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Safeguarding a rich heritage of over five centuries
The UNESCO Regional Office in conjunction with the Department of Archaeology, University of Peradeniya will carry out an exercise on cultural mapping of the Heritage City of Kandy.

An awareness programme for all public, government and private sector stakeholders has also been incorporated into this project.

Phase one of the awareness programme will be a two-day exhibition and seminar on January 18 and 19 at the University premises. The morning session of the 18th will be dedicated to schoolchildren within and adjacent to the Kandy Municipality limits. The seminar awareness programme will focus on the Kandy Heritage City and its associated multicultural heritage, shared culture and intangible heritage. The Kandy heritage city having an antiquity of over five centuries has harmonized its existence with a healthy blend of religious and social life of the Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islamic heritage in its beautiful natural surroundings. In an era when the national effort is focused towards reconciliation and peaceful co-existence with greater understanding and respect for diversity, UNESCO and professional archaeologists of the Department of Archaeology, University of Peradeniya view the role of schoolchildren as a pivotal factor in this process.

The aim of the programme is:

Capacity Building in the revitalization process of the Kandy Heritage City considering schoolchildren as main stakeholders.
To safeguard Kandy’s intangible cultural heritage.
To ensure respect for diversity and the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups and individuals concerned.
To raise awareness at the local, national and international levels on the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, ensuring mutual appreciation.
The seminar discussion on January 18 and 19 is built upon two UNESCO Documents on Cultural Diversity and Intangible Heritage with a focus on Kandy and its adjacent region.

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