Preservation of Cultural Heritages

 Churches and Mosques have played an important role in the preservation of cultural heritages. Later on, the task has been taken over by universities and museums. When I joined the Addis Ababa University, the Science Faculty located at Arat Kilo had numerous artifacts and various collections brought from the various regions of Ethiopia.

The curator was a Polish citizen who, I think, has collected them personally. Though I may be wrong, the collection formed the core of the museum at the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. There is no doubt that it is well- preserved and serves the public as well as foreigners in a remarkable way. My tour through the shelves of the library of the then University College of Addis Ababa during my first year gave me a good impression of well-arranged volumes including Renaissance paintings that enabled me to view more pictures than I could assimilate. There were a number of books donated by our English teacher from her private possessions. The predominant characteristic of the books I saw rather than read was Philosophy and History. There was a book by a historian which leaned towards the economic interpretation of historical events, at least to my mind. I did not have the slightest idea of the Dewey Decimal System and went from one shelf to another looking for a book from top to bottom. Books are part and parcel of the country’s cultural heritage and they are irreplaceable once they are lost in one way or another.

What about other objects of cultural interest usually bought by tourists? Once I travelled to the Omo valley with a group of foreign tourists. I bought a small replica of a wooden pillow at five birr. I saw the same object in a shop in a high-hotel in Addis Ababa ready for sale for two hundred birr. Similarly, the prices of cultural dresses and suits have grown by leaps and bounds. The national fashion industry has increased the variety of designs so much so that the level of its competitiveness in the local market has been greatly heightened. It is clear that the safety of cultural heritages wherever they may be must be given utmost priority.

Taking an inventory year-in and year-out is not a solution to preventing the outflow of wealth associated with cultural heritage.

Reports are heard from time to time that certain places of worship are burnt by irresponsible supposesedly religiously- motivated zealots. Why such actions have emerged at this particular time in our history is not known. They are a source of deep dismay and frustration. The destruction is multifaceted in character since it is likely to involve the disappearance of priceless cultural heritages. Appropriate punitive measures must be taken in due course of time to prevent repetition of such crimes.

By contrast, in certain parts of the world forest fires are causing colossal damages which fire brigade teams are fighting at the cost of their lives. What does this tell us about the nature of man? The answer by any standard is that good and heroic men and women can set a good example to others whether the latter are innocent or preoccupied with criminal intent.

Hardly a report appears about the fire brigade in Addis Ababa , but no one doubts that it is doing a commendable job by living up to its responsibilities. A case in point is the act of installing water supply pipes at different places to respond effectively to emergencies. As an institution, it has existed long before many of us were born. Because it is taken for granted, it rarely attracts media attention.

Fire accidents must be approached with the mental preparedness attuned to the knowledge and skills of firemen which have to be constantly and consistently updated. In actual fact, every institution must have a fire extinguisher nearby. Fire drills as practised by some reputable organizations are not a luxury. What about places of worship and market halls, not to mention schools and kindergartens?

It is said that a faulty electrical wiring system can cause fire accidents quite easily. The precaution is to train capable home-catering electricians most of whom are presently unlicensed. Hence, when we see the use of electrical machines inside homes and offices and the lack of taking appropriate precautionary measures, the occurrence of fire accidents is relatively speaking very low. One of the reasons for this may be the in-built safety system available in the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation which prevents accidents from taking place with the help of a fuse that breaks the flow of the electric current. On the other hand, bulbs that explode due to faulty manufacturing fixtures must be controlled through efficient standardization schemes. Some may say that the statements made above are beside the point when considering the preservation of cultural heritages. In a way, the observation is true. But if we look at it from another perspective, what is culture if not a state of mind where we do things right! It is an accumulation of all the best practices inherited from the past. If we undermine them one way or the other by indulging in irresponsible actions, then our children will lay the blame squarely on us. Therefore, our cultural heritage must not be efoded. Rather it should be built on a solid ground of brotherhood and concern for others. Our cultural heritage is a source of our reputation, and reputation takes time to build but only a matter of minutes to erase through irresponsible actions.

The Ethiopian Herald Sunday January 5/2020

 BY BERHANU TIBEBU ZEWOLDE