the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA
the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA
the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA
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Richtersveld Cultural <strong>and</strong> Botanical L<strong>and</strong>scape World Heritage Site Nomination 66<br />
The years since <strong>the</strong> dawn of democracy in South Africa in 1994 have seen revival<br />
of many <strong>cultural</strong> practices suppressed under apar<strong>the</strong>id, but remembered by <strong>the</strong><br />
older generation. The Nama language has also streng<strong>the</strong>ned <strong>and</strong> is more openly<br />
spoken than was <strong>the</strong> case at a time when it was <strong>the</strong> subject of ridicule. Its<br />
introduction as a subject in local primary schools along with aspects of local culture<br />
being incorporated into <strong>the</strong> arts <strong>and</strong> culture curriculum bode well for <strong>the</strong> future <strong>and</strong> it<br />
is particularly interesting to note <strong>the</strong> role that young people have played in driving<br />
<strong>the</strong> process of nomination of part of <strong>the</strong> Richtersveld as a World Heritage Site,<br />
something that is indicative of a growing awareness of <strong>and</strong> pride in heritage.<br />
Up until now <strong>the</strong> Nama way of life, although likely a mere ghost of its former self as<br />
it must have been before colonialism, has survived none<strong>the</strong>less in <strong>the</strong> Richtersveld.<br />
Therefore, <strong>the</strong> declaration of <strong>the</strong> Richtersveld Community Conservancy as a World<br />
Heritage Site will add power to perhaps <strong>the</strong> most remarkable aspect of human life in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Richtersveld, one that sends a message to indigenous cultures elsewhere in <strong>the</strong><br />
world, namely <strong>the</strong> triumph of ancient human lifestyles over adversity, hardship,<br />
marginalisation of all kinds, institutional brutality <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> onslaught of westernisation<br />
<strong>and</strong> globalisation.<br />
The History of <strong>the</strong> Richtersveld Community Conservancy<br />
The process of creating <strong>the</strong> Richtersveld Community Conservancy consisted of<br />
several steps <strong>and</strong> was founded through an exhaustive public participation <strong>and</strong><br />
community consultation process which involved <strong>the</strong> widest possible range of<br />
stakeholders <strong>and</strong> roleplayers. In a region <strong>and</strong> country where <strong>the</strong> history of<br />
dispossession is recent, complete involvement of <strong>the</strong> entire community has been<br />
necessary in order to give <strong>the</strong> Conservancy a strong <strong>and</strong> legitimate foundation.<br />
Because of <strong>the</strong> ecological <strong>and</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> value of <strong>the</strong> Conservancy area, support was<br />
provided by several conservation <strong>and</strong> heritage preservation organisations <strong>and</strong><br />
service organisations such as Conservation International, GTZ/Transform, <strong>the</strong><br />
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) <strong>and</strong> EcoAfrica.<br />
The idea of creating a protected area first surfaced in writing in a Concept Paper for<br />
a GEF Small Grant that was submitted in early 1998 after extensive consultation