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UNESCO signs partnership agreement with Bambu Heritage Productions to promote the General History of Africa
In collaboration with curriculum developers and scholars from Africa, and intellectuals from across the globe, UNESCO is producing pedagogical materials to facilitate the teaching and learning of the General History of Africa (GHA) in various learning contexts.
To further strengthen the narratives that make African history and culture widely known and accessible – particularly among learners, youth and its diaspora – UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Stefania Giannini, and Creative Director of the Ghanaian Bambu Heritage Productions, Abdul Moomen Muslim, signed a partnership agreement with a view to collaborate on promoting narratives and the mainstreaming of the GHA, within and beyond formal education, at UNESCO in Paris on 11 March 2025.
Our shared goal is to foster a common identity and pride in Africa’s heritage, drive progress towards greater justice, and build an inclusive and fair future by reappropriating and producing knowledge on the history of Africa and its diaspora.
The partnership will aim to strengthen multiple initiatives that are based on the GHA, especially through art and culture, to raise awareness of the GHA that responds to the challenge of reconstructing Africa and its diaspora’s historical memory and conscience.
It’s important to tell stories to assert Africa’s culture and identity. We want to inspire and empower the continent and young people to take their destiny in their own hands.
The General History of Africa, in the intersection of education, culture and arts
Learning history and understanding human society and culture is essential for making sense of the world we live in, as connecting with the past instills a sense of belonging, global citizenship, and contributes to social cohesion and peace. The arts have the power in making knowledge accessible to all, as learning through culture and arts can take place beyond traditional classrooms and in a lifelong perspective.
‘The Mansa World’ theater production, led by Bambu Heritage Productions, captures the fundamental idea that learning – therein about the GHA – can happen anywhere, at any time, and through a multitude of means.
This youth-led theater production underlines the importance youth and arts can play in spreading the awareness of GHA narratives, capitalizing on their talents and opportunities, contributing to a better understanding of African history and promoting social cohesion and peace.
The launch of the Mansa World project took place at UNESCO Headquarters in 2023, kicking off the Mansa World international tour through which GHA narratives have been promoted within and beyond Africa.
