Region's Cultural Heritage May Be Under Attack

Contact: Ayodele Hippolyte

Tuesday, March 27, 2001 - There is an urgent need to protect the cultural heritage and services of Caribbean countries, especially that of small developing nations such as St. Lucia. This is according to Minister for Culture, the Hon. Damian Greaves who has just returned from the twelfth meeting of the Forum of Ministers for Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting which took place last week in Santo Domingo, focused on the need to protect the cultural assets of the region from appropriation by more powerful countries.

Mr. Greaves pointed out that in Barbados for example, there is a wealth of underwater heritage in the form of sunken ships dating back to the colonial period. There is now an attempt by European countries to appropriate this wreckage with the argument that the ships originated in their countries. However, the minister declared that it was decided at the meeting that the region was not going to allow this appropriation of  “…our underwater heritage which is essentially part of our patrimony and essentially part of our heritage tourism because it is something that we can actually sell as part of the tourism product.” The ministers have produced a joint declaration and resolution stating their position on the matter.

Also coming out of this forum was the decision to form a special entity called the Makers of the Caribbean and Latin America. The minister said that St. Lucia will be playing an important part in this initiative which will be focussing on Caribbean and Latin American philosophy and its role in the development of regional culture and identity.  Mr. Greaves said that this move was seen as necessary in order to counter claims that the Caribbean has not produced any worthwhile body of ideas that have had a significant impact on development.

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