One of the most important challenges for UNESCO is reinforcing the role of culture as an essential tool in sustainable education and the promotion of peace.

The Art Camp is an artist-in-residence programme, offering participants time of reflection, research, presentation and production related to the chosen central theme of the project.

The artists’ programme will include excursions to historic sites in Malta and Gozo, a culinary night and projects with the community and schools. The event is sponsored by both public and private entities and hosts over twenty artists from the European Union, North Africa and the Middle-East.

UNESCO started this project nine years ago in Andorra in order to foster support and promote dialogue for peace between artists from all over the world and with the aim of strengthening the educational dimension of culture. Malta joined in 2015 when fifteen artists came to Malta to participate in this cross-cultural event. Two years later, the Maltese National Commission for UNESCO hosted the second edition in collaboration with the Office for Education, Science and Culture in Gozo.

UNESCO is engaged in mobilising agents from different fields and regions in order to promote dialogue and understanding among cultures. Since 2012, H.E. Madame Hedva Ser, UNESCO’s Ambassador Artist for Peace and Special Envoy for Cultural Diplomacy, has been the Godmother of this project.

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The project entitled “The Sentinels of Ħal Saflieni, Malta: Science Facts versus Science Fiction” will carry out the first-ever interdisciplinary analyses of the remains of the only surviving individuals (less than 20 out of a prospective 7,000 people) excavated from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum located in Paola, the press release sent to BM says.

The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum represents a place of global significance for understanding the evolution of intellect, creativity, technology and culture at the key stage when human groups across the region were making the critical transition to agricultural subsistence strategies. 

In addition, the study will be a combination of traditional archaeological, historical and archival research with cutting-edge scientific analyses in order to investigate all the aspects of the lived experiences of the people of Ħal Saflieni, including their health, disease, lifestyle, diet and ancestry profiles.

The Union Académique Internationale funding is part of the celebration of the Union’s Centenary this year and was awarded to Associate Professor Ronika Power of Macquarie University, who qualified as an Early Career Researcher in Humanities and Social Sciences.

Ms Power will be working in close collaboration with curators of the National Museum of Archaeology and the Prehistoric Sites Department of Heritage Malta, the osteologist of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, Malta, and colleagues from various international institutions.

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Mr Herrera, accompanied by the Ambassador of Malta to Greece Joseph Cuschieri, explained that Malta has established a comprehensive legislative framework — the Cultural Heritage Act — in order to preserve the symbolic sites, cultural heritage and identity. Moreover, he noted that Maltese national agency for museums, cultural heritage and conservation practice Heritage Malta works on ensuring continuous conservation, restoration and management of cultural sites, including museums, historical sites and buildings, while effectively monitoring and reporting the impacts of natural effects on the heritage sites.

In addition, the minister stated that the conference offered the opportunity to conceptualise plans and learn more about how to fight the threat of climate change. He also underlined that the world is experiencing more frequent extreme weather phenomena, which is causing damages to different sites.

Thus, with the increasing incidence of climate change already felt through various sporadic extreme climatic events around the world, measures should be taken to adapt to climate change and protect infrastructures, natural and cultural assets, as the DOI press release says.  

Mr Herrera continued explaining that through the effective use of European Union funds, Malta is aiming to ensure the protection of archaeological sites through the construction of walkways and protective tents, the sheltering of ancient temples from direct rainfall, solar radiation and ground humidity so as to prevent potential damages, and reducing the risks of degradation while stabilising the environmental conditions to which they are exposed to.

The minister said also that Malta has recently set up an Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit to preserve marine sites and in order to make underwater areas accessible to the public, while preserving their history and culture.

In conclusion, he added that it is the duty of policymakers to protect such a public good and to design effective policies to address the issue.

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“It is hoped that these publications encourage teachers to engage their students in more outdoor activities which will help them to appreciate our national heritage and all forms of wildlife” said Andrew Beane, the CEO of HSBC Malta.

“Spending time in nature is invaluable for our health and wellbeing and for encouraging us to be more environmentally friendly. This publication provides the opportunity to learn about the amazing wildlife we have living on our doorstep and to inspire teachers and children to enjoy being outdoors and learning with a different perspective. We would like to thank Mr Jason Aloisio and HSBC for their work in making this happen,” said Sarah Brady, the Education Manager at BirdLife Malta.

The booklet, which is the second publication in the collaboration between HSBC Malta and the UNESCO Maltese National Commission, was funded through the HSBC Water Programme-Catch the Drop campaign. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Air Pollution” under which HSBC is encouraging its supporters to recycle waste into energy.

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