UNESCO Inscription A Plus For Barbados On International Stage

The Division of Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office hosted a two-day workshop to fine-tune the nomination document to ensure that Barbados’ prospects for inscription on the lists of the UNESCO 2003 Convention are enhanced.

Barbados’ indigenous sport, road tennis, has been nominated on the representative list of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity, while the Barbados Landship Movement will be nominated for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.  

The workshop, under the theme: Barbados National Workshop on Preparing Nominations Under the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, began yesterday at the Courtyard by Marriott.

During the session, stakeholders, heritage professionals, and persons in the community involved with the two of the island’s indigenous institutions were told by Senior UNESCO Facilitator for the 2003 Convention, Nigel Encalada, that the nomination would give the island more international exposure and open doors for future projects and financing, among other benefits.

Participants were also given suggestions by the UNESCO facilitator on how to enhance the various sections of the document to make a stronger argument for the inscription.

Speaking during a media briefing ahead of the start of the session, Chief Cultural Policy Officer in the Division, Dr. Donna Greene-Rusnighi, said: “We are submitting the nomination of the Barbados Landship for urgent safeguarding, and we are submitting road tennis for inscription on the safeguarding list….

“Senior UNESCO Facilitator for the 2003 Convention Nigel Encalada is evaluating our nomination filed and is also sharing with stakeholders, heritage professionals, and persons in the industry, both in the public and private sector, what the nomination process is; what UNESCO is looking for [and] the criteria for getting an element on the list.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Encalada congratulated the Government for taking this step, pointing out that there has been a growing movement by countries, over the last few years, to safeguard their living heritage, such as world heritage and archaeological sites.

“It is very rare that these sites exist without the work of the people. Living heritage is critical…but there are two purposes, I would say, for making this move that you’re making now to prepare this nomination. One is to bring an awareness about Barbadian cultural heritage and the role it plays to your society and people, and secondly, to bring to the attention of the society and the practitioners themselves that these elements…these living and inherited practices need and deserve to be safeguarded for future generations,” he stated.

Mr. Encalada added: “Over the next few days, what we’ll…be using the applications that have been drafted and we’ll be simultaneously doing a technical workshop [on] how to go through this process. We’ll be having dialogue with community practitioners, the various stakeholders, and governmental stakeholders as well to see how we can bring the file to a point where it can be submitted, which is very shortly.”

There were also a road tennis display and performance by the Barbados Landship, which were well received by participants and visitors staying at the hotel. (PR/GIS)

CAPTION: Senior UNESCO Facilitator for the 2003 Convention, Nigel Encalada, addressing participants at the two-day workshop at the Courtyard by Marriott