South Sudan is a country which is known for its rich and diverse cultural heritage. Nonetheless, the ongoing social transitions in the country coupled with a need to enhance the interest in cultural issues among young people, underscore the necessity of making deliberate efforts to safeguard living heritage. Part of this efforts, the 3-years project ‘Development of an Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory in South Sudan’ has been launched on 24 October 2023.

The event was organized by the Likikiri Collective in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Museums, and National Heritage and UNESCO Juba. Representatives from the Acholi, Anywaa, Bari, Dinka Bor, Lokoya and Nuer communities came together to exchange and identify intangible cultural element that needs safeguarding measures, and to perform cultural demonstrations. This marks the first step towards establishing an inventory of intangible cultural heritage in South Sudan.

The director of Likikiri Collective, Elfatih Atem, reaffirmed the commitment of the multimedia arts and education organization to the safeguarding of living heritage, “We are honored to lead the organization of this launch, as the documentation, research, protection, and transmission of intangible cultural heritage has always been at the core of Likikiri’s activities. We believe that to achieve truly sustainable development requires centering local knowledge systems, and intangible cultural heritage is a fundamental part of these systems”.

“The communities of South Sudan are integral part of the safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage to future generations through many folds of expressions that represent their identity, cultural diversity for dialogue and social cohesion” said Mr Becu Thomas UNESCO National Programme Officer for Culture.