Sharing experience in ‘Preserving Caribbean Heritage’

Catherine Leonard addressing delegates in Port of Spain

Catherine Leonard represented INTO at the Second Caribbean Conference of National Trusts and Preservation Societies hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago National Trust, Citizens for Conservation and ICOMOS TT.   It follows on from the inaugural conference in Barbados in 2014.

The theme of the conference was ‘Preserving Caribbean Heritage’ and there was a lot of learning to share. The amazing work of the Curaçao Monuments Fund Foundation to support and fund heritage rehabilitation in Willemstad.  Community engagement projects like the work of Iezora Edwards reaching out to young people in Princes Town, Trinidad, through story-telling and performance.  Stories from Haiti where people attach more meaning to places after a disaster.  (And that wealth and capitalism were more damaging to heritage than poverty and abandonment.)

An interesting presentation from Celia Toppin about the OAS project she manages and its work to establish a Caribbean Heritage Network.  Diana McIntyre-Pike speaking about community or village tourism in Jamaica and how she had shared her experience in Lopinot, Trinidad.  Alongside some terrific examples from Barbados in Sheron Johnson’s talk about helping people to understand and value their heritage.   The Saint Lucia National Trust presented their ambitious plans for Walcott Place including the acquisition of a largely abandoned street.

Catherine’s presentation in Port of Spain about threats to global heritage can be found here.

You can read Catherine’s blog here – and her conference report.

She also wrote a blog about her day with the Saint Lucia National Trust.