Unfulfilled promises? Heritage management and community participation at some of Africa's cultural heritage sites

TLDR

Participatory management in heritage sites across sub‑Saharan Africa has yielded mixed outcomes, with many community‑involved goals remaining unfulfilled and largely experimental. This study examines these challenges through case studies from various regions of the sub‑continent. The case studies reveal that community participation is often overly ambitious, difficult to implement, and varies with local contexts, as communities differ, professional interests diverge, and socio‑political factors impede the concept, indicating that participation strategies must be tailored to each site.

Abstract

The application of participatory management has had varied success in the field of heritage management depending on the context in which it has been applied, and the evidence from some heritage sites in sub‐Saharan Africa reveals mixed results; some far from satisfactory. Most of the goals – particularly those aimed at involving local communities in decision making in heritage resources – still remain unfulfilled and at best experimental. This contribution deals with these issues within the context of case studies drawn from different areas of the sub‐continent. The case studies demonstrate that the discourse of community participation is sometimes overly ambitious in its intents and, from a practical point of view, is not easy to apply. This is because communities are neither universal nor homogenous. Furthermore, many professionals pay lip‐service to the whole concept of participation because the interests of local communities and those of professionals do not always coincide. Also, in some situations, the historical and socio‐political environments militate against the concept. Therefore, given the varied context and range of management systems, as well as types of cultural heritage on the sub‐continent, one cannot be prescriptive; the local situation should determine the nature of participation and/or levels of engagement needed.