Each year since 1977, the International Council of Museums organises the International Museum Day on 18th May, which presents a unique opportunity for both the international and national museum communities to engage their publics. The objective of the International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness about the fact that, museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. The theme for IMD 2024 is ‘Museums for Education and Research’ which underscores an important role of cultural institutions in providing a holistic educational experience.
To acknowledge the community museums’ contribution to research, and education, the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda has facilitated them to showcase Uganda’s diverse cultural resources during a 2-day exhibition in Kampala, which has been launched today by Honourable Rachael Magoola, the Bugweri District Woman Member of Parliament. The exhibition is intended to raise the profile of community museums at the national level; provide opportunities and spaces for them to network, share experiences and challenges and link them to other sources of support in terms of policy work, publicity and marketing
In her remarks, she underscored the need to review Uganda’s education curriculum to mainstream the teaching of culture and museums and make learners’ visits to museums compulsory. She further emphasized the need to enhance the capacity of our policy makers and planners to appreciate and embrace culture so that they develop national policies and development plans that reflect our cultures and identities.
She appealed to all Ugandans to support community museums as centres for research and heritage education and as centres for cultural rights expressions, enjoyment and access. She further appealed to the government to establish the Ministry of culture to bring together tangible, intangible and intellectual property rights under one ministry for easy coordination, support and cross-learning. She stressed that the government should increase funding to the culture and tourism sectors to support museums as potential cultural tourism resources. The museums have the potential to employ several Ugandans.
She further appealed to tour operators to include visits to community museums in the packages they develop and offer to tourists – a tourist traveling to Bwindi Forest in Kanungu should be able to visit community museums such as Buddu Cultural Museum in Masaka, Igongo Cultural Centre and Museum in Mbarara, the Great Lakes in Museum in Ntungumo, and so many others.
Finally, she appealed to our religious institutions to use the pulpit to promote our positive cultural practices – practices that promote our identity, unity and social cohesion rather than condemning culture as satanic, without culture, we have no future!
