Haiti commits to strengthening institutional capacities to safeguard its living heritage © UNESCO

Forty-two participants from government, civil society and communities gathered in Port-au-Prince in July 2019 for two workshops to strengthen Haiti’s national capacities to safeguard its living heritage.

The objectives of the two workshops were defined in consultation with the National Bureau of Ethnology (BNE), the Ministry of Culture and Communication and the Haitian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO. The workshops prepared participants for conducting community-based inventories and developing requests for international assistance from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund.

After the workshops, an introductory inventorying exercise was held with 20 members of the Raras Union of Leogane, a federation of different communities that practices Rara, a major festival and element living heritage in Haiti. Similar to other festivals and Carnival, the Rara draws particular attention from the Haitian authorities due to its significant economic benefits. The event welcomes a large number of participants and visitors, particularly from the diaspora who come with their families every year to witness this spiritual and patriotic renewal, but also for entertainment.

Later, a three-day pilot inventorying exercise will be held in Léogâne, in the West Department of the country, with the participation of the communities.