A team of women working for the creation of the Imanzi Heritage Village In Rwanda. The project has received a small grant from our HerMaP Africa program.

On Wednesday 22 April 2026, HERITΛGE hosted the 8th Online Network Convening of the HerMaP Africa programme, bringing together grantees, partners, and supporters for a dynamic two-hour online session focused on exchange, reflection, and collaboration. Held via Zoom, the convening welcomed over 40 active participants.

The session opened with welcoming remarks from Richard A. Brown, followed by reflections from Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis, who noted that while this marked the final convening in the current series, further gatherings are already being planned for later in the year. Coordination efforts will continue through the HERITΛGE networking task force, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to sustained community-building.

At the heart of the convening were project presentations from grantees across Africa. 12 invited projects, from Kenya, Rwanda, and Sourth Africa, presented their work. The presentations offered a compelling snapshot of the diversity and ambition of initiatives supported through HerMaP Africa and HERITΛGE’s fiscal sponsorship model.

Projects ranged from the establishment of cultural heritage centres in Kenya and Namibia to community museums and agro-tourism initiatives in Rwanda, as well as efforts to revitalise rural communities through sustainable heritage tourism. Additional presentations highlighted initiatives such as the creation of a cultural space in the Ndiyona Constituency in Namibia and the Pan African Solidarity School (PASS) in Kenya, expanding the programme’s reach into education, cultural exchange, and grassroots capacity building.

Several Rwandan projects showcased a strong focus on cultural infrastructure and innovation, including the upgrading of the Rwanda Art Museum, the development of cultural hiking trails in Nyanza, and the creation of studios dedicated to preserving performance traditions.

Across presentations, a shared emphasis emerged: the importance of linking heritage preservation with community development, tourism, and local economic resilience. Many projects demonstrated how heritage can serve not only as a cultural asset but also as a driver of sustainable livelihoods and social cohesion.

The session concluded with an open group discussion, allowing participants to exchange feedback, identify common challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

As HerMaP Africa continues to evolve, convenings like this remain central to HERITΛGE’s approach: supporting projects not only through funding, but by fostering connection, shared learning, and collective impact across the continent.

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Academic Days 2026 at UABC. Photos: Eliott Blanco

HERITΛGE co-organized the Academic Days 2026: Heritage in Action: Social Innovation and Cultural Development from the Community, held from March 17–20, 2026 at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC).

The event formed part of HerMaP Mexico and was developed with partners at UABC. It brought together students, researchers, cultural practitioners, and community actors to explore the role of cultural heritage as a driver of social innovation and community development.

The Academic Day provided a dynamic platform for reflection, dialogue, and the exchange of experiences through a series of conferences, workshops, and academic activities. Discussions focused on how cultural heritage can contribute to community-based development, strengthen local identities, and support innovative social initiatives.

Denise Navarro, HerMaP Mexico Program Manager at HERITΛGE, participated in the event, contributing to conversations on community-centered approaches to heritage management and the importance of linking academic knowledge with practical applications.

As a co-organizer, HERITΛGE contributed to shaping the academic program and facilitating dialogue between international expertise and local perspectives. The organization’s involvement through HerMaP Mexico reflects its commitment to building bridges between academia and the cultural heritage sector.

HERITΛGE extends its gratitude to the Master’s Program in Social Projects UABC, the Faculty of Administrative and Social Sciences UABC, and the Faculty of Arts UABC Ensenada for hosting and co-organizing the event. HERITΛGE also thanks Professor [Name] for the invitation and collaboration.

Advancing the HerMaP Mexico Initiative

The Academic Days forms part of the broader activities of HerMaP Mexico, a multi-year initiative led by HERITΛGE. The program aims to strengthen cultural heritage management across Mexico’s northern border states through training, sector mapping, networking, and support for community-led projects.

As part of this initiative, HerMaP Mexico is currently accepting applications for grants supporting cultural heritage projects in the region, offering funding to organizations, collectives, and individuals working to protect and promote local heritage.

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Elif Aydin | PhD Researcher & Cultural Heritage Professional | Belgium

Which HERITΛGE training did you attend?

The Engaging Communities for Cultural Heritage Summer Field School in Paros, in 2024.

Was the training an opportunity to enhance your connection with your peers?

Very much. Both as young professionals and as friends, we had the opportunity to discover different aspects of project management in the heritage sector together. We were working in groups, but not in a way that separated us (rather, as groups that were constantly sharing, exchanging, and discovering together). The workshop itself is designed for you to explore as a group but ultimately digest the experience as one.

In that sense, spending that whole time together naturally creates a bond, as you develop your skills side by side. Also, since everyone comes from diverse backgrounds (both culturally and in terms of professional fields) it kind of builds a network that goes beyond our own circles, that allowing us to connect more broadly.

Has the training contributed towards the improvement of your career?

Indirectly, in many ways. I can’t say that having this certificate directly led me to a specific job, but I do think it has shaped my perspective and the way I approach my work. Especially when it comes to community engagement, it helped me develop a mindset where I can question and evaluate whether what we are doing truly reflects that concept. In that sense, by improving how I assess and approach my work, I think it has definitely contributed to increasing the overall quality of what I do.

Do you feel that your ability to perform relevant tasks has improved?

Apart from general research skills, I think it was really helpful to learn more about project management. Especially in terms of how to stay organised throughout the whole process (following proper archiving and documentation practices), and also staying connected with the community itself. Including them in the process and building things on a more equal level was an important part of it. I feel like I’ve improved in delivering these kinds of tasks and managing them more confidently.

Following the completion of the training, has your project benefited? How?

Yes, directly. Especially in terms of the relationships we build with communities (learning how to approach them and how to structure the questions we ask) I can clearly see the benefits in my own research project. Working closely with a community, on a one-to-one level, is very different from working in a more corporate or institutional setting. And because we don’t really experience this kind of engagement in education or in the office, it’s something we don’t easily develop, which can later become problematic. But as Aris and Lena describe it, this is a process of “deep hanging out.” It’s about genuinely becoming part of the community and understanding that this is not something you plan and execute from an office, but something that evolves together with the community. Realising this aspect has really helped me rethink and improve my project, and in turn the project itself gain more accepetance.

Would you recommend this training to others?

Definitely, I always say that it’s a great opportunity, not just for young professionals, but also for anyone who is genuinely interested in research, project management, and community engagement. The summer school really offers something for everyone, creating space to explore, learn, and discover new things.

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HERITΛGE successfully delivered a second Oral History Workshop in Mexico, further advancing the implementation of the HerMaP Mexico initiative. The workshop took place from March 11–13, 2026 in Saltillo, Coahuila, bringing together 17 participants interested in strengthening their skills in working with memory and cultural heritage.

Hosted in the capital city of Coahuila, the workshop was made possible through the collaboration of three key institutions dedicated to the preservation of memory: the General Archive of the State of Coahuila, the Municipal Archive of Saltillo, and the Archive for Memory of Universidad Iberoamericana.

The training focused on oral history as a tool for documenting collective memory and intangible cultural heritage, equipping participants with both conceptual understanding and practical methodologies. It was led by Dr. Eleni Stefanou and Denise Navarro. 

Participants explored:

• The relationship between oral history, memory, and heritage
• The design and implementation of interviews
• Ethical considerations in working with testimonies
• The application of oral history in cultural heritage projects

The group brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds, including cultural practitioners, researchers, and professionals engaged in heritage-related initiatives.

The workshop reflects the strong collaborative framework that underpins HerMaP Mexico, which works in close partnership with local institutions to ensure that training activities are grounded in local realities and needs.

HERITΛGE extends its sincere thanks to the host institutions for opening their spaces and supporting this initiative, as well as to the Ministry of Culture of the State of Coahuila for its valuable role in promoting and facilitating the workshop.

We also recognize the commitment and active participation of all attendees, whose willingness to share experiences enriched the learning environment.

This workshop is part of a broader series of training activities under HerMaP Mexico, aimed at strengthening cultural heritage management across Mexico’s northern border states.

By creating spaces for learning, exchange, and collaboration, HERITΛGE continues to support local actors in documenting, preserving, and activating cultural heritage as a resource for community identity and sustainable development.

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From 26 January to 8 February 2026, the Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE) held the first edition of its Winter School on Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage, an intensive online training programme designed for heritage professionals seeking a deeper understanding of participatory approaches to heritage management.

The new Winter School builds on HERITΛGE’s well-established training formats, complementing its introductory 3-6 day workshops and the immersive summer field school. Together, these programmes form a progressive training pathway that allows professionals to engage with community-centred heritage practices at different levels and formats.

As Foteini Giannoulidi, head of HERITΛGE’s Educational Department, explains:

“Our proudly launched Winter School serves as an intermediate training program between our workshops and our intensive Summer Field School. It is designed for heritage managers who seek a profound approach to community engagement in a remote format, offering the opportunity to complete an extensive, in-depth training program.”

Community engagement has become one of the most dynamic and transformative areas in heritage management. Around the world, museums, archives, cultural institutions, and local organizations increasingly recognize that meaningful engagement cannot rely on generic “toolkits.”

Sustainable and ethical collaboration requires sensitivity to local contexts, awareness of community values, and approaches grounded in shared authority and co-creation.

The Winter School embraced this perspective, offering a research-led and community-centred framework shaped by HERITΛGE’s extensive practical experience across Europe, Africa, and other regions.

Participants explored both conceptual and practical aspects of community engagement, including principles and ethics of participatory heritage work, applied ethnography and long-distance interviewing, digital documentation of personal and material heritage, collaborative storytelling and interpretive planning, and the role of festivals, artistic practices, and community initiatives as platforms for participation and representation.

A Truly Global Cohort

The first edition of the Winter School brought together 20 participants from 16 countries across four continents — Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.

This international mix created a rich learning environment in which participants shared experiences from diverse heritage contexts, institutions, and communities.

The programme was taught by HERITΛGE’s Dr Aris Anagnostopoulos and Dr Lena Stefanou with contributions from Dr Evangelos Kyriakidis, Director of HERITΛGE.

Participants also benefited from insights from our keynote speaker, Tracii Kwaai, a sixth-generation Kalk Bay fisher child from South Africa. Tracey’s Fisher Child project has received one of our Small Grants for African Heritage. Tracii is a story keeper, ocean historian, and social and ecological activist. Her work explores belonging and community through the voices of local fisher and other displaced Kalk Bay communities.

In addition, several heritage professionals who had previously participated in HERITΛGE training programmes joined the Winter School as interviewees, sharing their experiences of applying participatory methods in their own work. These included:

• Anaclet Karangwa, Founder and Executive Director of IVOMO, Rwanda
• Vitalice Ochieng, Senior Programme Manager at the Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH), Kenya
• Dr Habab Idriss Ahmed, Senior Antiquities Inspector at the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums, Sudan
• Mohammed Ali Mwenje, Cultural Heritage Practitioner at the Lamu World Heritage Site and Conservation Office / National Museums of Kenya, Kenya

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The first HerMaP Mexico training workshop for heritage managers has been successfully completed. The Oral History Workshop took place in person from March 4–6 in Julimes, Chihuahua. The initiative’s first in-person workshop brought together 23 participants from 12 municipalities across the state of Chihuahua, including 11 women. Participants also represented four Indigenous groups, including migrants from other Mexican states. The group included community promoters, cultural practitioners, researchers, and heritage professionals working on local heritage initiatives.

The workshop was led by Denise Navarro, Mexico Programs Manager at HERITΛGE.

The training focused on how to document community memories and intangible cultural heritage through oral history. Participants were introduced to key conceptual and methodological tools, including how to design interview guides, ethical considerations in the use of testimonies, and the practical application of oral history in cultural heritage projects.

Through this workshop, participants strengthened their capacity to document community knowledge, lived experiences, and cultural practices, contributing to the preservation of local heritage and collective memory.

This workshop marks the first training activity of the HerMaP Mexico initiative, which aims to strengthen cultural heritage management in Mexico’s northern border states. The program works with local actors through training, sector mapping, networking, and grants for community-led heritage projects.

The HERITΛGE team would like to thank Centro INAH Chihuahua and Secretaría de Cultura de Chihuahua  for helping organize the workshop and the Municipality of Julimes for hosting us in its facilities.

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On 25 February 2026, HERITΛGE hosted the seventh online Network Convening for recipients of the Small Grants for African Heritage Projects, bringing together grantees, heritage professionals, members of the re-granting committee, and other partners supporting heritage initiatives across the continent.

The grants initiative is part of HerMaP Africa, HERITΛGE’s programme to strengthen heritage management capacity across the continent, funded by the Mellon Foundation. Through a series of small grants, the programme supports locally led heritage initiatives and fosters a growing network of heritage practitioners across Africa.

HERITΛGE has organised a series of grantee convenings, part of an ongoing effort to connect, support, and strengthen the network of African heritage practitioners funded through the grants programme. The seventh convening brought together participants from 30 funded and fiscally sponsored projects across Africa for two hours of presentations and discussion.

A Guest Address from the National Civil Rights Museum

Dr. Russell Wigginton of the National Civil Rights Museum

The session opened with welcoming remarks from Richard A. Brown, Head of Grants and Partnerships at HERITΛGE, who also introduced the guest of honour, Dr. Russell Wigginton, President of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Dr. Wigginton presented the history and mission of the museum, a complex of historic buildings and exhibitions in Memphis that traces the story of the civil rights movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present day. His presentation highlighted the museum’s role not only as a site of remembrance but also as a space for education, dialogue, and social engagement.

The presentation offered valuable perspectives for the participating African heritage professionals, many of whom are working on projects that similarly connect heritage preservation, community memory, and social history.

Grantees Present Heritage Projects from Across Africa

Following the keynote presentation, grantees presented their projects in a series of short presentations designed to showcase the diversity of initiatives supported through the programme.

Five projects were presented during the session:

• Phelile Chima (Zambia) — The Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Zambian Barkcloth
• Agness Onna Gidna (Tanzania) — Empowering Community Conservation for Sustainable Development at Engaruka Heritage Site
• Ahlam Ahmed Mohamed Othman (Egypt) — Preserving Bedouin Oral Literature
• Abel Assefa Girmay (Ethiopia) — Standardization, Documentation and Digitalization of Museum Collections for Effective Heritage Management
• Wacelia Marcelino Zacarias Zualo (Mozambique) — Weaving Resilience: Preserving Carpet Weaving and Cultural Knowledge in Palma, Cabo Delgado

As in previous convenings, presenters were given five minutes each to introduce their work, using a timer to ensure all speakers stayed within the allotted time. Following the presentations, participants engaged in an open question-and-answer discussion.

Several projects generated particular interest among the audience. Participants asked numerous questions about the traditional uses and cultural significance of Zambian barkcloth, while Ahlam Ahmed Mohamed Othman shared a video documenting Bedouin oral literature, providing a vivid glimpse into the storytelling traditions her project is working to preserve.

Strengthening a Network of Heritage Practitioners

As the session drew to a close, the team encouraged grantees to remain connected and continue sharing updates, experiences, and lessons learned.

Over the past two years, the convenings have become an important platform for mutual learning, peer support, and collaboration among heritage professionals working in diverse cultural contexts across Africa.

Even as the grant cycle concludes, HERITΛGE hopes that the relationships built through these sessions will continue to grow, ensuring that the community of African heritage practitioners supported through the programme remains active, collaborative, and engaged.

Coming up next: A Convening of our Fiscally Sponsored  project grantees.

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Dr. Nikolas Sarris, a senior book and paper conservator, with our trainees in Iraq

HERITΛGE delivered an in-person workshop in Bagdad for the Preservation of Libraries and Archives in Iraq project. The project is realised in cooperation with The Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TARII) and supported by a grant from the American Embassy in Iraq. 

It aims to strengthen the capacity of custodians of libraries and archives in Iraq and ensure the trainees can independently handle the development and management of preventive conservation projects for their institutions.

The training forms part of HERITΛGE’s broader commitment to strengthening cultural heritage resilience in regions affected by conflict and environmental pressures.

The workshop, held from 18-29 January, was delivered by  Mohammad al-Mimar, Nil Baydar, Maja Kominko, Nikolas Sarris, in cooperation with the Iraq National Library and Archive. It provided instruction in Preventive Conservation, Project Development, Project Management and Fundraising .

Attended by 30 participants, the training introduced key concepts including bookbinding components and terminology, handling of archival materials, causes of paper and book deterioration, environmental control in libraries and archives, and first-aid conservation for paper artefacts.

Participants also explored environmental monitoring and data analysis, emerging environmental challenges, and risk management strategies through practical exercises. Depending on the module, trainees worked individually or in small groups of three to four participants to apply their learning.

Hands-on sessions were complemented by three study visits, one of which was to the private archive of Ahmad Sousa and another to the Imam al Husayn Shrine in Karballa, designed to showcase the preservation issues in a private archive and a religious library respectively. 

A third visit took the trainees to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Samarra, where they had the opportunity to explore challenges in preservation, especially dealing with previous heavy-handed restorations, and to discuss international conservation standards and practices.

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We are very happy to announce a brand new call for grants for heritage projects in Mexico. Our new call for proposals is aimed at organizations, groups, and individuals working with cultural heritage in northern Mexico, in the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas.

The grants are part of the HerMaP-Mexico, an initiative to strengthen cultural heritage management and networks in northern Mexico. They will fund projects that focus on the protection of and/or promotion of local heritage for socio-economic development across the Mexico’s six northern border states.

All projects must clearly focus on the protection, safeguarding, strengthening, and/or promotion of local heritage, from approaches that recognize its cultural, social, and community value.

There are three main criteria for selecting proposals under this program:

• Sustainability- Priority will be given to projects that generate a lasting impact and whose positive effects extend beyond the support period.
• Capacity building and network strengthening – Projects that contribute to strengthening local capacities and establishing or consolidating links with similar organizations within heritage management networks will be encouraged. 
• Concrete and Community Impact – Priority will be given to proposals that present clear, measurable, and verifiable results in terms of heritage protection and direct benefits for local communities. Each project must define specific indicators of the expected impact.

This call for proposals is the first phase of the selection process. Following an initial review, the shortlisted projects will be invited to submit an expanded and more detailed proposal. These complete proposals will be evaluated by the HerMaP Mexico program’s Support Committee.

The deadline for submitting proposals for this first phase is April 15, 2026. The final selection of supported projects will be announced no later than July 2026. 

Find out more and apply here.

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A two-week specialised training course in document and archive preservation and management is currently underway at the National Library of Iraq. The training aims to strengthen the scientific and professional capacities of librarians and archivists, with a particular focus on preventive conservation and internationally recognised standards for the care and management of documentary heritage.

The course is delivered by an international team of experts, led by HERITΛGE’s Nicholas Saris and Maja Kominko. Through a combination of lectures and applied training, participants are introduced to practical conservation methodologies adapted to the Iraqi context.

Beyond technical training, the programme places strong emphasis on sustainability and institutional empowerment. Participants will develop and implement preservation projects within their respective institutions, supported by mentoring from the project team. The initiative also seeks to foster a national professional network, facilitating long-term knowledge exchange and cooperation among custodians of Iraq’s documentary heritage.

Through this project, HERITΛGE and its partners reaffirm their commitment to supporting the National Library and Archives of Iraq in its leading role in safeguarding the country’s documentary collections and strengthening the capacities of heritage professionals to preserve Iraq’s national memory for future generations.

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