Heritage better defined for UNESCO Project

Philipsburg- St. Maarten’s key cultural stakeholders from a wide variety of backgrounds have come up with a list of the island’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) worth safeguarding during a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) National Consultation on July 3 and 4 at the University of St. Martin, aimed at introducing and sensitizing them to the implementation, value and potential of ICH for a regional project.

 Another outcome is that the group supports the formation of a focal institution of ICH. They listed possible organisations that would be able to fill the role, and suggested rather than one organisation acting as the focal institution, more than one could be able to jointly take on the role.

 All islands/ countries falling under the project need in define and collaborate on what should be considered “intangible heritage” worth safeguarding, in a local context. The intention of including the diverse participants, seen as the “cream of the crop” of public, private and non-governmental culture stakeholders, and whose backgrounds include performance art, archaeology, history and agriculture, was to simulate meaningful discussions on the dynamic topic. They were presented with a certificate of appreciation.

 Although the draft inventory list will only be shared at a later date after being reviewed by various community groups, discussions included lifestyle changes over time, mixed cultural influences, preservation versus change, accents, and knowledge almost forgotten such as making instruments and bird traps.

 As follow-up, St. Maarten will also host a Capacity Building training workshop from September 8 to 12 on the implementation of the Convention for the safeguarding of the ICH. This will be the first joint meeting which will include Curacao, Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire. Long term, the project also includes Aruba and Suriname.

 The objective of the September meeting will be to bring together those involved in the implementation of policies of the safeguarding of ICH, and to facilitate dialogue at the sub-regional level on the successful implementation of the Convention. Participants from governmental institutions, non-governmental entities, community representatives and youth representatives will be invited to participate.

 The regional UNESCO project is called “Strengthening the capacities of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaca, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Saba, and Suriname to implement the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.”

 The Convention was established in 2003 and ratified by the Netherlands in 2012. Some 250 thousand euros (or 340 thousand USD) has been made available to the project shich is now in the process of being implemented. It aims to enhance cultural diversity, human creativity, mutual understanding and international cooperation, as well as to safeguard ICH within and by communities in a context of sustainable and mutual respect, involving them in any action concerning their ICH.

 The consultation was hosted my organisers, the St. Maarten National Commission for UNESCO represented by Marcellia Henry and the UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean in Jamaica represented by Himalchuli Ghrung. It had been kicked off by Minister of Education, Culture, youth and Sports Patricia Lourens Philip and Acting Governor Reynold Groeneveldt.

THE DAILY HERALD, Monday, July 14, 2014