Seychelles Culture Institute Prepares UNESCO Memory of the World Dossier

VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Seychelles National Institute of Culture, Heritage and the Arts is in the process of submitting a collection of approximately 600 audio cassettes to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Memory of the World Programme. To support this process the institute hosted a consultative meeting on Monday with relevant stakeholders to share details about the project, obtain input from stakeholders and the National Memory of the World National Committee, and fulfil Unesco’s nomination requirements.

The Memory of the World programme promotes the protection, preservation, and accessibility of the world’s documentary heritage. The cassettes being submitted date back to the early 1980s and this unique collection contains valuable ethnographic material documenting Seychelles’ cultural traditions and oral heritage. It also represents an important record of the nation’s cultural identity and possibly a rare contribution to the world’s documentary heritage.

In her opening remarks, the permanent secretary for culture, Cecile Kalebi, said the record and collections embody the memory, creativity, and identity of humanity. ‘Our engagement in this programme is a meaningful step in strengthening Seychelles’ commitment to protecting and promoting our cultural and documentary legacy,’ she stated. Speaking to local media, the chairman of the National Memory of the World Committee, Gabriel Essack, said the stakeholders’ meeting forms part of the ongoing process to prepare and submit the dossier to Unesco. ‘A national committee has been established to review the dossier. At the moment, I’m finalising the document, after which I will submit it to the committee for their evaluation,’ he explained. The team hopes to submit the dossier to Unesco by the end of November.