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Restoring Livelihoods Through Culture in Yemen
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The international event is held within the framework of the EU funded UNESCO project, Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen. Launched in 2018, the project employs young Yemenis in heritage restoration and preservation while promoting social cohesion and resilience through cultural programming.
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"In our line of work, if we change the life of one [person], we have achieved something," said Anna Paolini, UNESCO Representative To GCC and Yemen, during the event. "The UNESCO-EU cash-for-work contributes to changing the lives of many."
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As of May 2021, the project surveyed over 8000 historical buildings, repaired 151 buildings, and enrolled over 2500 young workers in Sana'a, Aden, Shibam, and Zabid.
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Among the four cities, three are listed as World Heritage in Danger. "UNESCO and the EU cash-for-work project [is] actively contributing to get them removed from the list," said May Shaer, Chief of the Arab States Unit at UNESCO.
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The project also engaged over 500 youth in cash-based cultural programming and services, organized consultative workshops for 50 culture operators, disbursed small grants to eight cultural CSOs, and distributed awareness-raising materials to 7M Yemenis.
The first day of the conference commenced with prominent speakers, policymakers, and young Yemenis discussing the project's milestones, urban rehabilitation in a conflict context, the project's preservation standards, and UNESCO-EU translation of international conventions into operational plans.
Meanwhile, on the second day, speakers explored the untapped potential of local creative industries in Yemen, the importance of supporting youth-led cultural programming through cash-for-work schemes, and methods to build engagement and commitment to culture in Yemen.
Founders of several CSOs took the platform to discuss their outcomes. In partnership with SMEPS, the UNESCO-EU project funded eight CSOs in Zabid, Sana, Aden, and Hadramout. In return, the organizations supported 221 young artists and cultural professionals (62% females) in the creative industry, said Safiya Aljaberi, SMEPS Executive Director. This investment "strengthen[s] youth participation and involvement in the creative industry" while providing them with livelihood opportunities and skills, she said.
To celebrate Yemen's cultural diversity, the event also offered exclusive access to 1 on cultural heritage produced in collaboration with UNESCO, EU, YWT Org, New York Film Academy, and SMEPS. The films are the outputs of an extensive training program utilizing cash-for-work methodology to support the livelihoods of 12 young Yemenis while gaining a unique set of skills by internationally recognized professionals in the film industry.
