PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Patricia Lourens-Philip formally presented a specially-made illustrative book entitled "Capacity Building Workshop on Heritage Conservation in Caribbean Small Island Developing States" to key professional culture stakeholders in late August.
The book, produced by the Culture Department, shares the outcomes of a The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) meeting called by the same name, held in May. It contains the meeting's proceedings and includes photos, speeches, presentation excerpts and recommendations, as well as the Philipsburg Declaration and Action Plan.
The book was presented to those who made the meeting a success. The meeting had been fully financed by the Ministry, a first in the region.
Head of the Culture Department Neville York said that Minister Lourens' vision had been put in motion and taken root in the soil of St. Maarten "after her passionate address at the UNESCO General Conference in Paris in November 2013, in which she made the proposition publicly to collaborate with other member States in the Caribbean for St. Maarten to serve as the portal for the Tangible project 'The Eastern Caribbean Coastal Fortifications'".
He added that six months after her open invitation, the first concrete step was made to fulfil what had been proposed. An invitation was sent out to all regional member states to take part in the capacity building workshops in St. Maarten. Some 97 per cent accepted.
York also highlighted a need to "establish a foundation that will serve as a world renowned professional institute for Intangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage," which would fulfil the vision and obtain a UNESCO Category II Center title, based in St. Maarten.
