There is an increased awareness amongst international aid stakeholders that culture is a powerful tool for enhancing socio-economic development, social cohesion and fostering peace. For example, the European Union declared 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage.
In recent years, Ethiopia is benefiting from its own “heritage tourism boom,” mainly due to its nine World Heritage Sites (e.g. the rock-carved churches of Lalibela or the famous castles of Gondar).
The overall objective of the PROHEDEV is to increase the long-term contribution of Ethiopia’s heritage and culture to the socio-economic development of the country.
Specifically, this service contract is to make available a Technical Assistance Team that will assist the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCT) in the implementation of the Project, including:
The project has already touched upon several heritage-promotion areas, such as sustainable tourism development, crafts diversification, and promotion of cultural performance festivals and seminars, as well as the development of museums. The project also supports the design of a new paleontological museum in order to showcase some of the world’s oldest traces of human life. Other achievements focus on the development of a new department for traditional and modern Ethiopian music in the Yared School of Music, supporting the improvement of their recording facilities and auditorium. The National Theatre’s auditorium will also be redeveloped.
Rural communities in Ethiopia have benefitted from supporting their craft industries and in sustaining and preserving their historic sites through social and ecological sensitivity.
Finally, PROHEDEV has also provided extensive training and capacity building to the officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, for a sustainable and beneficial future for culture and heritage in Ethiopia.
