International Museum Day passed silently in the country on Monday.
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has since issued a statement, joining the global community in commemorating International Museum Day, which was first established by the
International Council of Museums in 1977.
This year’s International Museum ay is being celebrated under the theme ‘Museums Uniting a Divided World’.
The statement, signed by the ministry’s secretary Jameson Ndalama, says the theme underscores the unique ability of museums to serve as bridges across cultural, social and geopolitical divides, fostering dialogue understanding, inclusion and peace.
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“As trusted public spaces of learning, museums contribute to peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.
They are places where people encounter stories, objects and one another,” the statement reads.
It further says the work of museums supports the implementation of United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
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The ministry has since called upon the public to be fostering dialogue, understanding, inclusion and peace through learning about diverse cultures in museums.
However, most of the museums in the country continue to struggle with funding, with some experiencing damage of its artifacts.
The Daily Times reported last year that some artifacts outside Chichiri Museum in Blantyre had been broken, such that they needed fixing.
The artifacts of vehicles remain in sorry state.
Asked as to what the ministry was doing to give breath to museums, spokesperson Macmillan Mwale said Tuesday that the ministry was mobilising resources internally.
“We are also engaging the private sector, including those that supplied artifacts, to support as well as maintain and preserve [the items],” Mwale said.
