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JAMAICA OUR CULTURE

AIDE MEMOIRE : JAMAICA FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE

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The rich blend of historical heritage which pervades the Jamaican society has created a unique cultural “Brand Jamaica” that is recognized worldwide. Jamaica is world renowned for its cultural icons in the fields of sports, music, food and art. The richness of our cultural heritage is repli cated in our natural resources including historical and archaeological sites dating as far back as the 14th Century.

These sites, while declared national monuments by the Government of Jamaica, also share international and universal historic significance. Jamaica’s historical and archaeological sites provide evidence of the multitudes of different people representing various world cultures which have lived and shaped our

landscape for centuries. Jamaica fully subscribes to the 1972 World Heritage Convention, consider to be one of the most significant legal instruments That focuses on the identification and promotion of heritage globally. The Convention also facilitates a movement beyond the context of a national jurisdiction into the international arena that affords global protection. In this regard, Jamaica’s membership to the World Heritage Committee, will serve to benefit the plethora of Small Island Developing States. Jamaica as a member of the group of Caribbean SIDS, will represent the concerns of this group of countries as well as share a similar heritage and cultural experience.

Jamaica has a rich cultural legacy, shaped over centuries by the island’s unique historical heritage. The richness and diversity of the Jamaican culture

adequately reflects it’s national motto “Out of Many One People” and has continued to lend its invaluable

contribution to the global cultural melting pot.

OUT OF MANY

MOUNTIAIN RIVER CAVETAINO SITE

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THE RICHNESS OF OUR

CULTURAL HERITAGE

IS REPLICATED IN OUR

NATURAL RESOURCES...

“

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As a prospective member of the World Heritage Committee, Jamaica will seek to encourage greater efficiency in the work of the Organization by:

• Facilitating regional dialogue with a view to garnering cooperation and assistance among States, especially as it relates to issues regarding biodiversity.

• Providing support to the development of regional heritage funds to facilitate the sustainable use and management of heritage resources.

• Working to develop capacity in the preparation of dossiers, specifically amongst Member States which are experiencing a deficit in the human resources.

Jamaica has a wealth of cultural knowledge and diversity which gives it a unique perspective, and, as such its membership will provide valuable contribution to the work of the Committee. Jamaica stands ready to provide an added voice to issues of concern for other Small Island Developing States, which, like Jamaica, are rich in cultural heritage and which need a say in its protection.

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BOB MARLEY

GRACE JONES

USAIN BOLT

LOUISE

BENNETT-COVERLEY

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THE BLUE AND JOHN CROW MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARKThe park, located in the eastern mountainous region of Jamaica. is one of the country’s first and most important protected areas and was previously nominated for inscription to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011.

The park contains the largest area of primary natural forest remaining in Jamaica and is high in biodiversity. According to the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust, the non-Government entity that manages this national park about forty per cent (40%) of the plants and animals found there are either endemic to Jamaica, or are found only in the park’s ecosystems. 7

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“ Seville was at first site of the town of Maima which

was established by Tainos, the first inhabitants of

Jamaica.On the evening of May 5, 1494, Christopher

Columbus, the Spanish Explorer, landed at Seville. In

1509 the Spaniards, under Esquivel, began building

Sevilla la Nueva in the middle of the village of

Maima. They subsequently abandoned it in 1534

in 1655 the British captured the island from the

Spanish Building on the remains of Sevilla, they

established a sugar plantation they called Seville.

It was here at Seville at the cultures of the three

worlds (i) Amerindian

(ii) African and

(iii) European had their first

encounter, giving birth to a

modern Jamaican society.

NEW S

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AGE PARK

FORT CHARLES

SILVER HILLJA

MAICAN T

ODY

PAPIL

IO H

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THRINAX EXCELSA

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A & B

NEPTUNE S

TONE

A & B

NEPTUNE S

TONE

AMAZONA COLL

ARIA

BLAKEA T

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BAPTISMAL

FONT

COLBECK CASTLE

JAMAIC

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MOUNTAIN RIVER CAVE

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PORT ROYAL

For over 200 years, Port Royal was England’s biggest naval base in the Caribbean, so strong and powerful, that no enemy dared attack it and by 1692 Port Royal had become an important economic centre, but on 7th June, of that year, it was destroyed by an earthquake. A large portion of the town sank into the sea, while about two fifth of the population died either in the earthquake, or in the plagues that followed.

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In 2003, he chaired a submission to UNESCO with Dr. the Hon. Olive Lewin as team leader and with the assistance of a committee of twelve persons for the declaration of the Music of Moore Town Maroons to be part of the Intangible Heritage of Mankind. Only 25 such other Declarations had been made.

In October 2011 he received the Gleaner Honour Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture and was awarded the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons Jamaica 50 Living Legacy Award in February 2012 and St. Andrew Lay Magistrates Award in 2012.

His hobbies include:Heritage preservation, soccer and Liturgical music.

Vivian Crawford, former director of the Institute of Jamaica - the repository of Jamaica’s Cultural and heritage. containing such sections as the Museums of History and Ethnography; National History Museum of Jamaica, National History Museum of Jamaica; Africa Caribbean Institute of Jamaica /Jamaica Memory Bank.

He has a B. Sc (Econ) degree from University of the West Indies, a Teaching Diploma from the Mico Teachers’ College and MBA from Nova Southern University.

Some of the Boards on which serves include:

• The Cariforum Cultural Fund where he was a facilitator at the 15th meeting of the Ministers of the Caribbean forum in Haiti,

• The University of Technology as a member of Council and Chairman.

• He is a member of the Memory of the World Committee of UNESCO.

• Member of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust Audit Committee

• The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission as Chairman

• The Council of the Institute of Jamaica• As a member of the Group of Experts on

Financial and Administrative matters Committee of UNESCO Paris.

VIVIAN CRAWFORD

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Dr. Lindsey’S PhD., is in world Cultural Heritage Projects. Management Strategies. Sustainable Heritage Tourism In Small Island Developing States (SIDS): the Jamaican Experience. University of Tsukuba, Japan, 2011. She is currently a Communications/Cultural Heritage Consultant.

Background and skills in teaching and research at the tertiary level; focus on media, oral communication, cultural heritage some of which include:

• Research and development initiatives and cultural heritage as part of the University’s academic and policy contribution to national development

• Conducting field work and preparing comprehensive revisions of government’s National Cultural Policy.

• Formulating courses for under graduate cultural heritage /media based programme of study

• Conducting a needs assessment of relevant and timely arts and culture and heritage-based research programmes for tertiary level institutions

• Preparing annual strategic and operational plans for arts and culture programmes and heritage-based projects

PRESENTATIONS AND AWARDS• 2010 Recipient, University of Tsukuba’s,

Certificate of Merit Award for Doctoral Research, “Management Strategies Towards Sustainable Heritage Tourism in Small Island Developing States (SIDS): The Jamaican Experiences

• That intrinsic value of cultural heritage and its relationship to Sustainable Tourism Development: The contrasting experiences of Japan and Jamaica. Conference presentation at the Archaeological Society of Jamaica (ASJ) Symposium. University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. April 10, 2008.

RESEARCH INTERESTS• World heritage and Small Island Developing

States (SIDS)• The Heritage Spectrum in National

Development Planning• Heritage Preservation and Local Communities• Sustainable (community-based) Heritage

Tourism

• Heritage as Enterprise/Industry

JANICE LINDSAY PH.D.

CONTACT US

JAMAICA NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO

3RD FLOOR, THE TOWERS

25 DOMINCA DRIVE

KINGSTON 5, JAMAICA

TEL: (876) 926 5480; 618 1333

FAX: (876) 924 4022

EMAIL: jncnatcom2@yahoo.com