177. The right to culture as enshrined in Article 17 (2) and (3) of the Charter is to be considered in a dual dimension, in both its individual and collective nature. It ensures protection, on the one hand, of individuals' participation in the cultural life of their community and, on the other, obliges the State to promote and protect traditional values of the community. 178. Article 17 of the Charter protects all forms of culture and places strict obligations on State Parties to protect and promote traditional values. In a similar fashion, the Cultural Charter for Africa obliges States to adopt a national policy which creates conditions conducive for the promotion and development of culture.49 The Cultural Charter specifically stresses "the need to take account of national identities, cultural diversity being a factor making for balance within the nation and a source of mutual enrichment for various communities".50 179. The protection of the right to culture goes beyond the duty, not to destroy or deliberately weaken minority groups, but requires respect for, and protection of, their cultural heritage essential to the group' s identity . In this respect, culture should be construed in its widest sense encompassing the total way of life of a particular group, including the group's languages, symbols s uch as dressing codes and the manner the group constructs shelters ; engages in certain economic activities, produces items for survival; rituals such as the group's particular way of dealing with problems and 49 Article 6, Cultural Charter for Africa adopted by the Organisation of African Unity in Accra, Ghana on 5 July 1976, The Respondent beca me a State Party to the Cultural Charter on 19 September 1990. 50 Article 3, ibid. practicing spiritual ceremonies; identification and veneration of its own heroes or models and shared values of its members which reflect its distinctive character and personality. 51 180. The Court notes that in the context of indigenous populations, the preservation of their culture is of particular importance. Indigenous populations have often been affected by economic activities of other dominant groups and large scale developmental programmes. Due to their obvious vulnerability often stemming from th eir number or traditional way of life, indigenous populations even have, at times, been the subject and easy target of deliberate policies of exclusion, exploitation, forced assimilation, discrimination and other forms of persecution, whereas some have encountered extinction of their cultural distinctiveness and continuity as a distinct group.