1
Commonwealth Museums: Culture, Economy, Climate Change & Youth
Abstracts
Part 1: Museums, Culture, and Sustainable Development
Enhancing Social Economic Development: The Museums of Malawi Case Study by Mike Gondwe, Museum Education Coordinator (Curator), Museums of Malawi
In line with Putting Culture First and the Commonwealth Statement on Culture and Development, the Museums of Malawi are today not just object based but also human based. As such museums not only believe they have an opportunity to instigate change but a responsibility. Today the Museums of Malawi have become agents of change of development. They mirror events in society and become instruments of progress by calling attention to actions and events that will encourage development in society.With these philosophies in place, the Museums of Malawi with the aid of Lower Shire Heritage Centre have reintroduced the ancient art of spinning and weaving in southern most Malawi. The traditional technology was all but lost. The traditional trade is used as a solution to reduce poverty. Now some 20 families around Lengwe National Park can supplement their income with sales of hand woven cloth to national and international tourists. We have empowered and engaged people of Lower Shire Valley by involving them thereby earn some income out of it. This is in line with the Government’s policy to eradicate poverty and achieve UN Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, the revival of this ancient craft has started a reevaluation of ancestral knowledge and the often disparaged past.Malawi has always been ranked among the poorest countries on the UN Human Development Index. In terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita Malawi is indeed the poorest country of the world (UNDP, 2007/2008). The Museums of Malawi, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has embarked on a campaign to fight poverty through the lens of culture. Some of the issues it has concentrated on include food security, HIV/AIDS, malaria prevention and poverty. Slowly, there is increasing awareness that there is direct link between culture and development.
Bio - No bio provided
Heritage as a Means for Social and Economic Development in Nunavut,By Ericka Chemko, Project Manager, Inuit Heritage Trust Inc.
Nunavut is the most remote territory in Canada and is 85% Inuit. Over the past 5 years much has been done in the heritage sector to turn it from isolated heritage workers that were under-resourced and not trained to a territorial network of support working together to advance their communities, regions and the territory as a whole.Within this context we’d like to explore how heritage and heritage development in the territory acts as a means for social and economic development. The overall idea of heritage’s role in the territories sustainability will be introduced, followed by examples of initiatives that have had direct impacts such as the Nunavut Heritage Training Plan and the Nunavut Heritage Network. These impacts are not only for consumers of culture but also for communities to share, promote and enhance practice of heritage as an aboriginal group. The need for a balanced approach to development in the heritage sector will be explored in terms of product development for visitors and the sharing of knowledge, skills and practices for the benefit of the community.
Bio
Ericka Chemko has been the Project Manager for the Inuit Heritage Trust Incorporated in Iqaluit, Nunavut, since 2003. She interned and as a student researcher and assistant at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in 2000-2002. Chemko has a Diploma in Cultural Resource Management, from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester, in England; and a BA in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Trading in Tradition: The Development of Cultural Villages in Namibia by Jeremy Silvester, Museums Association of Namibia
Namibia has embarked on a major programme to promote `cultural tourism’ to help achieve the goal of poverty alleviation. One important feature of this is a variety of projects to develop `cultural villages’ or `living museums’. A number of debates have been generated by such projects in southern Africa concerning key issues regarding the fossilisation of culture, the essential-isation of identity, the promotion of ethnicity within the nation state and the relationship between `host’ and `guest’ within the tourist encounter.The paper will provide an overview of the criticisms that have been made of the cultural village concept internationally and the strategies that have been adopted to address these concerns. An overview will be provided of current and planned cultural village developments in Namibia and the particular historical context to provide an insight into the particular local political sensitivities involved. The aim of the paper is to generate a wider public debate within Namibia about the processes and practices pursued in the development of cultural villages. The paper will focus on the discussions with stakeholders and community groups involved in the planning and development of the Munyondo gwaKapande Cultural Village in the Kavango Region of Namibia, a project which the Museums Association of Namibia is directly involved with.
Bio- not provided
Multicultural Museum Programming in Singapore and the Politics of Inclusion: The Making of the Cosmopolitan Singaporean Identity? By John Teo & Cai Yunci
The emergence of international exhibitions and programming under the banner of country festivals worldwide marks a pivotal moment in the globalisation of the museum institution as it seeks to connect with the multicultural heritage of increasingly diverse communities. This paper considers the cultural politics of country festivals through a case study of a series of country festivals initiated by Singapore’s National Heritage Board at its national museums since 2007. Through an elaborated cultural fanfare showcasing exhibitions of arts and artefacts, cultural performances, film screenings, fashion parades and food tastings at the museums, such country festivals offer museum visitors a holistic and immersive experience of other cultures and civilisations as well as deepen their understanding and appreciation of these cultures. Such country festivals are often initiated as cultural diplomacy endeavours to foster better relations between nations, and can enhance the cultural offerings of our national museums, contributing to the overall vibrancy of Singapore’s arts and cultural scene which will transform Singapore into a Distinctive Global City for the Arts. However, the critical role they might play in shaping a globally-oriented cosmopolitan Singaporean outlook and identity remains hampered by the demographic reality of a predominantly ethnic-Chinese population, with a relatively small minority representation.
Bios
John Teo is currently Deputy Director of Policy at the Strategic Planning and Policy division of the National Heritage Board (NHB, the national agency operating the National Museums and overseeing cultural and heritage policies in Singapore. He is concurrently serving as Deputy Director of Policy at the Asian Civilisations Museum. He has an MA in History from Cambridge University, UK, and will be pursuing a Masters in the History of Art and Archaeology in the fall of 2011 on an NHB postgraduate scholarship. Prior to joining NHB, he garnered more than a decade of experience in the private sector, in PSA Corporation ( and CapitaLand ( two of the largest companies in Singapore.
Cai Yunci is Manager (Heritage Policy and Strategy Development) at the Strategic Planning and Policy Division of the National Heritage Board of Singapore, the national agency operating the National Museums and overseeing cultural and heritage policies in Singapore. Her key portfolio involves studying trends of museum developments internationally and making policy recommendations to enliven Singapore’s heritage and museum scene. Yunci has a deep interest in heritage and culture, and has published in academic books and journals, including The International Journal of Inclusive Museum and Essays in Singapore’s Legal History: In Memory of Professor Geoffrey Wilson Bartholomew (edited by Kevin Tan). She has an MA with Distinction in Museum Studies from the University College London (UCL), and a BSc in Geography from the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Malu Minar: Art of the Torres Strait – An Internationally Touring Exhibition Promoting Cultural Resourcefulness, by Paul Brinkman, Director, Cairns Regional Gallery
The exhibition based project of 2010, Malu Minar: Art of the Torres Strait is an excellent example of a cultural institution working in collaboration with contemporary indigenous artists to promote the value of traditional cultural practice and lore. This promotion is not only to those outside the region, but also to those indigenous to the Torres Strait who may not value their cultural practice as a useable resource. Through identifying a tangible, commercial value to their culture, many artists have not only rediscovered and resurrected their cultural traditions, but also brought a new contemporary dynamic to their cultural practice. By capitalised on their cultural uniqueness, young, self driven Torres Strait artists are showing their culture to the world and in doing so preserving their heritage. With the new-found popularity and exposure of Australia’s second indigenous culture, Torres Strait island communities are capitalising on a consequential increase in government funded development support.
Bio
Paul Brinkman has been Director of the Cairns Regional Gallery since 2005, where he also served as Public Programs Manager from 2002. Previously he worked in Arts Administration and Education. He is the author of a number of exhibition catalogues, has curated exhibitions and served on various committees and boards. Brinkman has an MBA in Arts and Cultural Management from the International Graduate School of Management. University of South Australia; he completed the Museum Leadership Program at the Mt. Eliza Centre for Executive Education. Melbourne Business School; and has a Graduate Diploma (Arts and Entertainment Management); and a BEd (Secondary Art and Design)
Museum’s role in preserving and promoting Papua New Guinea-Highlands hausman (men’s house) hausmeri (women’s house) by Sam Sirox Kari (Ph.D), Director, Center for Melanesian Studies, Humanities Faculty, University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea
This paper discuses on how museums can play a leading role in preserving and conserving Papua New Guinea-Highlands hausman ( men’s house) and hausmeri ( women’s house) where Papua New Guinea Highlands societies social, economic and political governance originates, where social, political, economic cultural values and norms were taught by elders to sustain the Papua New Guinea-Highlands people over the decades and centuries. This paper will discuss Museum’s role in promoting this priceless Papua New Guinea-Highlands (hausman and hausmeri). Papua New Guinea-Highlands hausman ( men’s’ house) and hausmeri ( women’s house) generated essentials humanity attributes such as love, care, respect, obedience, protection, and most of all passing of the knowledge from generation to generation. Governance of Papua New Guinea-Highlands societies was decided in hausman and hausmari chaired by chieftain and headman who maintained social order, law and order sustaining the people’s needs. Decisions passed in the hausemen /meri was respected and implement for good governance. This paper further discusses social challenges faced by people in the contemporary Papua New Guinea-Highlands direct consequences of western cultural influences. The absences of hausmen/meri in Highlands’ societies of Papua New Guinea once a center of good social, economic and political values originated have contributed to the social problems of the society. This paper will lead discuss on how museum can promote hausman (mens’ house) and hausmeri (women’s house) to prevent spread of HIV/Aids in Papua New Guinea-Highlands societies.
Bio
Sam Sirox Kari is Director of the Melanesian Studies Center, University of Goroka. Kari has a PhD from Queensland University of Technology, an M ED Degree University of Adelaide, a B ED (Hon) Degree, UPNG, and a B ED from UPNG. He has taught at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. He has written and consulted extensively about PNG history, governance and education.
“We gather to reconcile - No longer captives of the past.” * by Carol E. Mayer, Curator (Oceania & Africa), UBC Museum of Anthropology
This paper will examine the connections between a donation of five early 19th century objects from the Pacific, an MOU between a Canadian museum and the Pacific Islands Museums Association (PIMA), a 21st century reconciliation ceremony on Erromango, a permanent exhibition and the creation of a set of complex and ongoing relationships and obligations. The objects, a Fijian club, a New Caledonian club, a Polynesian hook, an Austral Islands’ whisk and a Maori flute, were once owned by the Reverend John Williams who was killed on Erromango in 1839. They had been passed down the Canadian branch of his family and were given to the UBC Museum of Anthropology (MOA) with the understanding they might be subject to future repatriation requests. Initially they were viewed as remarkable “objects of wonder,” valued both for their historic significance and the story of their journey from the Pacific to Canada. It was however the relevance of their physical existence in the present that initiated discussions which culminated in a reconciliation ceremony, held on November 20th 2009, between the people of Dillon’s Bay, Erromango, and descendents of the family of the Reverend John Williams. This paper will conclude with an examination of how this historic event has resulted in an assemblage of tangible objects and intangible obligations that have created new opportunities and challenges for MOA, the people of Erromango and the family of John Williams.
*From a poem written by David Williams, great great grandson of the reverend John Williams.
Bio
Dr. Carol E. Mayer is head of the curatorial department at the UBC Museum of Anthropology (MOA) and an associate to the Department of Anthropology. She holds degrees from UBC, Cambridge University, and the University of Leicester, is responsible for the African and Pacific Islands collections as well as the European and Canadian ceramics collections. She has taught museum-related courses at UBC, University of Victoria, and Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and has lead workshops in Fiji, Australia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. She has been awarded Fellowships at the Smithsonian Institute and the Sainsbury Research Centre where she studied early Pacific collections. She has delivered papers at numerous conferences and published widely on topics relating to museum practice and published exhibition catalogues, articles and books on various areas of material culture. She has received numerous awards including the ICOM (Canada) International Award of Excellence for her work in the Pacific – this included the development of MOUs with the Pacific Islands Museums Association and the National Museum of Fiji. In 2010 she received the Thirtieth Anniversary of Independence Medal for her cultural contributions to the Republic of Vanuatu.
Role of Museums to promote and preserve Intangible cultural heritage in the Indian Context
by Shashi Bala, Research Scholar, Department of Museology, National Museum Institute, Delhi
All the museums have wide range of tangible cultural heritage in their collection. Almost every tangible object has intangible aspects. Museum can use those intangible aspects to develop a better understanding for their visitors and with help of intangible heritage, museums can fill the gap between museums and their non-visitors to use those information to build the relationship with their non- visitors and communities to whom the belong that heritage. For this museums need to identify, document and represent the intangible aspects of their collection. In this study the main focus is on the museums of crafts, folk art, contemporary craft and ceremonial objects. Through these objects museums can promote the communities, groups and individuals to preserve their intangible cultural heritage. Indian communities are fast losing their intangible cultural heritage. There is an urgent need for the museums and community groups to come together to promote and preserve the intangible cultural heritage.
Bio
Shashi Bala is currently a Research Assistant in the department of Museology, National Museum Institute, Janpath, New Delhi and has worked in museums since 2002. Bala is a PhD Candidate (Museology) from the National Museum Institute. Bala’s dissertation is on the “Documentation of oral history and Intangible Heritage-Case Study of folk culture and tradition of Yadav community of Haryana, India.” Bala has an MA Museology from the National Museum Institute, New Delhi and a BFA from Delhi Collage of Art.
Safeguarding Intangible Heritage in Sustainable Development by Amareswar Galla, PhD, Executive Director for the establishment of the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum
Almost thirty one years after the 1972 World Heritage Convention, the UNESCO Convention on Safeguarding Intangible Heritage was adopted in 2003. It also took almost thirty years for universities and museums to understand and engage adequately with the World Heritage Convention. In fact, it was only in 2010 that the role of museums in World Heritage Areas was addressed in Brasilia for the first time. The challenges for positioning museums as vehicles for safeguarding intangible heritage is an urgent concern due to the rapid pace of the diverse forces of globalisation and consequent loss of intangible heritage elements. Intangible heritage is also an integral part of the four pillars of sustainable development: cultural, economic, social and environmental. Intangible heritage is also under threat in many small island development states due to climate change. In this complexity the capacity building for understanding and safeguarding intangible heritage is a major challenge for museums. Is CAM ready for the challenge? This paper provides a critical analysis of museums in sustainable development with particular reference to safeguarding intangible heritage. A comparative study of select intangible heritage elements from Commonwealth countries will be used to illustrate the presentation.