St. George's, December 4, 2010 (GIS) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has approved a Grenada request for funding US$42,000 for the completion of a National Cultural Policy.
The funding request was prepared and presented following a UNESCO sub-regional meeting on cultural conventions held in Grenada in June.
The proposal was followed up on by Senator Arley Gill, the Minister with Responsibility for Culture, when he visited Nairobi, Kenya, last month for a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention Committee meeting. The focus of the meeting was the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage of countries worldwide.
Grenada sits on the committee which approves applications from member-states seeking assistance, and a declaration from the U.N. body, to have their cultural practices labeled as being worthy for safeguarding under the UNESCO Convention.
Sen. Gill is widely respected internationally as being knowledgeable, and an expert, on the convention relating to intangible cultural heritage.
At the committee meeting in Nairobi, the unique cultural practices of more than 50 countries – including the Flamingo Dance of Spain and selected diets of Mediterranean states – were approved for safeguarding by UNESCO.
Grenada's submission to UNESCO, through the organization's International Fund for Cultural Diversity, was evaluated by an expert panel of UNESCO officials before a final decision on the request was reached.
Final decision on the $42,000 request was made by the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO at a just-concluded meeting at the organization's headquarters in Paris, France.
"I am delighted at the news from UNESCO and thank the organization,'' Sen. Gill told the Government Information Service. "The funding will help us with completing the policy, which is aimed at preserving the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.''
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