BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Officials in Barbados have nominated road tennis and landship to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Barbados Landship was nominated for inscription on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.It is nominating road tennis on the representative list of the UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity, while the Barbados Landship Movement will be nominated for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Addressing a workshop to fine-tune the nomination document, Senior UNESCO Facilitator for the 2003 Convention Nigel Encalada congratulated the government for taking this step, pointing out that there has been a growing movement by countries, over the last few years, to safeguard their living heritage, such as world heritage and archaeological sites.
“It is very rare that these sites exist without the work of the people. Living heritage is critical…but there are two purposes, I would say, for making this move that you’re making now to prepare this nomination,” he said, adding that the nomination would give the island more international exposure and open doors for future projects and financing, among other benefits.
“One is to bring an awareness about Barbadian cultural heritage and the role it plays to your society and people, and secondly, to bring to the attention of the society and the practitioners themselves that these elements….These living and inherited practices need and deserve to be safeguarded for future generations.”
During the workshop, Encalada evaluated the nomination and shared with stakeholders, heritage professionals, and persons in the community involved with the two of the island’s indigenous institutions what the nomination process is, what UNESCO is looking for, and the criteria for getting an element on the list.
He also offered suggestions on how to enhance the various sections of the document to make a stronger argument for the inscription.
