the elephant caravan project to celebrate luang prabang's 20 years as a unesco world heritage site...

7/21/2019 The Elephant Caravan Project To Celebrate Luang Prabang's 20 Years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015

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LAO P.D.R.Luang Prabang Province

Xayaboury Province

Lao World Heritage Department

Presents:


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Paklay - Thongmixay - Phiang - Xayaboury - Hongsa - Luang Prabang

Nov - Dec 2015 - Lao PDR

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VISION

Raiseawareness

aboutthenee

d

foractiontoco

nserveLaoele

phant

population-acu

lturalandnatur

alheritage

ofLaos-throughtheo

rganisationofa

n

outstandingcu

lturaleventco-produced

byLuangPrab

angprovince,

Xayaboury

province,theL

aoWorldHer

itage

Departmentand

theElephant

Conservation

Center.


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hotoPaul

Wager

A journey...

The Elephant Caravan is a project which combines an elephant trek across rural

and urban Laos with educational and conservation activities for village children,

and which terminates in an artistic and cultural festival celebrating Luang Prabangs

20 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The caravan and the cultural festival will be organised by the provinces of Luang

Prabang and Xayaboury, in partnership with the Elephant Conservation Centre,

and with the support of the French NGO Des Elphants & des Hommes and

the Lao-based Community Learning International.

The aim of the operation is to raise public awareness, both in Laos and

internationally, about the threats to the Asian elephant and to the rainforest, its

natural environment. There are only 900 elephants left in Laos, a country once

known as the Land of a Million Elephants. If the current trend continues, the

elephant, Earths largest land mammal, will completely disappear from Laoss

forests within the next fifty years.

The elephant caravan will march across the length of Xayaboury province, an areaknown as the cradle of Lao elephant culture. The province shelters 75% of the

current national elephant population. The march symbolizes a call for help from

Lao elephants to the citizens and governing bodies of Laos.


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...In the Land of a Million Elephants

Over the course of a month and a half, the elephant caravan willwalk 630km.The caravan will be accompanied by theatrical and musical performers as well as

educational staff, making it a kind of multi-cultural roadshow. As the caravan stops

in each village, there will be daily public performances to engage local residents

and educate children about elephant conservation. The story will revolve around

the elephant, as an ambassador of biodiversity and cultural diversity, of the

cultural heritage of Laos and of the biological heritage of Humanity.

Because the elephant is both an endangered keystone speciesin its ecosystem

and a revered living emblem of the Lao nation, the Elephant Conservation

Center is creating this event to pay tribute to the elephant and promote Laos as

an environmentally friendly tourist destination.

The arrival of the caravan in villages in Xayaboury and Luang Prabang provincesrepresents an opportunity to send an educational message to young people

and their parents. Thus, at each step, our team will conduct outreach activities

in the community and provide illustrated books to school children. Based on the

performance of our traveling theatre, and making use of educational materials

created for the occasion, the team will work with educational institutions in

villages to deliver key messages about environmental protection and elephantconservation.

In Luang Prabang, the caravan will join the celebrations for the World Heritage

anniversary.Twenty elephants will enter a majestic procession into the ancient

cityamidst the installations and performances of Lao and international artists.

A light, fire & sound performanceuniquely designed to celebrate the cityscultural landmarks and the elephant procession will mark the anniversary of the

cultural capital of Laos.


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EDUCATEIntegraltoourworkwill

betheproductionofeducationalmaterialsonAsianelephantsroleinLao

cultureandtraditionsandtheirimportance

fortheecosystem.Performancesand

educationalactivitieswillbeorganisedand

educationalmaterialswillbedisseminated

toschoolchildrenduringtheroadshowalongthecaravansroute.


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Xayaboury & Luang Prabang

Xayaboury is home to the largest Asian elephant population in Laos,

therefore making the province a key reservoir for this endangered species.

Luang Prabang is the former royal capital of the Land of a Million Elephants.

As a living icon with important symbolic connotations and historical

associations for many Asian cultures, the elephant is an animal dear to the

hearts of all people in Laos and the region. Unfortunately, it is no exaggeration

to say that the elephant, one of the defining components of Asian heritage istoday under threat.

Luang Prabang province, Xayaboury province, the Lao World Heritage

Department and the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) with their

cultural approach to conservation, wish to play a key role in raising

regional and international awareness of the need to protect the

Asian elephant, a vital cultural and biological heritage of Laos.

They will also promote cultural exchange and inter-cultural

dialogue, through a shared commitment to ensure a happy

future for the Asian elephant which has played such an

important role in all the regions cultures throughout history.

COMMUNICATE

Attractivetothepubl

ic,international

travellers,touroperato

rsandinternational

media,theconcepto

fanElephantCaravan

isanoriginalideathat

highlightsthefate

oftheAsianelephantandpro

motethe

countryasauniquen

aturalandcultural

touristdestination.


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Itinerary

The Caravan in figures:

630 km

53 days walking

Average distance of 19km/day

46 villages

12 elephants from Xayabury

8 elephants from Luang Prabang

66 people


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Participants

The Elephant Conservation Center is the only elephant hospital and nursery

in Laos. It is committed to ensuring the health, wellbeing and perpetuation

of endangered elephant populations. Sebastien Duffillot is the co-founder of

ElefantAsia, the Elephant Conservation Centre and the Elephant Festival in

Laos and Regional Programme Manager for Southeast Asia for Des Elphants

et des Hommes. In 2002, Sebastien travelled 1.300 km with 4 elephants fromChampassak to Luang Prabang in Laoss first ever Elephant Caravan.

Community Learning International and Des Elephants et des Hommes

will work together to develop and deliver the educational component of the

caravan. The arrival of the caravan in villages in Xayaboury and Luang Prabang

provinces represents an opportunity to send an educational message to young

people and their parents. Thus, at each step, our team will conduct outreach

activities in the community and provide illustrated books to school children.

Media representatives will accompany the caravan. The adventure of the

caravan and the Luang Prabang celebrations will lead to the production of a

TV documentary, highlighting the amazing journey, the spectacular celebration

and the important need for elephant conservation in Laos. One film crew willaccompany the caravan in its entirety while other international TV crews will

join the celebrations in Luang Prabang. A professional team of photographers,

illustrators and writers will recount the epic journey of the elephant caravan,

bringing the elephants call to action to an international audience. The publicity

leading up to the celebration in Luang Prabang and depicting the performances

will highlight the locations role as an important and exciting tourist destinationin the region.

The Luang Prabang celebrations will

be held under the High Patronage of:

HE the Prime Minister

The Ministry of Education and

Sports

The Ministry of Information,

Culture and Tourism

The Ministry of Natural Resources

and Environment

The Department of Interior

Security

The Department of Defense

The Governor of Luang Prabang

Province

The Governor of Xayaboury

Province

The Director General ofUNESCO (World Heritage)


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Patrick and Margot Auzier are creative and innovative masters of fire;

specialists of monumental fire installations. The scenography and unique

poetry of their shows - often described as fire operas - convey a profound

vision of the chosen natural landscape, giving a new life to urban and rural

areas, fascinating the public and sublimating the environment.Their show will bepresented along main citys avenues and rivers to celebrate the cultural riches

and the beauty of Luang Prabang World Heritage City.

Khao Niew theatre groupwas established in Vientiane in 2008, and is directed

by Lattanakone Insisiengmay. The company has staged five plays since its creation:

Broken Dream (2010), What! (2011), Lao Pinocchio (2012), Metamorfoz (2011)

and Music Elephant (2012). Over the years, Khao Niews group has broadened its

horizons by working on collaborative cultural and art programmes with both local and

international artists including: Kabong Lao puppet theatre (Lao PDR), Turak Thtre/

Michel Laubu (France), Phare Ponleu Selpak (Cambodia), Jeobong Co. (Japan

& Laos) and Teatr Piba (France). Khao Niew is an active member of the PETA-

Mekong Partnership Programme (ASEAN partnership and support programme for

the performing arts community within the Greater Mekong Subregion). Khao Niew

will invite international performers and musicians to join them for the production

of an exclusive artistic creation during the Elephant Caravan.

Exhibitions of Visual Arts.Various artists will contribute to the celebrations in Luang

Prabang under the direction ofAgns Rosse. Contemporary artist Bibiwill produce

a monumental backlit elephant sculpture. Visual Artist Lionel Lauret will projectstill & animated images of elephants through the ages on Luang Prabangs landmark

buildings.Agns and Caroline Rossewill show a retrospective exhibition of their

elephant encounters in Laos since 2001 (Elephant Caravan 2002, Elephant Festivals

2008, 2010, 2012, Elephant Conservation Centre, 2012).Yves Bernard and his

Tuktuk Cinemawill project the film Chang (1927) on a giant outdoors screen

on the banks of the Mekong river and set to music by theChampassak ShadowTheatre Orchestra. Together, with their drawings, texts, floral, vegetal and glowing

creations, they will create a unique poetic route across the city.

Th El h C


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The Elephant Caravan in pictures

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Contacts

ADDRESS:

Elephant Conservation Center

Po Box 530 Vientiane, Lao PDR

TEL:+856-20-96591061

EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: http://www.theelephantcaravan.org/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com.

Search The Elephant Caravan

TWITTER:https://twitter.com/elephantlaos


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ECCNam Tien, Sayaboury Province

Po Box 530, Lao PDR

CLICommunity Learning International

Sisavangvong Rd, Luang Prabang,

Lao PDR

DEDHDes Elphants et des Hommes

Paris, France

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LAO P.D.R.Luang Prabang Province

Sayaboury Province

Lao World Heritage Department

the elephant caravan project to celebrate luang prabang's 20 years as a unesco world heritage site...

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