THE UNESCO Institute for African Culture and International Understanding (IACIU) has educated young creatives in Ogun State on the need to harness African cultural works through technology for new possibilities.
The institute educated the creatives through an intellectual workshop it organised in Abeokuta, the state capital, with the theme “Technology: The Bridge Between African Culture and Other Cultures of the World (2.0)”.
Director of the institute, Professor Peter Okebukola, in a speech delivered at the workshop, stated that technology serves as an important bridge between African cultures and other cultures of the world by facilitating communication, preserving heritage, expanding economic opportunities, and promoting cross-cultural learning.
The director, who described African culture as an important identity of Africans, noted that the workshop was organised with the aim of educating and enlightening young creatives on the pivotal role of technology in connecting all cultures worldwide.
He added that the workshop also sought to highlight the significance of the diverse cultures in the world, as no one culture is of a higher repute than another.
He said: “Our culture is our identity and it is essential to note that technology serves as a crucial bridge between African cultures and other cultures of the world by facilitating communication, preserving heritage, expanding economic opportunities, and promoting cross-cultural learning.
“It is in this respect, that the institute has taken it upon itself to continue to train and enlighten individuals in all fields irrespective of their cultural backgrounds without any form of discrimination or segregation, as we know that culture is all encompassing and the 2005 convention advocates for cultural equality.”
Addressing participants at the workshop, the convener of the programme, Aderonke Olutola-Amos, emphasised that young Africans must be aware of the significance of guarding their culture jealously while enlightening them on ways by which technology links cultures together.
She applauded the efforts of the institute under the leadership of Prof Okebukola in ensuring that the objectives of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions were implemented.
She noted that the convention serves as a reminder to everyone that no one culture is superior to another and also every culture is unique in its ways and forms.
She urged young creatives to learn to accept and accommodate these cultural differences with love.
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