Ambassador Wells Speaks to the Press on the Ambassador’s Cultural Preservation Fund

Ambassador Barry L. Wells (center) being interviewed by journalists from the print and broadcast media

On Monday 4 May, 2009, Ambassador Barry L Wells in partnership with The National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC) welcomed American Archeologist, Liza Gijante, who was invited to assess the restoration project of James Island in Jufereh, the historic site of the West African slave trade, funded by the Ambassador’s Cultural Preservation Fund.  The Ambassador gave an interview on the significance of the Cultural Preservation Fund, highlighting that Ms. Gijante is one of the only archeologists to ever visit the island.  During the interview, Ambassador Wells, explained that investing in the preservation of culture is investing in the preservation of history.  He explained that James Island is suffering from water erosion and some of the buildings at the site are on the verge of collapse.  The current project, pioneered and steered by Peace Corps Volunteer Chris Honeycutt, identifies those weaknesses and is focused on preventing the island from further erosion.  Ambassador Wells further explained, “James Island is a vital part of Gambian history and we are happy to be able to help contribute to the efforts of maintaining and preserving a part of history that people from all over the world can learn from and enjoy.”  Baba Ceesay, head of Cultural Heritage at the NCAC, thanked the Embassy for funding the project.

The interview demonstrated the USG’s support for both environmental and cultural preservation of historic sites.  The interview received extensive coverage on all the major newspapers and GRTS TV evening news.