La Voz de los sin Voz

“La Voz de los sin Voz” fue concebido por el pianista y hoy representante permanente de la República Argentina ante la UNESCO, Emb. Miguel Angel Estrella y se desarrolla en el ámbito de la Subsecretaría de Relaciones Institucionales del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto de la República Argentina.

“La Voz de los sin Voz”, en conformidad con las orientaciones de la UNESCO, concibe la fuerza vitalizadora de la cultura como elemento indispensable de los procesos de integración social y diversidad cultural.

“La Voz de los sin Voz” contribuye a los siguientes propósitos de la UNESCO::

• Contribuir a los Propósitos y Funciones enumerados en la Constitución de la UNESCO, así como al espíritu de la propia Organización.
• Sentar las bases para promover en América Latina la puesta en práctica de la Convención para la Salvaguarda del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial (París, 17 de octubre de 2003), de la Declaración Universal de la UNESCO sobre Diversidad Cultural (París, 2 de noviembre de 2001) y de la Recomendación sobre la Salvaguarda de la Cultura Tradicional y Popular (París, 15 de noviembre de 1989).
• Aportar a los trabajos de diversas divisiones de la UNESCO, entre ellas División de las Políticas Culturales y del Diálogo Intercultural y el Programa para la Erradicación de la Pobreza.

Job: Director, Secretariat - Governing Bodies/Secretary - General Conference and the Executive Board

Level: D2
Location: Paris, France
Closing Date: 28 June 2009
For more information click here.
To apply click here.

An Interesting Initiative from Our Northern Neighbors

The Pimachiowin Aki (Pim-ah-chee-owe-in Ahh-key) Corporation is a non-profit corporation formed by four First Nations: Poplar River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi and Pikangikum, Ont. Pimachiowin Aki’s goal is to achieve international recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for lands on the east side of Lake Winnipeg that straddle the Manitoba-Ontario border. The area under discussion is about 40,000 square kilometres. It includes the traditional territories of the Poplar River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi and Pikangikum First Nations, Atikaki Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba and Woodland Caribou Provincial Park in northern Ontario.

The application for World Heritage status will include the final boundaries of the designated site and will describe the innovative ways the area will be managed using both traditional Anishinabe and western scientific knowledge. Extensive community consultations, research, mapping and comprehensive community-based, land-use planning are required to complete the nomination.

The Manitoba and Ontario provincial governments in Canada are partners with the corporation. The Manitoba government has announced $531,000 in new provincial funding to support efforts to achieve the prestigious international designation and to help east side communities develop their land use plans.

Perhaps we in the United States might emulate this Canadian initiative to develop partnerships with native Americans and state and federal governments to protect tribal lands which have both natural and cultural values of such magnitude to justify world heritage status.

Iowa City Book Festival set for July 18

As a UNESCO City of Literature, Iowa City this summer will inaugurate a new festival to celebrate and investigate the city's literary connections. The inaugural Iowa City Book Festival will be held Saturday, July 18.

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2008 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize is awarded to President of Brazil Lula da Silva

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has been chosen as the laureate of UNESCO’s 2008 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize. The award ceremony will take place in July.

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UNESCO Celebrates Cultural Diversity from 11 to 22 May 2009

The numerous cultural events held on and around the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May) at UNESCO Headquarters and elsewhere in the world are meant to underscore not only the intrinsic value of specific cultural productions, but also and above all the fertility of their diversity. Together, they remind us that humanity’s fundamental wealth lies in its diversity. By bringing out what is primordial to the human condition, art is a catalyst for the building of peace in the minds of men.

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