Under the project “Promoting the Preservation and Accessibility of Endangered African Documentary Heritage,” a major capacity-building initiative has officially begun with a series of training workshops focused on Mali’s ancient manuscripts.
Led by the UNESCO office in Mali in partnership with the NGO SAVAMA-DCI, this program aims to strengthen the skills of over 70 individuals, including staff from families that hold ancient manuscripts, students, and researchers, to better preserve and promote this invaluable heritage.
The ancient manuscripts of the Sahel, especially those from Mali, represent a unique body of knowledge that reflects the continent’s rich historical and intellectual legacy. Given threats from security crises and climate change, safeguarding these documents has become a top priority for national authorities and their partners.
With this in mind, the current project seeks to build on previous programs and improve conservation practices, accessibility, and promotion of endangered documentary heritage.
The training is organized into several consecutive workshops:
The first workshop, held from June 29 to July 1, 2026, focuses on prospecting and identifying ancient manuscripts. Participants will learn to locate, find, and recognize manuscripts within families, libraries, and other storage sites.
The second workshop, scheduled for July 2 to 4, 2026, covers inventory techniques and creating catalogues. Trainees will collect, organize, and describe manuscript information, as well as develop standardized descriptive records.
These two complementary sessions, opened on June 29, 2026, by the representative of the Minister of Handicrafts, Culture, Hospitality Industry, and Tourism, in the presence of the Acting Head of the UNESCO office in Mali and the Executive President of SAVAMA-DCI, will cover the entire management chain for ancient manuscripts—from identification to systematic documentation—benefiting 15 agents from families that own ancient manuscripts.
“The Department of Handicrafts, Culture, Hospitality Industry, and Tourism assures you of its ongoing support for the success of this project and will pay close attention to the expected results and impacts,” said Mr. Mamadou Cissé, technical advisor and representative of the Minister of Culture.
As for the Head of the UNESCO Office, Mr. Ali-Mohamed Sinane, he stated: “Preserving ancient manuscripts means preserving our memory, our identity, and our shared history. It also means passing on an intellectual heritage of immense value to future generations. I hope these workshops are rich in exchanges, learning, and commitment, and that they significantly contribute to safeguarding Mali’s documentary heritage.”
After these two workshops, participants will be able to carry out field missions, correctly identify manuscripts, describe them, and help integrate them into structured inventory systems.
This training program, which will continue in the coming months for students and researchers on critical editing and translation of ancient manuscripts, marks an important step in strengthening national capacities for protecting and promoting Mali’s ancient manuscripts.
Through these workshops, UNESCO and its partners, including the Government of Japan, reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding African documentary heritage. The goal is not only to preserve these treasures for future generations but also to increase public recognition of them as culturally and historically significant heritage.
