SCC discusses SIH’s policy

The session was chaired by His Excellency Ali Mehd Al Suwaidi, Chairman of the Council and was attended by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, President of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Ahmed Salem Al-Bairaq, Director of the Institutional Communication Department; Saif Obaid Al-Hajri, Director of the Financial Affairs Department; Ahmed Al-Dah Al-Matroushi, Director of the Projects and Heritage Properties Department; Ali Al-Ghazal, Head of the Procurement Department, and Abu Bakr Al-Kindi, Head of the Legal Affairs Department.

After approving the minutes of the previous session, the Secretary-General of the Council, Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, read out the names of the applicants and the general topic for discussion, saying: “For the importance of preserving and documenting the Emirati cultural heritage, and introducing it to the widest range through a package of activities and events, and to consolidate this role that His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah established the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, pursuant to Emiri Decree No. 70 of 2014, for the Institute to work on organizing a series of seminars, lectures, and scientific and intellectual forums that take place throughout the year. In addition to its rich activities and programs in order to enhance its mission, goals and what it aspires to in order to raise awareness and educate about the importance of heritage, its preservation from loss and extinction, the Sharjah Consultative Council and the importance of the roles of the Sharjah Heritage Institute, the applicants would like to discuss its policy in order to achieve the goals of the public interest.

After that, His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, President of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, gave a speech in which he saluted the efforts of SCC and its cooperation with the Sharjah Institute for Heritage in caring for heritage affairs, indicating in his speech that the Institute continues its programs and plans in accordance with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah in promoting awareness of Emirati heritage and teaching it according to the latest scientific curricula, in addition to organizing events, activities and heritage days to celebrate various elements of heritage.

After that, eighteen male and female members presented many questions and inquiries on the Sharjah Institute for Heritage’s work and the development of its roles towards the community and its interest in local and Arab heritage and its openness to world heritage and interest in qualifying national cadres with various requirements of heritage work and benefiting from them after their graduation in various aspects of work, highlighting at the same time the importance of caring of the child and linking it to the heritage and allowing the greatest benefit from the books and publications of the Institute.

In the first interventions, His Excellency Dr. Humaid Al-Suwaiji Al-Zaabi asked about the mechanism for granting powers to the branches of the institute and to consider the observations of some employees in the emirate's branches who were not assigned job duties and calls for the inclusion of the institute's diploma curricula with specialized programs in forms of heritage such as marine and mountain heritage and others.

Al-Zaabi called for coordination with the competent authorities to launch radio and television programs that introduce the community to the Emirati heritage, whether tangible or intangible.

Her Excellency Sharifa Musa Al-Mazmi asked about the Institute's policy of benefiting from graduates of training and educational programs in events and granting them priority to fill the positions available to the Institute's staff.

Al-Mazmi called for mentioning the musical heritage and attracting children in the field of traditional music playing. She asked about the institute’s plan regarding marketing its programs and events, using social media platforms and print, audio and visual media to highlight publications and activities, and the institute’s efforts to invest in historical houses with programs throughout the year and to establish permanent heritage markets.

In an intervention, His Excellency Talib Ali Al-Bali Al-Dhahouri called for considering the location of the Institute's branch office in Dibba Al-Hisn, the roles of the Institute in the heritage area in Dibba Al-Hisn, and compensation for its owners.

Her Excellency Aisha Muhammad Bukhatir asks about the Institute's efforts in marketing the large scientific stock, especially since the community needs to read these publications in various heritage affairs, in addition to the interest in marketing a dictionary of heritage, and this is a scientific and academic heritage, suggesting offering a bachelor's program in heritage in coordination with national universities, to preserve and help in spreading this knowledge.


His Excellency Dr. Abd al-Rahman Muhammad al-Yassi asked about the aspects of the institute tracking the documented narrators, and the mechanism of their accreditation, as well as supporting them in order to record the correct information related to the history of the regions and document them in oral history.
Her Excellency Nabila Ali Al Hammadi inquired about the Institute's approach in seeking legislative permission to reformulate legislation detailing the Institute's tasks and specializations that it currently performs to prevent conflicts in specializations and rationalize expenditures between the Institute and the authorities related to the Institute's work, such as the Sharjah Antiquities Authority and the Initiatives Authority. She asked whether the Institute has a database of numbers of craftsmen, their locations, their place of residence, aspects of their specialization, and the policy of the institute to revive professions that have disappeared or are beginning to disappear.
His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim Al Darmaki, , called for enabling the Institute's branches in the eastern and central regions to allocate their own budgets to carry out their programs and activities and to adopt knowledge and quality policies as they are among the requirements of modern management.

Al Darmaki called for speeding up the construction of a building for the institute’s staff in the city of Kalba, and for benefiting from the experiences of citizens in providing the heritage professional programs offered by the institute, and the importance of appreciating the distinguished competencies in the institute and promoting them from the directors of branches and departments.

 
He called for speeding up the establishment of a building for the institute’s staff in the city of Kalba, and to benefit from the experiences of citizens in providing the heritage professional programs offered by the institute, and the importance of appreciating the distinguished competencies in the institute and promoting them among the directors of branches and departments.

Her Excellency Fatima Ali Al Muhairi inquired about the aspects of interest in Arab heritage similar to the local heritage, which are mentioned in the goals and specializations of the Institute and the foundations of the Institute’s participation in external representation, selection of cadres, and inviting specialists to participate and exchange experiences.

His Excellency Mohammed Saleh Al Ali called for interest in heritage tourism and cooperation with the Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in order to benefit from winter in holding  programs that attract the public and attract several segments from different countries of the world. 

His Excellency Jassim Juma Al Mazmi suggested the establishment of heritage councils in the cities and regions of the emirate with the organization of heritage camps that simulate the heritage of the regions .

His Excellency Suhail Salem Al-Kaabi asked about the role of the institute, especially through the performances of the Harbiye Band, in preserving the artistic performance and protecting it from change  and from additions such as music, calling for adopting the idea of reviving a heritage caravan with what is called (heritage camel caravans), which is carried out every year in its old form and includes camel riding. And making it available to foreign communities with the aim of spreading this important aspect of their heritage, and he touched on the importance of caring for the buried village in the Madam area, which is a point of attraction and interest.

His Excellency Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Al-Kous dedicated his intervention by talking about the family, the school, the social environment, and the role of the institute in consolidating the child’s relationship with the popular heritage and immunizing him from being drawn into all cultures alien to our societies, preserving the national identity, and raising awareness and education in the various elements of heritage.

His Excellency Daghish Rashid Al Ketbi asked a question about the importance of establishing an office belonging to the Institute in the Al Madam area, in addition to establishing a center specialized in heritage affiliated with this office and working in light of its specializations and powers to preserve heritage, hold events and communicate with the people in Al Madam , and accomplish all the affairs of the Institute and achieve its goals.

His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, President of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, affirmed that the institute constitutes a house of expertise  to provide the cultural, educational and tourism fields with frameworks equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective management, preservation  of cultural heritage, and to enhance awareness of its importance, and to preserve Emirati customs and traditions, in order to advance generations, affirming that the institute also aspires to be a cultural and scientific center characterized by excellence and creativity in order to serve the UAE and Arab cultural heritage.

He reviewed many of the achievements and works carried out by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and what it contributes to through training on various heritage preservation practices through lectures and training activities that are held within its programs and in its halls, in addition to the availability of a library rich in various books, and preservation laboratories equipped with the latest equipment specialized in heritage preservation. In addition to an amphitheater that can accommodate about 150 people, translation booths, as well as a café and a recording studio for Sharjah's heritage, which is used to document oral heritage such as folk music, as well as interest in the heritage band, which reflects, with its local and foreign participation, heritage art, especially in its presence in more than 28 countries.

He stated that the Institute contributes, according to its work system, to improving scientific taste and research tools by launching many initiatives to preserve the intangible heritage of the Emirati heritage, represented in collecting folk literature, customs, traditions and traditional knowledge in private archives and publishing publications, encyclopedias and dictionaries that formed a repertoire. It also plays a role in organizing heritage activities in all cities and regions of the Emirate of Sharjah, and participates with government agencies in its activities. It is concerned with following up on narrators and documenting them, and benefiting from graduates affiliated with its programs and specialists in various aspects of heritage, in addition to interest in personal museums owned by citizens.

In response to inquiries, it was mentioned that the institute organizes throughout the year other activities such as the Forum for Traditional Crafts and the Forum for Popular Games, in addition to holding many seminars and lectures and commemorating the passing of a number of Emirati poets, for example, the memory of the absence of the poet Ali bin Rahma Al Shamsi and other poets whom we consider symbols. They added a lot to the Emirati vocabulary, whether from the emirate of Sharjah or another emirate.

The academic side of the institute was also discussed, which has more than one side.. the aspect of finding sources and references through content and publishing management. The institute annually prints 100 books and prints two journals, the first is scientific and the other is a diverse cultural one, and this momentum supports the academic and scientific side of the institute in addition to The institute is accredited as an official body by the concerned authorities in the country as a body that offers 5 professional diplomas, in addition to linking up with many universities outside the country with Morocco, Italy, Armenia, China and Romania.

Before adjourning the session, the Secretary-General of the  Council, His Excellency Ahmed Saeed Al Jarwan, announced that the next session will be held on Thursday,  March 2, 2023 , and its topic will be discussing the recommendations of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.