Bekeh.com

Cultural Heritage, Policy & Development Advisor

Strategic advice for heritage, development, and policy work where history matters.

I work with governments, cultural institutions, international organizations, universities, and NGOs to understand the history behind a problem and turn that understanding into sound strategy, responsible interpretation, and fairer development across Africa and the Global South.

20+ years in research and practice

Vice President, ICOMOS-ICIP

Focal Point, ICOMOS Indigenous Heritage Working Group

President, FOPCHEN

Two-time Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow

Approach

Scholarship, translated into strategy.

The hardest problems in heritage and development rarely belong to a single discipline. A museum weighing a restitution claim, a ministry preparing a World Heritage nomination, a foundation reviewing its Africa portfolio: each needs historical understanding, institutional judgment, and a clear view of who is affected and how.

I bring those perspectives into one conversation. I help organizations frame the problem accurately, test the assumptions behind a strategy, strengthen projects before they are funded or launched, and communicate difficult histories with care. My work is most useful where cultural heritage, development, public memory, and equity meet.

Advisory services

Four areas of practice

Cultural Heritage, Restitution & Site Interpretation

Advice for heritage sites, museums, cultural agencies, and communities on interpretation, restitution, provenance, and the presentation of difficult histories. I help institutions tell contested stories responsibly and involve Indigenous and local communities as partners, not audiences.

Explore Heritage Advisory →

International Development & Decolonial Policy Strategy

Historically grounded analysis of aid, investment, and development policy in Africa and the Global South. I help organizations see the structural risks in a program before they become failures, and design interventions that local partners can own.

Explore development strategy →

Gender, Equity & Intercultural Strategy

Support for gender-responsive policy, intercultural practice, and inclusive program design. I work with institutions to widen participation, localize the Sustainable Development Goals, and build frameworks that hold up across cultures.

Explore Equity & Intercultural Strategy →

Grant Design, Research Strategy & Executive Training

Capacity-building for universities, NGOs, and cultural organizations: grant development, research strategy, project design, digital humanities, and tailored executive workshops. The aim is stronger proposals, and teams that keep doing the work well after the engagement ends.

Explore Capacity & Training →

Who I advise

Governments & Public Agencies

Cultural Institutions & Museums

International Organizations & NGOs

Universities & Research Centers

Foundations & Policy Groups

Heritage, Architecture & Planning Teams

Why institutions bring me in

01 History as evidence

I treat the past as data. Most institutional problems have a history, and knowing it changes the decision.

02 International heritage leadership

As Vice President of ICOMOS-ICIP and Focal Point of the ICOMOS Indigenous Heritage Working Group, I work inside the global debates on interpretation, Indigenous heritage, and professional practice.

03 Africa-centered, globally practiced

My expertise is rooted in Africa and shaped by work with universities, international bodies, and funders across North America, Europe, and Asia.

04 From research to implementation

I do not stop at analysis. I design projects, secure funding, lead training, and communicate findings to the public.

Selected work

Evidence from the field

Heritage Interpretation & Contested Memory

Research and international presentations on how institutions interpret difficult histories, including the Hector Pieterson Memorial, presented at a 2025 Korean Government side event during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee session.

Funded Social-Impact & Heritage Initiatives

Leadership in externally supported projects including Gerda Henkel initiatives on a Netzero Demonstration and Training Center and the restoration of the Premier Building at Hope Waddell Training Institution.

Culture, Gender & Sustainable Development

Contributions to international policy work on culture in Voluntary Local Reviews and cultural actions supporting gender equality in cities and territories.

Insights

Featured thinking.

Development & the Global South

Why historical context is a strategic asset, not background information

Heritage & Memory

Beyond “community consultation”: what meaningful participation requires

Decolonial Policy

Decolonization as institutional practice, not branding

Facing a heritage, development, or policy question with no easy answer?

I work with organizations that need independent analysis, strategic clarity, and culturally informed solutions. Tell me about the problem, what you hope to achieve, and your timeline. I will reply with a view on whether I can help and what form of engagement makes sense.

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