Small Island Developing States (SIDS) continue
to show their resilience in the global landscape despite their vulnerabilities.
Global heritage is one area in which there is a spirited, almost aggressive
posture among island states as they seek to establish a presence on the
prestigious World Heritage List (WHL). Currently, SIDS account for just about
three (3) percent of the 936 Sites listed. Bearing in mind that there are
fifty-two (52) SIDS across the globe (captured by the United Nations Department
of Economic and Social Affairs in three regions – Asia and the Pacific, the
Caribbean and Africa) the debates are vigorous about the 'competitive weight' of that three percent showing.
Up to March 2012, the Caribbean region which
has twenty-three (23) Island States account for eighteen (18) sites on the WHL
to include Belize and Suriname. (Note, UNESCO’s Caribbean Building Capacity Programme
lists twenty-one (21) WH sites in the region to include one site each in Puerto
Rico, Bermuda and the Netherland Antilles). Reflecting on the numbers Caribbean
SIDS are not faring badly especially when compared to the Asia-Pacific region
with twenty-two Island States and six (6) World Heritage Sites. The Africa
region, with only seven (7) Small Islands has five (5) sites listed. However,
these are not numbers that islands should be comforted by within the context of
the growing social, economic and political value of World Heritage.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre is also clearly
of the view that SIDS can and should do better in terms of the numbers and
quality of Sites they put forward for World Heritage Listing. Several
initiatives have been crafted in recent years to improve SIDS presence on the
List including UNESCO’s Global Strategy and the introduction of the World
Heritage Programme for Small Island Developing States. Within the framework of
the latter programme the World Heritage Centre through the Japan Funds-in-
Trust developed a project on ‘Capacity Building to Support the Conservation of
World Heritage Sites and Enhance Sustainable Development of Local Communities
in Small Island Developing States’, for the three SIDS regions.
In the Caribbean “a results-oriented”
Caribbean Training Course in the Preparation of Nomination Dossiers for World
Heritage took place in Kingston, Jamaica, June 5 - 15, 2012 targeting twenty
(20) professionals from sixteen (16) Caribbean islands. The training course
which was held at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston saw training specialists
from Jamaica, Cuba, UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, and UNESCO, Havana, sharing
with participants on a range of topics related to the World Heritage
inscription process. The focus areas included “The Nomination process: Key
Principles and Criteria for Inscription”; Incomplete nominations: most common
issues”; “Overview of Caribbean heritage” and “Understanding Outstanding Universal
Value, Authenticity and Integrity”.
The training course
which is concerned with building capacities in the preparation of nomination
dossiers will eventually benefit the local communities in which nominated sites
are located. A sustainable development approach has been developed and is being
heavily promulgated by UNESCO and its partner organizations to include the
involvement of locals in World Heritage. In fact, the World Heritage Centre has
made it a mandatory feature for consideration to the World Heritage List. It
means that preservation, safeguarding and development initiatives will be
undertaken in partnership with the man on the ground including culture bearers
and heritage subjects.
Arguably, as the host country one could
understand the reason Jamaica had no less than five professionals participating
in the World Heritage Training Programme. I would wager that the country’s failed
attempt in 2011 to get on to the World Heritage List, while its counterpart
Barbados copped a spot with Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison would also
account for the heightened interest and participation. Years ago there was also
a botched attempt to inscribe the Spanish Town Historic District to the List.
Jamaica currently has three Sites on the Tentative List to include the Blue and
John Crow Mountains National Park (BJCMNP), the Underwater City of Port Royal
and Seville Heritage Park. The concentration is now on the re-submission of the
BJCMNP nomination by the Jamaica Conservation Development Trust (JCDT) in
February 2013 to break the disappointing record. Worthy of note, the Jamaica
National Heritage Trust (JNHT) which has oversight responsibility for World
Heritage submissions strengthened its capacities in this critical area just
over a year ago with the creation of the Heritage Preservation and Planning
Unit.
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BJCMNP the socio-cultural traditions of the Maroons. |
Minister of Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna who
presented the main address at the official opening of the two week training
programme, is determined to make Jamaica’s elusive dream of achieving World
Heritage status a reality. Only recently the Culture Minister accepted a cheque
valued at $J5.5 million from the Spanish-Jamaica Foundation to refurbish
the Seville Great House in St. Ann. According to a Jamaica Information Service
release Minister Hanna described the donation as a
“timely and welcomed” contribution, which will go a far way in positioning
Seville as a major cultural, educational and tourist attraction. The release pointed to Ms. Hanna’s impassioned plea for Jamaica to give greater attention to cultural and heritage
tourism, two of the industries that hold much promise for the country. Undoubtedly, there is an evident fire in Jamaica’s belly and a
bullishness to grab a presence on this prestigious global list.
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Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann is among the three
Jamaican Sites on the Tentative List. The Tentative List is an inventory of
properties each State Party intends to put forward for nomination to the World
Heritage List. There are currently close to 100 Sites on Tentative Lists in
SIDS across Africa, the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific. |
It could be that this 50th year of
independence is fueling heightened pride amongst the widest cross section of
Jamaicans and many are embracing the social and political value of Jamaica’s
cultural heritage. But increasingly the economic value of cultural
heritage is being viewed as the icing on the cake and there is evidence of
varying stakeholders eyeing creative and sustainable linkages with the
industry. Jamaica may be about two decades behind its neighbouring counterpart
Cuba in developing a sustainable heritage industry, but it is not impossible
for the country to create a viable space for itself within the next few years.
Given the supporting policy framework including a sustained heritage education
programme for the country, and a structure to support heritage economics – the
business of cultural heritage -Jamaica will soon be showing a bold competitive
face in World Heritage.