Parc amazonien de Guyane
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Transmission of traditional and living cultural heritage

The first of three regional workshops proposed for the achievement of the project’s objectives was held on May 14th to 16th, 2019 in Lethem, Guyana around the theme 'Transmission of living cultural heritage in the protected areas of the Guianas'.

Living cultural heritage, as defined by UNESCO1, "includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts". While living cultural heritage covers a wide range of traditions, the main areas of focus for RENFORESAP are song, dance, language and art.

Objective

The purpose of the workshop was to identify ways of improving the management of protected areas through the sharing of best practices and experiences between stakeholders and communities on how best to encourage and facilitate the transmission of this rich heritage between generations. Over fifty representatives/managers of protected areas and experts in the thematic area from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana participated in discussions highlighting the efforts, successes and challenges in their individual countries and how these can be integrated into the management of protected areas. Subjects given importance were the preservation of native languages, the strategy for conserving rituals, teaching and play methods that encourage children to take an interest in their own culture, some work on toponymy and collecting oral history from elders, conservation of the built heritage… Over and above shared experiences, the discussions have allowed the participants to get to know each other better and to envisage solid pathways for cooperation in the future.

Outcomes

Key discussions were held on the integration of traditional knowledge into policy, practice and decision-making; community involvement; access and benefit sharing; information gathering and safeguarding living cultural heritage; and the preservation and promotion of language. Participants stressed the importance of the need for legislation, having communities at the centre of all actions and decision-making processes and the need to act now.

Through a series of presentations, panel discussions and working sessions, the participants identified opportunities for cooperation among the three countries and provided short term and long term recommendations towards the development of an action plan for the transmission and use of living cultural heritage in the management of protected areas across the Guianas.

About the partners presentations

Story telling

Odacy Davis, Deputy Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission, explaining how the Protected Areas of Guyana are managed. © Claudia Berthier PAG
Claude Suzanon, President of the French Guiana Amazonian Park, explaining the importance of protected areas for the protection of biodiversity in the Guiana Shield.  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Johan Roozer, Policy Advisor within the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Suriname, speaking about the importance of the natural and cultural diversity of the Guiana Shield.  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Arnaud Anselin, Deputy Director of the French Guiana Amazonian Park, member of the head table for the introductory session.  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Arrival of the Surinamese and French Guianese delegations in Lethem.  © Claudia Berthier PAG
The benab where the first two days of the workshop took place in Lethem.  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Participants from the Guyanese team during the presentation session.  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Group photo in front of the benab © Claudia Berthier PAG
11.	 Members of the Surinamese and French Guyanese teams during the panel discussion © Claudia Berthier PAG
Hervé Robineau, member of the French Guyanese team during the panel discussion.   © Claudia Berthier PAG
14.	David James, legal advisor at the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs of Guyana, and Helmut Gezius, Direction Coordinator of the Sociology Course at Anton de Kom University of Suriname, during the panel discussion on community involvement and Access and Benefit Sharing in Protected Areas Management  © Arnaud Anselin PAG
13.	Touine Kouata, community development agent at the French Guiana Amazonian Park, talking about the safeguard of built heritage of his hometown Papaïchton © Arnaud Anselin PAG
15.	Aïmawale Opoya, craftsman from Taluen (French Guiana) and active participant in the recognition of the Maraké ritual (Maraké Project), presenting the various actions being carried out in Taluen to promote transmission of the Wayana’s living cultural heritage © Claudia Berthier PAG
Participants under the benab © Claudia Berthier PAG
Denise Fraser, Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of Group 2 on Community Involvement in Protected Areas Management during the Breakout sessions © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of Group 1 on Community Involvement in Protected Areas Management during the Breakout sessions © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the Access and Benefit Sharing in Protected Areas Management  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the Access and Benefit Sharing in Protected Areas Management  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the Access and Benefit Sharing in Protected Areas Management  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the Access and Benefit Sharing in Protected Areas Management  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the Access and Benefit Sharing in Protected Areas Management  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the opportunities for cooperation on the concerned thematic © Claudia Berthier PAG
Members of a working group session discussing the opportunities for cooperation on the concerned thematic © Claudia Berthier PAG
Handicrafts from the community of Nappi village © Claudia Berthier PAG
Balata crafts made by the craftsman of Nappi © Claudia Berthier PAG
Group photo of all the participants to the workshop and the inhabitants of Nappi with the Kanuku Mountains in the backdrop © Claudia Berthier PAG
Participants during the plenary sessions in nappi village © Claudia Berthier PAG
Participants during the plenary sessions in nappi village © Claudia Berthier PAG
Grace Roberts and Céline Frémaux, officer in charge of human sciences and cultures at the French Guiana Amazonian Park, during a group session on Language and Strengthening the network © Claudia Berthier PAG
Restitution time on the topic of Language and Strengthening the network  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Dutch translation in progress during the group restitution session  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Participants of a working session in Nappi  © Claudia Berthier PAG
Nappi’s benab underneath which the 3rd day of the workshop took place © Claudia Berthier PAG
Participants during the plenary sessions in nappi village © Claudia Berthier PAG
Group photo near Nappi Village Dam © Protected Areas Commission
The road from Lethem to Nappi Village © Claudia Berthier PAG
Breakout session in Nappi on strategies for networking and exchange in the Guianas on Language preservation © Arnaud Anselin PAG
Aïmawale Opoya (French Guiana) and Guy Fredericks (Guyana) © PAG
The Parc amazonien de Guyane's delegation © Arnaud Anselin PAG
Vercida Gomes (Guyana) and Frédérique Longin (French Guiana) © Arnaud Anselin PAG
View of the Nappi lake © Protected Areas Commission