or PDF document which includes a curriculum vitae (no more than 2 pages), a brief letter (no more than 2 pages) outlining their proposed research project and qualification for the studentship, a sample of writing (c. 3,000 words) and the names and contact details of two academic referees. Please send this document to the email address risingfromthedepths@nottingham.ac.uk no later than 5pm on Thursday 20^th September 2018. Please ensure the subject line of your email appears as ‘surname, first name – Faculty of Arts/Nottingham studentship.’

Informal enquiries may be directed to jon.henderson@nottingham.ac.uk

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete an application for PhD study in the Department of Classics and Archaeology in advance of the interview (interviews can be conducted over Skype or video conferences for those unable to attend in person):

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/how-to-apply/apply-online.aspx

The Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World has recently launched a two year fellowship aimed at supporting women to produce research of an international standard and to initiate collaborations and partnerships with industry and the private sector. The fellowship is open to women in low and middle income countries.

More information can be found here. 

Fully-funded PhD studentship: University of Roehampton

The University of Roehampton is a partner institution of the Global Challenges Research Fund/Arts and Humanities Research Council project titled, Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to Help Sustainable Social, Economic, and Cultural Benefits. In support of, and integral to, this project the University is offering 4 fully-funded (with bursaries) PhD studentships for social anthropology projects. A major condition for the scholarships is that applicants must be nationals of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania or Madagascar – countries which are the focus of the project.

Funding, for each of the studentships, is available for 3 years full-time study. The bursary includes tuition waver and a stipend of £16.777 per year. It is expected that the successful applicants will each contribute up to 6 hours of work, per week, over a 40 week year, to the university.

These studentships will be based at the University of Roehampton (there is no provision for distance-learning PhDs) with a period, or periods, of fieldwork in the country that is the focus of the research project.

In order to be flexible in terms of perspectives we have not set specific research projects. However, we are interested in projects that are social anthropological, based on ethnographic fieldwork, in the area of ‘maritime practices’. Such practices might include, for example, but are not limited to, those within fishing; harvesting marine and coastal resources; sailing and knowledge of the sea; boatbuilding; artisanal crafts and skills; trading; heritage conservation and reconstruction; tourism and guiding; arts focusing on the sea and the coast; maritime food cultures; health, nutrition, and well-being etc. In addition to having excellent anthropological potential, the projects should also address issues of benefits, as set out in the title of the overall project.

Applicants should have a Masters-level degree in social anthropology or in a related disciplinary area, for example sociology, human geography, environmental studies etc.

The call for applications will close on 31^st August 2018 and we hope to interview short-listed candidates in early September. Successful applicants will be expected to start the PhD programme in January 2019.

Applicants are encouraged to look at the details of the project at our website:

https://risingfromthedepths.com

You may contact Professor Garry Marvin, g.marvin@roehampton.ac.uk, who will be overseeing the anthropological aspects of the project, for an informal discussion of PhD ideas.

Applications should be submitted to:

https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/graduate-school/degrees/ NB: deadline of 30 June does not apply to this studentship

Fully-funded PhD studentship: Community archaeology and heritage in coastal eastern Africa

As part of the Global Challenges Research Fund/Arts and Humanities Research Council project titled, Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help Sustainable Social, Economic, and Cultural Benefits, the University of York is offering a fully-funded PhD studentship in community archaeology and heritage in coastal eastern Africa. The studentship is to be held in the Department of Archaeology, supervised by Dr Stephanie Wynne-Jones. The PhD research can explore any aspect of community archaeology and heritage in this region, but should contribute to the overall research agenda of the project. It should also draw on the strengths of the department at York.

Rising from the Depths seeks to explore the marine cultural heritage of eastern Africa, and to conduct challenge-led research that can stimulate ethical, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Applicants are strongly encouraged to look at the details of the project at our website.

The studentship will cover full overseas fees, and a stipend at the standard RCUK rate (for 2018/19 this was £14,777). Applicants must be nationals of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique or Madagascar and research should also be focused in that area. Applicants will also need to satisfy the eligibility criteria for postgraduate research at the University of York: a Masters degree in a relevant discipline and proof of English language competence (https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/apply/)

Applicants should in the first instance contact Dr Stephanie Wynne-Jones (Stephanie.wynne-jones@york.ac.uk) to discuss their proposed project. Applications will be based on a research proposal and CV, to be received by 31 August 2018. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by Skype/telephone during September 2018. The PhD studentship will begin from 1^st January 2019, and will be part of a cohort of doctoral students funded by the project. Details of the other studentships are currently being advertised and are available on the project website.

As part of the Global Challenges Research Fund/Arts and Humanities Research Council project ‘Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help Sustainable Social, Economic, and Cultural Benefits’, Bournemouth University is offering a fully-funded PhD studentship focusing on any aspect related to (a) climate and/or human-related risks to maritime/coastal cultural heritage in eastern Africa or (b) coastal management practices to reduce environmental and social vulnerabilities associated with current and future threats (climate or human-related). The studentship is to be held in the Department of Life & Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science & Technology), supervised by Dr Luciana S. Esteves.

We are inviting applications to PhD project proposals that related to the two broad themes indicated above and select the candidate based on the quality of the proposed research and its fit to the wider scope of the ‘Rising from the Depths’ project. Rising from the Depths seeks to explore the marine/maritime cultural heritage of eastern Africa, and to conduct challenge-led research that can stimulate ethical, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Applicants are strongly encouraged to look at the details of the project at our website.

The definition of maritime/coastal cultural heritage used within the project is broad and include tangible (such as buildings, shipwrecks, natural habitats, heritage sites) and intangible (such as traditional practices in fishing, arts, religion and other aspects related to identity of coastal communities) heritage and their relations with or dependency of the coast and/or the sea. The PhD research can explore any aspect of coastal change driven by climate and/or human activities (e.g. coastal development and port infrastructure) affecting coastal/maritime cultural heritage in eastern Africa (with particular interest in Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and/or Madagascar). Projects of interest may focus on quantification of risk and vulnerability, coastal management strategies, adaptation measures and other related aspects, at any spatial scale (local, national or regional), preferably, covering temporal scales that are relevant to coastal management.

While the PhD researcher will be based at Bournemouth University, there will be opportunities of internships at partner organisations (e.g. Nottingham, York, Ulster, Cambridge, Roehampton, Eduardo Mondlane), intended to enhance research capacity and skills and promote integration within the project. A total of nine PhD studentships are being offered by project partners to candidates from East Africa. The PhD students will benefit from interacting with each other and from mentorship offered by project investigators. In this sense, the project aims to influence the creation of the next generation of researchers, building research capacity related to marine cultural heritage in the region, establishing it as an interdisciplinary field of research with major social, economic and cultural significance. The specific skills developed at BU will depend on the focus of the PhD research, and may include: GIS, regional analysis of global data, shoreline change analysis, fieldwork and remote sensing techniques,  in addition to collaborative work, interdisciplinary thinking, working in multicultural teams and environments.

You can read the full advert here.

The Rising from the Depths Network is happy to announce that it’s first funding call for Innovative Projects is live.

The call is open to small, medium and large projects that aim to fill knowledge gaps in Marine Cultural Heritage, tackle challenge based issues and create tangible benefits in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar.

Applications are open until 12pm (UK time) on the 14th of September 2018.

You can read our full funding call here. 

Rosalie Hans

Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, 8^th June 2018

This one-day conference, organised to celebrate the newly renovated African displays at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM), comprised of presentations by a great number of well-known curators of African collections in British museums. Organised in association with the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the University of Exeter and chaired by Professor Timothy Insoll, the day started with this introduction. It highlighted some of the criticisms students have made of African galleries in museums over the past couple of years like the challenged of displaying the geography of Africa, its supposed timelessness and the debate between presenting African artefacts as art or in a more contextualised setting.

Following this critical note, speakers such as Dr Zachary Kingdon, Africa curator of the World Museum in Liverpool and Dr Sarah Worden, senior curator of African collections at the National Museums of Scotland, detailed the history of their institution’s African galleries. They showed how the representation of Africa has radically changed from the colonial and racist mind-set of the late 19^th and early 20^th century to a more inclusive curatorial practice that tries to reflect the origins of the collections and its difficult colonial legacies and tell more accurate stories about Africa. Still, Malik Saako Mahmud, Senior Curator at the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board pointed out that there is continuing work to do to ‘decolonise’ African collections and their displays further.

Dr Malika Kraamer, curator of World Cultures at Leicester Arts and Museums Service, Professor John Mack of the Sainsbury Research Unit and Dr Chris Wingfield, Senior Curator of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, focused on how research into, and reconsideration of, certain types of objects can change the way Africa is represented in exhibitions. Kraamer’s plea for a rethinking of kente cloth in museum collections and Wingfield’s research into missionary collections from Southern Africa emphasised that the agency of African people needs to be considered when looking at and displaying collections. It is a challenge faced by many curators in British museums that the information available about collections is often limited to the European collectors and does not include information about the African people that were involved in the process. Tony Eccles, curator of ethnography at the RAMM, described how approaching the redisplay in Exeter through the theme of ‘commerce’ allowed him to circumvent some of these issues by presenting artefacts as products in processes of interaction rather than as hermetic works of art. Nevertheless, Professor John Mack argued that objects formerly described as ‘fetishes’, but more accurately called nkisi, are now considered in a more contemporary artistic manner which allows for their appreciation beyond a historical relegation to the realm of ritual and magic.

By reflecting on recent temporary exhibitions related to African collections, Dr John Giblin, formerly of the British Museum and now Head of Collections at the Royal Museums of Scotland, and Stephen Welsh and Campbell Price of the Manchester Museum, opened up the discussion to the perception of Africa by visitors. Giblin shared some of the findings of the evaluation of a South Africa exhibition at the British Museum and how the British public responded to a more critical approach to the British role in South Africa’s history. Welsh and Price emphasised the museum’s work with diverse local communities and advocated for a move from a multicultural vision of the museum to a poly-vocal one, stimulating dialogue and participation from diverse audiences.

All in all, the conference enabled many fruitful conversations during the day and provided much food for thought for the future. It is clear that, apart from practical constraints, the representation of Africa in British museums is an on-going process of rethinking that needs to be reflected upon with many stakeholders, not in the least with those people whose culture and history are presented in the galleries.

On 3rd July, Stephanie Wynne-Jones and Paul Lane of the RfTD team were at the University of Dar es Salaam for a workshop discussing community heritage programmes in Tanzania. The RftD grant calls were discussed, and much valuable feedback was given by our Tanzanian colleagues. Dr Emmanuel Kessy, our regional coordinator was also present and helped structure discussions. We look forward to working with our UDSM colleagues in future as we develop RftD projects in the region.

Find out more about the CONCH project here.

The Rising from the Depths project was cited as an example of best practice in sustainable marine heritage management at the Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body on the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage last week (23^rd April 2018). Ulrike Guerin, UNESCO Programme Specialist responsible for the 2001 Convention, stated that the project could act as ‘a driver for cohesion between social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development’. The exchange day meeting, held on the 23^rd April at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, focused on the potential role marine cultural heritage could play in in the understanding, promotion and protection of Oceans within the forthcoming United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It was attended by representatives of the 58 state signatories to the 2001 Convention and held in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), the body responsible for the organization of marine science within the UN system.

Dr Jon Henderson, who attended the meeting on behalf of Rising from the Depths project, said ‘The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are setting the global agenda and, as a result, are going to be instrumental to academic research for the next 12 years. If marine cultural heritage is to progress, establish itself in modern practice, and realise its full potential, then it needs to respond to these challenges. Rising from the Depths has a key role to play in this as it is harnessing the potential of marine heritage to inform solutions to real challenges in East Africa such as rapid coastal development, climate change and unsustainable fishing practices.’

Rising from the Depths Project Manager (fixed term)

The University of Nottingham has received funding from the RC UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund which is a £1.5Bn initiative aiming to tackle global challenges in the national interest. The project ‘Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help develop sustainable social, economic and cultural benefits’ is a multi-partner interdisciplinary research project with an ambitious programme for delivery.

Rising from the Depths will identify ways in which marine cultural heritage can benefit coastal communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. The project will establish and maintain a trans-boundary and cross-sector network of arts and humanities-led researchers, government officers, scientists, policy makers, UN officials, NGOs, ICT professionals and specialists working in heritage, infrastructure and the offshore industry, to identify new opportunities and methodologies for utilising the marine cultural heritage of East Africa to stimulate alternative sources of income, foster local identities, and enhance the value and impact of overseas aid in the marine sector. Information about the project can be found at: https://risingfromthedepths.com.

The University of Nottingham is leading the network and is seeking to appoint a Project Manager. The successful candidate will have previous experience of administration and project management as well as proven experience of financial planning and reporting. You will have excellent oral and written communication skills with proven experience of maintaining effective working relationships and experience of working with a diverse set of stakeholders including senior academics and funders.

In the role you will be required to manage and coordinate the programme of international network and engagement events (including booking travel and arranging all aspects of the events), support and manage the distribution of a series of project funding calls, act as a liaison point for all project members, network members and external partners, monitor and report on the project budget ensuring all expenditure is in line with University Policies, are ODA compliant and are in line with the terms and conditions of the grant. Other duties include supporting all project meetings, assisting with the production of reports and other material for dissemination as well as ensuring effective delivery of day-to-day administration for the project. The role holder will be based in the UK.

The project team will require the successful candidate to work flexibly to meet the objectives of what will be a challenging programme, requiring effective monitoring and organising people across a range of countries. You should have proven experience of prioritising changing workloads, meeting tight deadlines and setting and achieving milestones. You will have excellent IT skills and experience of using these within a project management setting.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract until 31^st September 2021 and is a full time post. Job share arrangements may be considered.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Jon Henderson, tel: 0115-9514842 or email
Jon.henderson@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

The University of Nottingham is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The closing date for completed applications is: Monday 26 March 2018

Salary: £29799 to £30688 per annum (pro-rata if applicable) depending on skills and experience.

For more information on the post and to apply online go here:

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/ARTS030218X1

Rising from the Depths Post Doctoral Researcher (Anthropology)

The University of Roehampton is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our Life Sciences department as part of an AHRC-funded research project, Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help develop sustainable social, economic and cultural benefits. Applicants should have a PhD in social anthropology, have conducted ethnographic research in Mozambique, Tanzania or Kenya, and have a good knowledge of one of the local languages. Knowledge of Swahili would be especially useful. The successful candidate will be able to develop their own research project within the remit of the project – particularly in the areas of cultural memory, indigenous understandings of the past, relationships with marine/maritime cultures. You will help with identifying potential areas of research, relating to the themes above, for 4 PhD projects that will form part of the overall project and work with other researchers in the team to explore issues relating to marine cultural heritage.

This post is available on a fixed-term basis for 12 months.

For enquiries relating to this position please contact Professor Garry Marvin, g.marvin@roehampton.ac.uk.

This is an exciting time for the University; our new £35m state-of-the art library has just opened and we are continuing to develop a number of external partnerships across the globe.

We have a strong emphasis on supporting our students to reach their full potential in order to launch themselves onto successful graduate careers and we are embarking on a radical programme of enhancement in learning and teaching across all our academic areas. ‘In the Complete University Guide 2018, Roehampton is the highest-ranked modern university in London. Modern, or new, universities are defined as those granted university status post-1992. Complete University Guide does not itself define modern universities and does not produce a separate league table in which these are ranked.’

The University has a beautiful, vibrant parkland campus, is located in the heart of south-west London and offers excellent facilities for researching, learning, teaching and working.

To find out more information about the role and what we’re looking for, visit the Working at Roehampton section of our website where you will find full details, how to apply, as well as further information about the benefits of working for us.

http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/Working-at-Roehampton/

The closing date for completed applications is: Thursday 1 March 2018

It is expected that interviews will be held on: during March 2018

The University is an equal opportunities and ‘disability confident’ employer

For more information on the post and to apply online go here:

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BHQ056/postdoctoral-research-associate/

Rising from the Depths Post Doctoral Researcher (Heritage/Development)

The University of Nottingham has received funding from the RC UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund which is a £1.5Bn initiative aiming to tackle global challenges in the national interest. The project ‘Rising from the Depths: Utilising Marine Cultural Heritage in East Africa to help develop sustainable social, economic and cultural benefits’ is a multi-partner interdisciplinary research project with an ambitious programme for delivery.

The Rising from the Depths Network will identify ways in which marine cultural heritage can directly benefit coastal communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. The project will establish and maintain a trans-boundary and cross-sector network of arts and humanities-led researchers, government officers, scientists, policy makers, UN officials, NGOs, ICT professionals and specialists working in heritage, infrastructure and the offshore industry, to identify new opportunities and methodologies for protecting and utilising the marine cultural heritage of East Africa to stimulate alternative sources of income, foster local identities, and enhance the value and impact of overseas aid in the marine sector.

The University of Nottingham is leading the network and is seeking a PDRA with a research interests in East African cultural heritage and/or development studies. Applicants should have a PhD in a related archaeology, heritage or development field. Experience of working on research or development projects in East Africa would be an advantage. The PDRA will have specific responsibility for scoping and reporting on development and heritage methodologies that could be applicable to conducting, assessing and monitoring Arts and Humanities led research in an East African context.

The person appointed will be expected to plan and conduct work in close collaboration with the project Co-Is, PDRAs at other institutions as well as with project partners in the region.  They will be responsible for writing up their work for publication. The person appointed will be based in the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Nottingham and is expected to work in close collaboration with our University project partners (Roehampton, Bournemouth, Ulster, York, Uppsala in Sweden and Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique) and engage with organisations part of the network (including UNESCO, The World Monuments Fund, The British Museum, the British Institute in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association). The person appointed will be expected to use their initiative and creativity to identify areas for research development and extend their own research portfolio.

This is a part time position working 29 hours per week (0.8 FTE), fixed term until 1 April 2019.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Jon Henderson, tel: 0115-9514842 or email jon.henderson@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

The University of Nottingham is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

For more information on the post and to apply online go here:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/jobs/currentvacancies/ref/ARTS028318