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ICOFORT-SL

National Scientific Committee on Fortifications and Military Heritage of Sri Lanka

Vision

ICOFORT-SL to be Sri Lanka’s main reference committee in Fortifications and Military Heritage for researchers, professionals, heritage managers and society in general with a high capacity to influence public opinion on the importance of this typology of heritage in local sustainable development for the benefit of the community at large.

Mission

Being the National Scientific Committee on the subjects of Fortifications and Military Heritage, ICOFORT-SL researches and promotes the identification, understanding, protection, conservation, and management of historic fortifications and military heritage (both tangible and intangible attributes and heritage values), which includes:

  • Sites and structures, built or used for military and defensive purposes [ field fortifications – masonry and earthworks, fortified buildings and precincts, military (ground, air and naval) bases, different kind of military accommodation buildings, works of military engineering and other enclaves and constructions associated with military/ security such as gravets};
  • Natural Geomorphologic features, landscapes, waterscapes etc. used for military and defensive purposes (including battle grounds, passes, look-outs, marshes, routes connected with defense and offense);
  • commemorative monuments and military memorabilia (including war memorials, military decorations, trophies, cemeteries, war graves and cenotaphs, and other plaques or markers);
  • The properties/ objects used for military purposes, such as barracks, fighter-planes, battle-ships, cannons, artillery guns, arms, ammunition, swords, armament etc. Intangible heritage connected to all these aspects of military heritage [such as battle tactics and military strategies]

Strategies, Objectives and Actions

The current action plan presents the following five strategic objectives that represent the goals designed by the ICOFORT-SL to realize the vision

  • I. Identification, research and documentation
  • II. Awareness and dissemination
  • III. Membership and Networking
  • IV. Involvement of Stakeholders and Local Community
  • V. Conservation and Management

Several strategic actions have also been identified under each of the strategic objectives to achieve the respective goals:

I. Identification, research and documentation

  • Conducting literature survey on all existing studies (e.g. journal articles, conference presentations, books and dissertations) relating to Sri Lanka’s fortifications and military heritage. This will give an overview of the current research, its trends and gaps.
  • Compilation of a bibliography and abstracts of existing studies, for convenient access to existing research for the benefit of future researchers.
  • Encouraging undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers to conduct research on the subject for their dissertations/ thesis.
  • Identification of sites related to the subject, through archival research, inscriptions, exploration etc.
  • Inventorying and mapping out sites according to categories (coastal batteries, memorials etc.).
  • Inventorying through classification, different arms, ammunition, etc. used in various periods, based on research and field work.
  • Conducting research on the different battle strategies used by the locals and foreigners in the context of social, political, geographical conditions.
  • Documentation of the sites and monuments related to the subject with the corporation of the Department of Archaeology, Central Cultural Fund, and other heritage agencies.
  • Accessing and obtaining archival records/ information/ data related to the subject, currently deposited at the Portuguese, Dutch and British archives.

II. Awareness and dissemination

  • Conducting awareness programs for undergraduate students following heritage- related subjects, as most students are unaware of the current research and its gaps to enable them to select appropriate topics for their dissertations and providing specific inputs during the research work.
  • Contributing to the Monthly Public Lecture Program, workshops and other programs of ICOMOS Sri Lanka by nominating the members of ICOFORT-SL and other experts to deliver lectures/ as resource persons on the subject
  • Conducting workshops and awareness raising programs for the students, stakeholders and general public about the subject
  • Conducting guided tours to the sites related to the subject area so that students, interested individuals, groups become aware and appreciate the heritage
  • Maintaining a web page and social media pages for ICOFORT-SL under ICOMOS Sri Lanka
  • Holding a national conference in 2021/ 22 on a theme related to the subject area
  • Holding an international conference in 2022/ 23 on a theme related to the subject area
  • Publishing articles related to the subject
  • Encouraging the souvenir makers such as the Replica School of the Central Cultural Fund at Bataleeya to produce miniature replicas of cannons on carriages of different periods, local guns etc. to be sold to the visitors to popularize different aspects of military heritage

III. Membership and Networking

  • Expanding the membership of ICOFORT-SL by encouraging individuals who have an interest in the subject area.
  • Encouraging volunteers to engage in the activities of ICOFORT-SL.
  • Encouraging the members of ICOFORT-SL to obtain the membership of the International Scientific Committee of ICOMOS.
  • Participating actively in the activities, events, campaigns etc. of ICOFORT International to work at the world stage.
  • Establishing contacts and relationships with ICOFORT National Committees of other countries for professional and academic interaction.
  • Establishing contacts and partnerships with other international organizations related to the subject area.
  • Working in partnership with other National Scientific Committees of Sri Lanka, such as those of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Historic Cities, Towns and Villages, Cultural Landscapes, Shared Built Heritage, Heritage Documentation etc. to implement joint programs for mutual benefits.
  • Establishing partnerships with heritage authorities dealing with sites related to Fortifications and Military Heritage such as the Department of Archaeology, Central Cultural Fund, Galle Heritage Foundation and other heritage authorities.

IV. Involvement of Stakeholders and Local Community

  • Adopting a participatory approach for the protection, conservation and management of fortifications and military heritage through the involvement of the local community so that the ultimate benefits of heritage percolated down to the local community
  • Establishing relationships with Sri Lanka Army and Navy, who occupy some of the historic fortifications to create interest groups to safeguard and manage such properties
  • Establishing partnerships with individuals, private and state sector institutions, who own/ occupy the sites related to fortifications and military heritage for their protection, conservation and management, with the objective of sustainable economic gains for them
  • Establishing partnerships with owners/ occupants of sites related to fortifications and military heritage for protection and management of the heritage with an emphasis on providing economic gains to such stakeholders
  • Developing cultural tourism at lesser-known sites related to fortifications and military heritage together with the coordination of the Tourism Development Authority, Provincial Tourism Ministries, etc. by providing training to the interested members of the local community to engage themselves as tourist guides.

V. Conservation and Management

  • Providing scientific and technical inputs to the Department of Archaeology, Central Cultural Fund, Galle Heritage Foundation, etc. for their efforts to conserve and manage sites and monuments related to the subject (ex: Conservation of Mannar, Batticaloa, Jaffna Forts by the Department of Archaeology)
  • Providing scientific and technical inputs to the owners, occupants etc. to conserve and maintain the sites and monuments related to the subject (Malwana Fort owned by an individual, Kalipitiya, & Colombo Forts by Navy, etc.)
  • Promoting adaptive re-use of sites and structures related to the subject
  • Encouraging the occupants to conserve the sites (ex: Hanwella Fort) for added economic gains by providing scientific and technical inputs
  • Preparing proposals for the conservation of fortifications and military heritage for funding assistance and implementation (ex: Poonaryn Fort, Ostenburg Fort, Fort Fredrick at Trincomalee)
  • Providing scientific and technical inputs to conserve the movable objects such as swords, cannons, guns, ammunition etc. in the custody of the Department of National Museums, Department of Archaeology, Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, etc. and to improve their display arrangements in the museums/ interpretation centers
  • Taking initiatives to conserve insitu, the underwater properties related to the subject together with the National Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage and other institutions
  • Providing scientific and technical input for the identification, conservation and display of the objects of the proposed Weapons Museum.

Activities

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