Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Ingrid van Engelshoven (left) presenting the letter of intent pertaining to the preservation of monuments in St. Maarten, with Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport Wycliffe Smith looking on.
~ Intangible heritage inventory handed over ~
POND ISLAND–Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport Wycliffe Smith and his Dutch counterpart at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science OCW Ingrid van Engelshoven presented a letter of intent pertaining to the preservation of monuments in St. Maarten during a joint press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Smith also presented St. Maarten’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List to Van Engelshoven, who was in St. Maarten on a two-day working and familiarisation visit.
The letter of intent, which will be signed at a later date, was presented in the presence of, among others, Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport Secretary-General Shermina Powell-Richardson, UNESCO Secretary-General in St. Maarten Marcellia Henry, Culture Department head Clara Reyes and Dutch Representative in St. Maarten Chris Johnson.
Smith said the presentation was a “very historic occasion” and a “momentous event” in the joining of two ministries to lend support in the commitment to the restoration of cultural legacies and in recognising the ancestral craftsmanship and the passing on of traditions to the next generation.
Smith said the letter to intent is to fund the restoration of St. Maarten monuments and the traditions “of those that came before us, for our future generations.”
The objective is to collaborate with the Netherlands and to propose the necessary conditions and procedures for an independent monument fund in St. Maarten that will receive funds from the National Restoration Revolving Funds of the Netherlands for the preservation and restoration of monuments in St. Maarten.
The OCW ministry, in collaboration with the Restoration Fund, secured funds this year to an initial amount of US $750,000 for urgent repairs of monuments, such as homes and churches that sustained severe damage through the ferocious winds of Hurricane Irma. The funds will be made available in the form of soft loans to be distributed among eligible monument-owners to assist in essential rebuilding and fortifying of monuments that face both natural and manmade disasters, Smith explained.
Smith and Van Engelshoven visited some monument-owners on Monday. Smith said they were both “very impressed by the proud display of their cultural heritage and the strong desire to have their homes, which are considered monuments, restored.”
Both ministers will be reviewing the monument fund to see how best they can accommodate persons who may not be able to access a loan to restore their building.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Minister Smith also presented the first copy of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory List of St. Maarten to his Dutch counterpart. Before handing over the first copy of the list to Van Engelshoven, Smith said Tuesday was a “very pivotal day and a new chapter for ensuring the Sweet St. Maarten cultural legacy.”
St. Maarten ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage on May 21, 2014, and a committee was established that same year. The committee engaged with a number of community members, such as senior citizens, tradition bearers and heritage experts in the field in meetings and during national consultations to gather information about St. Maarten’s intangible heritage.
Additionally, online and physical surveys were launched and data were collected. Numerous stakeholder consultations were held and eventually a national inventory was compiled. The list was completed in 2018.
“The St. Maarten government and stakeholders are committed to measures that can promote and safeguard our intangible cultural heritage, particularly those elements that are in danger of dying or in danger of becoming obsolete. With the development and implementation of governmental and private-public policies, intangible cultural heritage-based activities, events, projects and initiatives, there will be an increased chance of safeguarding our intangible cultural heritage,” said Smith.
In addition, the Culture Department and St. Maarten’s National Committee for UNESCO intend to maximise public awareness at the local, national and international levels by publishing aspects of the intangible cultural heritage using different marketing and educational tools, such as documentaries, calendars, pamphlets and school booklets.
St. Maarten’s cultural heritage past and present can be found in the list, including songs, proverbs, dances and foods.
Van Engelshoven commended St. Maarten for compiling and drafting the list through dialogue with the population of St. Maarten.
Pertaining to the Monument Fund she said that St. Maarten and the Netherlands have a common history and a shared heritage in culture and in monuments. “It is our job to safeguard this common history for future generations,” she said.
Van Engelshoven said she had the opportunity to “plunge” into St. Maarten’s culture on Monday evening when she met with local artist Ruby Bute, listened to the community choir and engaged with “young and very talented students from the art school.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85001-ministers-present-letter-of-intent-for-preservation-of-monuments
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