Youth urged to take lead in safeguarding heritage across Barbados, Africa

Youth engagement is critical to the future of heritage preservation in Barbados and across Africa, cultural leaders said on Thursday, as they called for greater involvement, innovation and stewardship among younger generations.

The call came during the Office of Pan-African Affairs and Heritage’s annual Heritage Month youth webinar on Thursday, which brought together young people from both regions to discuss the importance of safeguarding cultural traditions, historical sites and shared identities.

Coordinator for Heritage Month in the Office of Pan-African Affairs and Heritage, Dr Sheron Johnson, said the annual event was designed to ensure young people have a voice in heritage preservation discussions. 

“Each year we seek to ensure that there is an event that allows the youth to give voice to the issue of preserving heritage as part of our mandate to build stewardship and capacity within the heritage sector.”

Johnson noted that while heritage preservation is often viewed as the responsibility of governments, institutions and experts, young people have an equally important role to play.

“All too often we view heritage preservation as the responsibility of institutions, governments, and experts. However, young people play an equally important role in safeguarding the stories, the traditions, the places, and the values that define our identities.”

She added that the creativity, innovation, energy and commitment of youth are essential to ensuring heritage remains relevant for future generations.

Johnson also highlighted Barbados’ growing relationship with Africa, particularly Kenya, noting that the webinar formed part of wider efforts to strengthen those connections.

“Barbados is swiftly moving to cement and explore linkages with the African continent, and as you may know, we have established a very vibrant embassy in Kenya. This exercise today is part of that commitment to build bridges.”

Special guest Khaulah Abdulkadir, a young heritage preservation expert from Kenya, underscored the importance of public involvement in protecting cultural heritage.

“Heritage needs people to survive. The memories, the culture, the history, it cannot survive without us,” she said, adding that heritage also provides communities with “confidence, pride, identity, and economic opportunities”.

Abdulkadir encouraged young people to learn about their heritage through engagement with elders, artisans and cultural institutions.

“For us to protect something, we need to learn about it,” she said, suggesting activities such as visiting museums, reading books, attending webinars and following organisations such as UNESCO online.

“Volunteering is often the first step into the field. This is when interest grows into impact,” she said.

Drawing from her own experience, Abdulkadir explained that her journey began through volunteering with heritage initiatives in Kenya’s Lamu Old Town, where she helped digitise historical manuscripts and document traditional practices.

Through community engagement, she gained first-hand experience preserving cultural legacies and learning how heritage conservation can help communities protect important sites from the effects of climate change.

The webinar formed part of Heritage Month activities aimed at fostering greater youth involvement in preserving cultural heritage and strengthening ties between Barbados and Africa.

(SB)