About Heritage Dialogue
Strengthening international cooperation to safeguard indigenous knowledge systems and oral traditions through ethical documentation and community-library collaboration.
Preserving Living Libraries for Future Generations
“Indigenous knowledge systems are living archives—preserving identity, values, and history across generations.”
This initiative seeks to strengthen international cooperation among libraries and information professionals to support the systematic digital preservation of indigenous knowledge systems and oral traditions. By developing and deploying educational modules that promote intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, and peacebuilding, the project responds to the historical importance of these knowledge forms and the urgent need to safeguard them for future generations.
Anchored in the Heritage Dialogue framework, the initiative positions culture as a strategic resource for inclusive and sustainable development in Ghana, contributing to capacity-building, cultural continuity, and community empowerment through policy-relevant cultural heritage practices.
Through education, dialogue, and technology-driven initiatives, Heritage Dialogue seeks to foster cultural continuity, mutual understanding, and peace, while empowering present and future generations in Ghana and beyond to reclaim and celebrate their living heritage.
A Lifelong Fascination with Living Archives
Heritage Dialogue was inspired by Dr. Florence Plockey's lifelong fascination with indigenous cultures sustained through oral traditions—living archives that preserve identity, values, and history. However, she observed that oral storytelling practices are rapidly declining due to globalization, technology, and changing social dynamics, threatening significant cultural loss.
Recognizing the Gaps in Preservation
As a professional librarian, Dr. Plockey observed that academic libraries in Ghana faced significant challenges—such as validation, documentation, policy gaps, and intellectual property issues—when preserving oral traditions, leaving much of this heritage neglected. This inspired her to pursue a PhD in indigenous knowledge.
Bridging Libraries and Communities
Recognizing that modern technology also offers opportunities for preservation, her Ph.D. focused on enabling academic libraries to collaborate with indigenous communities to safeguard oral cultures. This research laid the groundwork for a new approach to cultural preservation.
Heritage Dialogue is Born
This commitment has evolved into a broader goal of strengthening international library collaborations and promoting digitally preserved indigenous knowledge for education and peacebuilding, culminating in the vision of establishing the "Heritage Dialogue" initiative to support sustainable cultural development in Ghana.
Our Purpose
OUR MISSION
Safeguarding, Revitalizing & Promoting Indigenous Knowledge
To safeguard, revitalize, and promote indigenous knowledge systems and oral traditions through ethical documentation, digital preservation, and community-library collaboration. Grounded in respect for cultural identity and intellectual heritage, Heritage Dialogue works to bridge academic libraries, indigenous communities, and international partners to ensure the sustainable transmission of oral cultures.
OUR VISION
Indigenous Knowledge Valued as Living Libraries
Heritage Dialogue envisions a future where indigenous knowledge and oral traditions are valued as living libraries, digitally preserved, and actively transmitted across generations. We aspire to a world in which communities, libraries, and cultural institutions work in partnership to protect cultural heritage, strengthen identity, and promote peace.
Our Core Values
Our Team
Leadership Team
Join Our Mission
Whether you’re a researcher, librarian, cultural practitioner, or simply passionate about preserving indigenous knowledge, there are many ways to get involved with Heritage Dialogue.