CCFU launches 5th edition of national heritage awards
Frank Semata 
The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) has announced the 5th Edition of the national heritage awards.
CCFU, a local National NGO dedicated to promoting the recognition of culture as vital for human development that responds to diverse identities holds these awards every after 2 years and individuals or institutions that have consistently contributed to the safeguarding of Uganda's heritage are appreciated.
The main objective of the awards is to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding Uganda’s cultural heritage for future generations to access, enjoy and express.
CCFU say that they initiated the National Heritage Awards back in 2013 to provide a missing incentive - social recognition, publicity and money - through a Heritage prize to individuals and organizations for their outstanding contribution to preserving and promoting our heritage - whether build, natural or intangible.
The first awards were held during the 13th International conference of National Trusts in Entebbe followed by the Heritage Awards held in 2016, 18 and 2021.
This year’s Heritage Awards are planned to coincide with the World Culture Day commemoration activities that will take place in May. As it has been during the previous Heritage Awarding ceremonies
Barbra Babweteera the Executive Director, CCFU says the awards highlight the need to reward people and institutions that have made it upon themselves to selflessly preserve our nation’s cultural treasures and the need for continuity.
“The heritage awards respond to the urgent need to preserve and promote Uganda's rapidly vanishing cultural heritage. We have the responsibility to define what aspects of our heritage should be preserved and passed for future generations.” She noted.
“Uganda is a country endowed with rich natural cultural heritage composed of both tangible and intangible elements. These if well protected could become a vehicle for economic development through many ways including cultural tourism and in promoting social cohesion.”
“We however, continue to witness neglect of our precious cultural heritage properties across the country in the name of "development". Some cultural activists and promoters have however made an effort to protect various aspects of our national heritage, these should be recognised.”
Some of the key stakeholders during the heritage awards launch
Urgency to protect cultural heritage
Our tangible and intangible cultural heritage is under threat: rapid population growth, demand for land, economic activities and natural disasters, all threaten the thriving of our cultural heritage; while the influences of modernity (globalisation, formal education and conventional religions) and a disconnect with young people have significantly and negatively impacted on the perception and values associated with culture. If measures are not taken to safeguard our cultural heritage, as a matter of urgency, Uganda's heritage will soon vanish!
The position of the law, and efforts to promote cultural heritage
The Uganda National Culture Policy reviewed in 2019, Policy objective 5.1, aims ‘To promote respect for the diversity of cultural expressions and raise awareness of its value at the local, regional and international level’.
Clause 19 Article 2 of the Museums and Monuments Act 2022 stipulates that ‘a relevant actor including civil society, media, private sector and academia may promote or advocate, for the protection of (…) heritage resources. This Bill was passed into law but the President referred it back to Parliament to reconsider the listed heritage sites in the second schedule of the proposed law for ‘economically’ viable sites listed. Our humble appeal is that this law is assented to by the President.
The Kampala City Council Authority’s ordinance to protect historical buildings and sites has not been passed in spite of advocacy for over 5 years. If the Bill is passed, it will provide for protection of built heritage in Kampala which is being destroyed or being planned to be destroyed, for example the Watoto Church management that plans to demolish the historical structure formerly known as Norman Cinema, to put up a ‘modern’ structure.
Efforts to promote and protect our cultural heritage, whether by individuals, families, organisations or communities, are slowly but steadily growing; the growing numbers of community museums, artistic productions, ethnic cultural galas, innovative ways of transmitting cultural values, cultural centres and cultural troupes attest. These passionate efforts are however often hampered by the lack of support and remain isolated endeavours, unrecognised and unpublicised.
