New training programme launched to preserve Mali’s ancient manuscripts

A major capacity-building initiative has officially kicked off with the launch of a series of training workshops focused on Mali’s ancient manuscripts. This effort is part of the ‘Promoting the preservation and accessibility of endangered African documentary heritage’ project.

Led by the UNESCO Office in Mali in collaboration with the NGO SAVAMA-DCI, the programme aims to strengthen the skills of over 70 participants. These include staff from families that hold ancient manuscripts, students, and researchers, all working to better preserve and promote this invaluable heritage.

The ancient manuscripts of the Sahel, especially those from Mali, represent a unique source of knowledge and bear witness to Africa’s rich historical and intellectual legacy. With threats from security crises and climate change, preserving them has become a top priority for national authorities and their partners.

Against this backdrop, the current project aims to build on the achievements of earlier programmes and enhance practices in conservation, accessibility, and promotion of endangered documentary heritage.

The training programme is structured around several successive workshops:

• The first workshop, running from June 29 to July 1, 2026, focuses on survey and identification techniques for ancient manuscripts. Participants will learn to locate, map, and identify manuscripts within families, libraries, and other storage sites.

• The second workshop, scheduled for July 2-4, 2026, will cover inventory and cataloguing techniques. Attendees will gain skills in gathering, organizing, and describing manuscript information, as well as creating standardized descriptive records.

These two complementary sessions, officially opened on June 29, 2026, by the representative of the Minister of Handicrafts, Culture, Hospitality and Tourism, alongside the Acting Head of the UNESCO Office in Mali and the Executive President of SAVAMA-DCI, will cover the entire management chain for ancient manuscripts—from identification to systematic documentation—benefiting 15 agents from manuscript-holding families.

Mamadou Cissé, technical adviser and representative of the Culture Minister, stated: ‘The Department of Handicrafts, Culture, Hospitality and Tourism assures its full support for the success of this project and will pay close attention to its expected results and impacts.’

The Acting Head of the UNESCO Office, Ali-Mohamed Sinane, remarked: ‘Preserving ancient manuscripts means preserving our memory, identity, and shared history. It also means passing on an intellectual heritage of incalculable value to future generations. I hope these workshops will be rich in exchanges, learning, and commitment, and that they will significantly contribute to safeguarding Mali’s documentary heritage.’

After completing these two workshops, participants will be able to conduct field missions, correctly identify manuscripts, describe them, and help integrate them into structured inventory systems.

This training programme, which will continue in the coming months for students and researchers focusing on critical editing and translation of ancient manuscripts, marks a significant step in strengthening national capacities for protecting and promoting Mali’s ancient manuscripts.

Through these workshops, UNESCO and its partners, including the Government of Japan, reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding African documentary heritage. The goal is not only to preserve these treasures for future generations but also to increase public recognition of their historical and cultural importance.