Under the project “Promoting the Preservation and Accessibility of Endangered African Documentary Heritage,” a major capacity-building program has officially begun with the launch of a series of training workshops dedicated to Mali’s ancient manuscripts.

Led by the Unesco office in Mali in partnership with the NGO Savama-Dci, this initiative aims to strengthen the skills of more than 70 people, including agents from families that hold ancient manuscripts, students, and researchers, to better preserve and promote this invaluable heritage.

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

With this in mind, the current project seeks to build on the achievements of previous programs and improve practices for conserving, accessing, and promoting endangered documentary heritage.

The training program is structured around several successive workshops:

• The first workshop, held from 29 June to 1 July 2026, focuses on techniques for prospecting and identifying ancient manuscripts. Participants will gain skills to locate, identify, and map manuscripts within families, libraries, and other storage places.

• The second workshop, scheduled from 2 to 4 July 2026, will cover inventory techniques and the creation of catalogues. Participants will learn to collect, organize, and describe manuscript information, as well as develop standardized descriptive records.

These two complementary sessions, opened on 29 June 2026 by the representative of the Minister of Handicrafts, Culture, Hospitality Industry and Tourism, in the presence of the acting head of the Unesco office in Mali and the executive president of Savama-Dci, will cover the entire management chain of ancient manuscripts—from identification to systematic documentation—benefiting 15 agents from families that hold ancient manuscripts.

“The Department of Handicrafts, Culture, Hospitality Industry and Tourism assures you of its constant support for the success of this project and will pay close attention to the expected results and their impacts,” said Mr. Mamadou Cissé, technical adviser and representative of the Minister of Culture.

For his part, the head of the bureau, Mr. Ali-Mohamed Sinane, stated: “Preserving ancient manuscripts means preserving our memory, our identity, and our common history. It also means passing on an intellectual heritage of inestimable value to future generations. I hope these workshops will be rich in exchanges, learning, and commitment, and that they will significantly contribute to the efforts to safeguard Mali’s documentary heritage.”

After these two workshops, beneficiaries will be able to conduct field missions, correctly identify manuscripts, describe them, and contribute to their integration into structured inventory systems.

This training program, which will continue in the coming months for students and researchers on topics such as critical editing and translation of ancient manuscripts, marks an important 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 their recognition by the general public as culturally and historically significant heritage.