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From October 14th to 18th, ASOR CHI staff and partners from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger attended the 1st Annual ICOM-Africa Conference in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Organized by ICOM-Africa in partnership with ASOR and other ICOM divisions, this event brought together museum directors, curators, archivists, educators, and cultural policymakers from across Africa to discuss shared challenges, best practices, and the future of museums on the continent.

The 1st Annual ICOM-Africa Conference embraced the theme “African Museums: From Inclusion to Lifelong Learning.” This theme underscored the role of museums as inclusive spaces dedicated to educating visitors throughout their lives. The conference explored how museums can serve as hubs for community engagement, education, and cultural preservation, and how they can remain accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Key sessions included panels on “Inclusion in Museums: State of Play and Prospects,” which focused on integrating diverse perspectives into museum practices. Another notable discussion, “The Museum in Africa: An Ecosystem for Lifelong Learning,” examined how African museums can foster ongoing education while connecting with local communities and embracing cultural diversity.

Group photo of the participants at Ouagadougou City Hall. Photo Credit: ICOM-Africa Staff.

The event’s focus on inclusion, learning, and sustainability reflects the evolving role of African museums as they adapt to the needs of local communities and strive to engage a global audience. The participants dived deep into the heart of sustainable practices, focusing on how to protect cultural heritage in regions where conflict has left its scars. In practical, hands-on workshops on traditional crafts, people from varied backgrounds—artists, community leaders, heritage experts, and locals—came together to share ideas and skills. They talked about how they could integrate efforts, discussed ways to preserve what matters, and explored ethical ways to care for their shared legacy. These workshops weren’t just about learning; they were about creating bonds, passing down traditional crafts, and weaving a sense of unity and pride that keeps African cultural heritage alive and strong, even in challenging times.

Attending this event was a remarkable experience for ASOR, which has been leading cultural heritage activities in the Sahel for the past two years. The conference was notable not only for providing unique insights into African museums, but also for the opportunity to speak directly with professionals committed to preserving and promoting the continent’s cultural heritage. Throughout the meeting, conversations centered on the pivotal role that African museums play in education, cultural preservation, and identity formation. Presentations highlighted recent efforts to decolonize museum practices, embrace digital innovation, and foster inclusivity in collections and exhibitions. These discussions also emphasized the importance of adopting locally relevant solutions while remaining globally connected, as well as the need for African museums to be sustainable and self-reliant in a rapidly changing world.

As part of the conference, ASOR’s partners from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger presented their recent work to strengthen the bonds between local community members through their participation in cultural heritage protection and education activities. These presentations generated much discussion about various methods and how to most effectively engage with different types of communities. Alongside their talks, all of our partners networked extensively with the other attendees and returned home with new connections and new ideas about where their work may go next.