“You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes down to the ground, and somehow, they will find their way back. But if you destroy their history, if you destroy their achievements, then it’s as if they never existed” – George Clooney.
The power of cultural heritage has long been undervalued, yet it remains a vital fundamental need for human survival. Just as we cannot escape our biological inheritance, we cannot avoid our heritage.
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Monuments and historic sites are among the main repositories of Rwanda’s pre-colonial culture and material heritage that hold various symbolic, historical, artistic, aesthetic, ethnological, anthropological, scientific, and social values. These values encompass all aspects of life and strongly influence our identity, loyalties, and behaviour, forming a common ground for interaction and understanding across cultures worldwide. The truth is that, whether we handle heritage values and attributes irresponsibly or neglect them, we can never completely escape their impact.
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So, how do present-day actors utilise these vestiges of the past? How does the present interpret and construct the past according to its own needs, grounded in material evidence of that past?
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Africa is richly blessed with a diverse and extensive cultural heritage. However, at the onset of colonisation, the continent experienced a significant abandonment of its traditional and customary management systems. Traditions were dismissed as superstitions and linked to witchcraft, while core belief systems were discarded, effectively separating colonised Africans from their traditional cultures. Colonial frameworks appropriated community heritage and centralised control, with effects still felt today since independence.
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Rwanda, like many other African countries, is shaped by its rich, unique history, culture, and nature. The country’s heritage values and attributes speak volumes that are still observable, touched, felt, used, and admired.
Sites, museum collections and objects, traditional music, dance, art, and language remain vivid with continuity. Despite having a significant number of attractive heritage sites and progress made in heritage management over recent years, many remain at risk of disappearing due to a lack of professionalism. Most of these sites across the country appear neglected and have lost value, although they could serve as testaments to the country’s rich history.
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But the question remains: how do we make sense of our past?
Heritage management necessitates an interdisciplinary approach that focuses on preserving and interpreting historic and archaeological sites, as well as their role in regional development through cultural tourism. Rwanda’s tourism sector has traditionally been dominated by natural heritage or wildlife. However, under Vision 2050, tourism offerings are set to diversify. As a result, cultural heritage is expected to play a more prominent role in the tourism development landscape.
Way forward
Rwanda’s cultural heritage resources require proper attention from professionals and the general public’s understanding. This is not solely the government’s responsibility. Involving key stakeholders, especially the private sector, and adopting an integrated planning process for heritage conservation is not a lot to ask.
Museums, as places where a form of collective memory is created, play an important role. Through research, museums preserve and showcase both personal and shared memories for education and entertainment. They hold materials and information that can be used to enrich and improve school curricula across various subjects. Educational planners must collaborate closely with museum experts to effectively integrate these educational resources into the curriculum and learning process at all levels.
The place of University of Rwanda (UR) and other higher institutions of learning
The protection of cultural heritage through education and training has always been a subject of great interest. Understanding its role and importance begins at school. Universities, as higher education institutions, therefore, need to play a direct role in capacity building and knowledge creation in heritage scholarship.
All efforts will be unsuccessful if the majority of nationals do not understand or share this concern. It will be very difficult for them to take ownership of what they do not understand.
The relationship between the state-governed heritage and communities is complicated. In most cases, management processes do not often involve local and resident populations, nor do they consider their interests. Most legal frameworks and policies are never informed by the community, thus disempowering the primary owners of their heritage. The result of this gap is neglect.
Conclusion
- The country, which is home to many heritage sites, possesses significant untapped potential. We must wake up and seize the opportunity before it is lost.
- Culture and development are often two uncomfortable neighbours, but they are not necessarily adversaries. They can strengthen each other.
The author is a heritage management professional, with extensive experience in the field of heritage site protection, as well as a background in philosophy and history.
